USE YOUR [GARLIC] HEAD!

Storing Garlic:

Garlic does best in a cool, dry place. Don’t refrigerate with other vegetables! Put in a wire basket and hang in an airy place. If roots and stalks are on heads, tie in bunches or braid and hang.

Roasting Garlic:               

To roast garlic, cut the top fourth of the garlic head off and rub generously with olive oil, salt and pepper, and any herbs to taste. Wrap in tin foil and bake at 350 F in a pre-heated oven for 45 minutes or until cloves are soft. Try serving warm on a good French or Italian bread.                                

Some Popular Garlic Varieties & what these terms mean!

Hardnecks: rocambole, porcelain, & purple stripe

These have a hard, woody stem and when growing send up scapes (flower stalks) in May-June.

Music: The most reliable variety to grow in our LI region. Avg 4-6 lg cloves. Skin is white to pink depending on soil.

German White/German Extra Hardy: Also very sturdy porcelain type, 6-8 cloves situated around the central stem. Fairly large, excellent strong flavor that becomes sweet and mild when cooked.

Softnecks: artichoke & silverskin

These have a leafy, soft stem which can be braided. Most common type seen in stores usually produced in China, California, and Mexico. Usually don’t produce scapes.

Italian White
Mild flavored, useful variety.

Polish White
Similar to Italian White, many garlic experts feel that some different named varieties are actually the same thing!

French Red
Pretty red striped softneck.

Elephant Garlic

Much larger than regular garlic, it is more closely related to leeks than to garlic, and thus milder tasting. Best for roasting.

 Want more info on How to Grow and Harvest Garlic?

• Plant from Oct. 1st to Nov 1st or anytime right after the first killing frost. Garlic may be planted in early spring, but yields will be greatly reduced.
•  Leave garlic bulb intact until you are ready to plant, then break into cloves.
•  Plant cloves in rows, 4-6 inches apart. Place in soil with root-end down. Cover with 2-3 inches of soil. Roots will grow before winter.
• Keep weeds under control as early as possible - Garlic does poorly with competition. As you can see from the picture above, we use straw mulch. You can buy bales of straw very cheaply at many farmstands in the fall. You can also use your own yard leaves as long as they don't blow away over the winter. The mulch also helps reduce frost heaving in the winter, which can push your cloves right out of the ground.
• When scapes appear (flowering shoots) cut off and eat! They are considered a  culinary delicacy and removing them refocuses the plant’s energy on producing larger bulbs.    
• Garlic needs ample  water while it grows in Spring.  However, the last couple of weeks before harvest, garlic does not want water, so let your ground dry out.
• About soils: Garlic grows best in soils that contain high organic matter, are well-drained, and have a neutral pH.
• Harvest when leaves begin to yellow/brown at tips, usually in late June or early July. Do not leave in ground too long or bulbs will begin to separate. Dig out garlic carefully as not to bruise it. Shake off dirt, let lay in sun 3-5 days to dry. Bundle 15-20 plants together and hang in an airy place to dry for 5-6 wks.

• You can store your garlic all summer and fall, use what you need and plant some in November. Garlic will store well until about March by which time it has dried out or molded... then it's time to eat green garlic (immature garlic plants) from your garden, then scapes, then your next garlic crop!

Benefits of Garlic

 Garlic Ice Cream Recipe:      

•  3 c whole milk                                       
•  ¼ tsp fresh garlic, crushed                                                                                                                             
• 1 Vanilla Bean, split                             
•  1 cup heavy cream                                                                                                                             
• 1 ½ cups sugar                                                                                                                                                       
•    9 egg yolks

In a medium saucepan, bring milk, garlic & vanilla slowly to a boil. Remove from heat. Pour liquid through strainer and discard garlic and bean. In mixing bowl, stir together cream, eggs & sugar. Stirring constantly, pour strained milk mixture into sugar and egg mixture. Pour into saucepan and stir over moderate hear until it coats the back of a spoon (10-15 min). Cool in ice bath. Freeze in your ice cream freezer according to manufacturer’s instructions.

Information about the Long Island Garlic Festival

• GENERAL INFORMATION, DATE, TIME
• DIRECTIONS
• VENDOR LIST
• MUSIC SCHEDULE
• COOKOFF INFORMATION

VENDORS ACCEPTED!