Overview: Garlic is one of the most versatile and popular spices in the world. Strong in flavor, smell, and health benefits, garlic can be added to many dishes as a main or supporting flavor.
Seed Starting: Garlic is grown from cloves. It takes 8-9 months for cloves to become new garlic heads. Garlic is one of the few foods planted in the fall in New England. It is harvested in late spring/early summer.
Growing Advice: Plant each clove tip up and 3 to 5 inches deep. It helps to insulate garlic over winter with a layer of mulch (shredded leaves, straw, etc.). . You can plant garlic from sprouted garlic, just add it to soil. Although garlic only has one life cycle after picked, simply replant a clove or two from each harvested head, to restart the process.
Harvesting: Harvest your garlic when the lower leaves of your plant turn brown. Don’t rinse dirt from garlic with water: shake it off to preserve the papery protection.
Recipe for Garlic Confit
- Remove garlic cloves from head and peel
- Put in ceramic or any oven safe container.
- Separate cloves and cover completely with olive oil.
- Add any additional herbs to your liking (rosemary, basil, peppercorns, lemon, etc.) and bake in the oven at 300 Fahrenheit for 30 minutes, or until golden brown.
- Use as a spread, add to butter, or any of your recipes there are hundreds of uses!
- Save the oil and now you have garlic infused olive oil!
- Since you cooked the garlic and the oil make sure to refrigerate for keeping!
Written by; Jackie Rosney