Today, we spent nearly four hours touring local, organic farms in our area. It was exciting and inspiring to meet the farmers and their families, visit a variety of crops, learn the details behind the organic techniques that protect our food and their farms and collect some great tips for caring for our own backyard gardens.
At Rocky Glade Farm, they gave every family on the tour the opportunity to harvest five garlic bulbs. I think this was the best part for our boys (other than the hayride) and for me. Garden fork in hand, we turned up the dirt loosening it’s grip on the aromatic bulbs of garlic. We took turns pulling them up and trimming the roots and stalks. As all the families eagerly participated in this mini-harvest I couldn’t help but notice how the air smelled like my grandma’s basement kitchen on a Sunday afternoon. It was pretty cool.
I just finished cleaning and prepping the garlic for storage. If you’ve never stored garlic fresh from the garden, here’s a quick how to.
Steps to Store Garlic Fresh From the Garden:
- Dampen a cloth and wipe away any dirt on the bulbs.
- Dry each bulb.
- Place them a cooling rack or another surface that allows for full air circulation.
- Put them in a dry place and let them sit at room temperature for about two weeks.
- Trim the remaining tops from the bulbs (the part that looks similar to the stalk on a green onion).
- Store the bulbs in an open brown paper bag, a small box or a mesh bag in cool, dry place for 3-6 months and use as needed.
One of my favorite uses for fresh garlic is this garlicky kale recipe second only to my grandma’s secret sauce recipe. What’s your favorite way to use fresh garlic?
