Harvesting Garlic
Created on 8/6/2008
Growing your own garlic is really a remarkable thing- from one small clove in October you harvest one fat head with 12 cloves in midsummer. The garlic knows how to do this without any coaxing, intervention, fussing or worrying from me. It happily sends up shoots through the winter and yields different garlic delights through the growing season. First there are garlic chives in January- clipped even in the snow, then green garlic in April and May and finally, full, ripe heads at the end of July or early August. The garlic does all of this work while looking pretty in the garden. The green vertical shoots are attractive. Well, until the end of July when the leaves begin to turn brown and fall over. But this is the sign that it’s time to harvest the mature cloves.
Dig the bulbs with a trowel or garden fork, being careful not to slice through any of the garlic then gently lift out the garlic. I inevitably get the trowel too close to the garlic and cut through a few so if this happens use the garlic immediately because you won’t be able to store damaged heads. Remove as much of the soil as possible with your hands; don’t use water. Cure garlic for longer storage in the house by hanging in small bunches for 2 weeks. I keep mine in a large basket in a well ventilated room out of direct sunlight, which right now happens to be my family room. Don’t worry; fresh garlic doesn’t have an odor as it cures.
What am I going to do with all of this garlic? A few large bulbs will be kept for seed for next year. Some will be cured for long storage. The rest will be used to cook with now. (Fresh pesto, for example). I found this recipe for pickled garlic from the Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving: 400 Delicious and Creative Recipes for Today, edited by Judi Kingry and Lauren Devine, 2006. This recipe uses most of my garlic. Next fall I’ll have to plant more.
Pickled Garlic
(Makes about five 8-ounce jars or two 16-ounce jars).
2- 1/2 cups white vinegar
1 cup dry white wine
1 Tbl. pickling or canning salt
1 Tbl. granulated sugar
1 Tbl. dried oregano
12 large heads garlic, separated and peeled
5 dried chili peppers (optional)
1. Prepare canner, jars and lids.
2. In a large stainless steel saucepan, combine vinegar, wine, salt, sugar and oregano. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Reduce heat and boil gently for 1 minute. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute.
3. Pack garlic and 1 chili pepper, if using, into hot jars to within a generous 1/2 inch of top of jar. Ladle hot pickling liquid into jar to cover garlic, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Remove air bubbles and adjust headspace, if necessary, by adding hot pickling liquid. Wipe rim. Center lid on jar. Screw band down until resistance is met, then increase to fingertip-tight.
4. Place jars in canner, ensuring they are completely covered with water. Bring to boil and process for 10 minutes. Remove canner lid. Wait 5 minutes, then remove jars, cool and store.
