Garlic not storing as long as usual

The early harvest and hot, dry summer are taking a toll on the garlic this year. Some garlic that is usually rock-hard at this time of year is starting to feel a bit soft. We have it stored in a root cellar, covered in burlap to keep in some moisture. Even with that it looks like the garlic will dry out earlier than usual. Check your stored garlic often to check for softness. When a clove or two feels soft that usually means the bulb won't store too much longer.

What to do with soft garlic

You can pull off just the soft cloves and use those in cooking-they're still yummy, just not as crispy. To rehydrate soft cloves just put in in some hot water for a while, or microwave in water for a few seconds. You may also want to process some with olive oil and freeze in cubes or packets for later cooking. You can plant soft garlic, even if it has no skin. It will rehydrate in the soil.

Sprouting garlic

Our Turban type of garlics (Tzan, Shantung Purple, Uzbek Turban) are unusual in that they stay firm for a long time, but sprout early. You can use the sprouted garlic (with or without the green sprout) just fine, and some of the bulbs may still store for a long time with one sprouted clove. Just squeeze the bulbs once in a while to check for firmness.
How to store your garlic for the winter
I recommend a cool place such as a basement, cold closet, or garage (if it doesn't freeze in there). Room temperature works fine too- just be sure to keep it away from the heat of the stove and out of direct sunlight. Storing in a paper bag is ideal- it keeps in some moisture but the garlic can still breathe.

Can I store it in the fridge?

Although I haven't tried it myself (too much!) a few reliable sources have said it works well. Keep it in a paper bag in the vegetable bin.

Seed garlic running low

All of the publicity we have gotten lately has been great (2 stories in the Camera last week, one in the Denver Post on 9/8)! So many people want to plant garlic in their gardens for the first time. It's exciting and sales have been super. We are running low on larger garlic, and on many varieties.
Luckily we have plenty of the 2 most popular garlic types: Chesnok Red and Inchelium Red and will probably have those for at least 3 more weeks.
Chesnok Red is the strong flavored hardneck that is great for sauteeing, roasting, marinating, tomato sauce, pickling and all sorts of cooking. We have a good supply of Chesnok Red for eating and for planting. It has always grown well here at WeeBee Farms and usually stores til December.

Chesnok Red garlic bulb

A little trivia about Chesnok Red- "Chesnok" is the word for garlic in Russian. Chesnok Red is a highly medicinal type of garlic with its very high content of Allicin.


Inchelium Red is a mild and sweet softneck that tastes really good in just about anything and grows extremely well. It's consistently good-sized, always good-tasting and is a long-storing type that usually stores til January.

Boulder Daily Camera story about garlic

                         (photo by Craig Walker, Denver Post)
this came out on September 12th
http://www.dailycamera.com/lifestyles/ci_21525284/boulder-county-farmer-explains-mysteries-garlic?IADID=Search-www.dailycamera.com-www.dailycamera.com

Denver Post Article

Thank you to all of you who saw the article in today's Denver Post and came by to visit and buy garlic! It was great to see so many of you who adore garlic as much as I do and plan to plant it in your garden this Fall.
If you missed me today, stop by next Saturday at the Boulder Farmer's Market between 8am and 2pm. http://www.boulderfarmers.org/  My stand is located in the middle section of the market on the East side. I will be selling garlic there every Saturday until it is sold out which usually happens sometime in October.

Garlic descriptions and color codes

Here are the types of garlics I am selling  Sept 1st thru Sept 8th, with the color code that goes with each garlic. Remember that the colors change slightly from week to week.

• Siberian- An outstanding strain originally grown by peasants for market. The fat, dark brown cloves peel easily and taste strong. Good in stir fry, soups, stews and potato dishes. Will store through December.  ORANGE

September 1st photo at market

How and When To Plant garlic (look for seed garlic starting September 8th)

Plant garlic in mid-October (earlier for high elevations.) Select the largest cloves from the largest bulbs. Original bulb size determines the size of your garlic, as well as how much water it gets.

How To Plant- Plant in good enriched soil in FULL sun. Separate cloves, plant each clove 2” deep and 5” to 7” apart with the pointy end up. Use only large cloves. Don't worry if the cloves are soft or have no skins. Mulch 2” to 4” with straw or grass clippings (no herbicides or pesticides.) Water VERY well after planting- we water the bed with a sprinkler for 12 hours after planting (the sprinkler goes back and forth giving the bed about 2-3" of water total.