Garlicky Summer

The 770 cloves, of 16 cultivars, did better than I expected considering we had temps of 100F in May this year! We watched in delight as the scapes appeared and doubled back on themselves.

Come summer of 2012, I'm hoping to pickle at least a third of the scapes while they are tender. I'd pickle them all, but I'm not sure if it harms bulb development if I remove them too soon. I was told it is best to let them curl, then begin to straighten before cutting them from the stalks. Once they begin straightening the stems are too tough to eat. The umbels at their tops are good for flavoring salads and pizza though!

DW before the July temps hit 100F and stay there!

While I dug up our little planting of garlic DW went to work on a friend's commercial garlic patch. She and the high school boys washed 19,000 bulbs of garlic while I barely managed to lift, wash, sort and hang a mere 700 or so. I heard recently, the boys planted 28,000 for next summer's harvest!

700+ bulbs hanging outside the kitchen door. Glorious! Even if I was getting garlic "papers" and roots caught in my beard each time I went through the door!