Garlic – hmmmm – like it? Seems most folx I know either love it or don’t. It’s such a natural & healthy food: and it has antibacterial & antiviral properties, an immune system enhancer, and at our place, indispensable in any kind of fried, stir fried, and any number of other dishes.
garlic curing
We’ve always grown our own garlic for our own use. About 20 years ago, we decided to grow garlic as a cash crop as well – something like 7-800 lb annually. We sold mostly to food coops. After awhile, it seemed that our return on our labor was very low ($1/hr ? – hard to tell since we do not do labor accounting). We downsized our garlic plantings so that we have enough for ourselves, to make prepared mustard (we sell mustard as one of our products), to sell at fairs we go to, and occasionally some to stores. We just can’t seem to not grow a bunch! It’s such a beautiful crop, relatively easy to grow, so tasteee!, and good for you!.
The photo is of this year’s garlic – harvested July 12 – the plants are tied in bundles of about 10 and then hung on the wall of one of our barns: they are “curing” or drying. The tops are still somewhat green and the energy/life force of the plant concentrates in the bulb as it dries. When dried, the garlic will store at room temperature for 6-9 months.
