Black Garlic
Our Certified Organic Black Garlic is ordinary hardneck garlic that's gone through a Maillard reaction, or been exposed to specialized temperatures and humidity levels for an extended period of time. This process unlocks twice the number of antioxidants as raw garlic, including S-Allyl cysteine (SAC), which helps prevent cancer.
Black garlic has complex flavors, ranging from sweet date-like undertones to a tangy garlicky flavor, with hints of dark chocolate and molasses.
One of the best things about black garlic is that it doesn't leave you with garlic breath! One of our customers said of black garlic, "Exotic and just beautiful. Garlic just got better!"
Shipping available within the US.
$3.00
Garlic
Our Certified Organic Hardneck Table Garlic is graded at 1”-1.75” diameter and is perfect for seasoning your favorite savory dish or for roasting and eating on its own.
Available in German White, Music, and Ukraine varieties. If you want specific varieties, please include that in the order notes. Sampler includes 20 bulbs of table garlic, with two different varieties. Shipping available in US.
$2.00 – $40.00
USDA Certified Organic Seed Garlic
Seed Garlic Pre-Orders will open Saturday, August 5.
For information on planting, harvesting, and caring for your seed garlic, click here.
Our Certified Organic Hardneck Seed Garlic is graded at over 1.75” diameter and selected for seed quality during harvest. Each clove you plant is a genetic clone to the parent--so if you plant larger garlic cloves in the fall, you get larger garlic bulbs in the spring.
Seed Garlic will be available in German White, Idaho Silver, Music, and Ukraine. 1 pound = approximately 8-9 bulbs. USDA Certified Organic.
Shipping available in US. Seed garlic will ship late September/early October, or you can pick up at our farm beginning Sept 18.
Shipping prices: 1-4# - $16.25 | 5-9# - $22 | 10-20# - $44 | over 21# - Please request shipping quote.
$4.00 – $170.00
Garlic Planting Directions
- Make sure to use seed garlic to ensure large, disease-free bulbs. The cloves you plant from each bulb are genetic clones of the bulb itself and will therefore grow to the same size, all other factors (weather, fertility, etc.) being equal.
- Break apart the bulb into individual cloves. Be careful not to bruise or cut the cloves. (No need to peel these cloves.)
- Select the biggest cloves for planting.
- Garlic grows best when it is planted in late fall 4-5 weeks before hard frost. The idea is that you want it to send its roots deep while keeping the plant from emerging from the soil. Consult with your local extension agent to determine when that would be, or email/call and we can help you determine the best date. In Northwest Indiana Zone 5b, we usually plant between Oct 15-25.
- About 12 hours before planting, soak the cloves in this mixture: 1 Tbsp baking soda, 1 Tbsp fish seaweed fertilizer, 1 gallon water. Right before planting, dunk cloves in 70% isopropyl alcohol or (use 30% hydrogen peroxide solution for certified organic) for 5 minutes. Remove cloves from alcohol and plant immediately.
- Each clove is planted 5-6 inches apart in rows that are 8-12 inches apart.
- Plant about 3-4 inches deep, or about twice as deep as the size of the clove.
- Plant basal side down. (The roots will grow from the base of clove.)
- Mulch heavily (3-5 inches deep) with weed-free straw for weed and moisture control. You can use grass clippings, but you will need to put a new layer on in the spring.
- No need to remove the mulch in the spring as the garlic is strong enough to push through the mulch.
Garlic Growing Tips
- Once you plant in the fall, you won't need to do anything until spring when the garlic plants emerge from the soil. Garlic is very frost tolerant.
- Think of garlic as two plants in one. Early spring is a vigorous growing time, and your garlic plant will benefit from good watering and added nutrients. In late spring, when the flower stalk (the scape) starts to curl, begin tapering off watering as your garlic plant is more drought tolerant at this stage.
- Assuming you mulched in the fall, you shouldn't need to weed (unless your straw had weed seed in it!).
- Two weeks before harvest, stop watering.
Garlic Harvest Directions
- Harvest the garlic scape (the curly flower shoot) in June for fresh eating once it has one curl.
- Not harvesting garlic scapes will result in 1/3 to 1/2 smaller bulb size, but the garlic will store much longer because it has fully “hardened off” physiologically.
- Harvest when 60% of the garlic leaves are green and 40% of the leaves are brown. About 6 full green leaves should be left when you pull the plant for harvest.
- Timing of harvest will vary from year to year. In Northwest Indiana Zone 5b, we usually harvest in early or mid-July.
- Pitchfork plants or hand-pull if your soil allows for it.
- Garlic can sunburn in 10 minutes or less, so keep it out of the sun. It also can bruise easily, so be careful in your handling.
- Leave stem and leaves attached to bulb.
- Hang in bunches of 5-10 plants in well ventilated, 100% shade for 2-3 weeks.
- Let cure for 2-3 weeks. Stem should be dry, not wet when you cut bulbs from plant.
- Cut leaves and stem from bulb. Leave 1 to 1.5 inches of stem on bulb.
Garlic Storage Tips
- Garlic doesn’t go dormant; it enters a stage of rest. The idea is to extend this rest as long as possible.
- Ideal storage is 40% to 60% humidity in a dark place.
- Temperature should be 55-65 degrees.
- If you put garlic in the fridge, leave it there until ready to use as it will sprout within 2-3 days after you take it out of the fridge. We do not recommend storing garlic in the fridge.
A few more thoughts on garlic …
What’s the difference between hardneck and softneck garlic? Most of what you’ll find in the grocery store is softneck garlic, imported from around the world.
The majority of our garlic is hardneck, or garlic which produces a flowering scape in the spring. The hardneck garlic palate experience ranges from sweet, spicy, or super fiery depending on the variety and cooking method. One of our favorite annual cooking activities is roasting a bulb from each variety and taking part in a garlic tasting party.
We do grow one sofneck variety: Idaho Silver. Idaho Silver is a beautiful silver color with reddish-pink cloves. It's well-adapted to northern climates with cold winters.
To learn more about why our garlic is so great, check out this video.
Want to learn even more about garlic? Check out this book: Growing Great Garlic by Ron L. Engeland