We had our first big harvest of the year – garlic. We planted a local variety from our health food store last fall and it seemed to do fairly well despite little weeding and feeding from us.
Over 80 heads of garlic were harvested, which may be just enough to make it through to next season. We love garlic and eat it in just about everything so we are very thankful for this blessing.
Are you growing garlic or harvesting anything wonderful these days?
Last year the “pallet garden” was the first larger area we fenced off from chickens, cows, and rabbits and began cultivating. Around that same time Stewart built the first short-term chicken coop to house the three chickens a neighbor gave us to get started. That chicken coop was recently torn down, with some of the…
It has become apparent over the last few years that December through mid-February are our off-season months where things slow down a little, we get a bit more sleep, and the days are filled with more school books than shovels. And, like clockwork, mid-February came upon us, bringing a flurry of activity around the homestead…
It is a rare occurrence that I am out in the (very rundown) pasture at the same time as the children but it just so happened I was there a couple of weeks ago to capture something I didn’t even know was happening. I was out there helping Stewart and happened to have my camera…
I am happy to bring you this guest post from author Kate Downham from The Nourishing Hearth Fire. Kate has a new book all about Backyard Dairy Goats that will help you with every aspect of raising goats naturally. From feeding and care to recipes and information on using all of that goat milk goodness….
Since I took these photos, rafters went up and I stood on a ladder holding a big old doohickey while Stewart screwed it in and I wondered how he does this day after day without face planting. Stewart has been working on the addition for much of his days and, with the help of family…
As we continue our transition to off-grid living I am constantly thinking of ways to live without electricity in the kitchen. Right now I have no idea what a challenge this will be, but I am trying to move towards more sustainable food preparation methods. I am sharing some of my favorite electricity-free kitchen appliances…
Comments are closed.
I’m curious – how will you dry / store the garlic for later use? I *thought* I had effectively dried some that I got last year from my CSA share, but the last heads were shrunken, dry, bad.
Ann B – We are hanging and drying it right now. I also plan on dehydrating and making garlic powder and maybe fermenting some as well.
I adore garlic and have often thought of growing it myself! What are you going to do with all of it? What do you have to do to it after harvesting (hang it for a period of time like I have often seen, dry it, etc.)? I would love to learn more about the process of planting, harvesting, and handling fresh garlic!
Alaina – We are hanging and drying it right now. I also plan on dehydrating and making garlic powder and maybe fermenting some as well.
How are you storing and preserving your garlic? We have a bit as well and would love some ideas!
Chara S – So far we are just drying and curing it. Next up I think I will ferment some and then dry and make garlic powder out of it.
I harvested my garlic a few weeks ago, too. This is the first year I’ve grown garlic and it’s magical! You plant a clove and over the winter it starts to grow.. by summer you’ve got tons of heads of garlic!!
that is so awesome Shannon.
What a harvest! Congratulations!!!
We got a bunch of garlic in our CSA share and besides putting it into a dark container that has breathing holes, I wish someone would tell me how to save it. Some of it has gotten liquidie (new word), and I have had to toss out a few gloves. I wish I could freeze it or dry it,,,or something to make it last into the winter. I have a lot of fermenting to do in the late fall and I put garlic into all my crocks and jars, so I would like to not be throwing away anymore of the garlic. Thanks.
@Faith,
I always store my garlic in the fridge. When you have a lot, it’s a challenge, but hang a harvest to dry, and refrigerate what you can after it’s dried. Barring that, a cool, dark place, probably not too damp would be best (think a root cellar or something similar).
Good luck!
@Dani, Dani, Thank you so much for the advice. I am going to go in right now and put my garlic jar into the frig. Thank you, Thank you.
Faith – I am going to experiment with drying whole cloves and then grinding them up to make garlic powder. Perhaps you could try that?
I just harvested and dried about the same amount of garlic a couple weeks ago. It does seem to last us just about one year, including enough for medicinal uses as well as eating. I LOVE that I can grow enough organic garlic for our family and it is really such an easy food to grow!