I have never understood why grocery stores don't carry hardneck garlic: it seems to last forever when I can get it, in addition to tasting like, well, garlic! Grocery-store garlic inevitably spoils before I finish the head, unless I do something extreme to use it all up.

Mhays wrote:I have never understood why grocery stores don't carry hardneck garlic: it seems to last forever when I can get it, in addition to tasting like, well, garlic! Grocery-store garlic inevitably spoils before I finish the head, unless I do something extreme to use it all up.

I know that stores in Joliet/Naperville area will carry hardneck varieties, at times throughout the year. Some of the purple strip varieties can be fairly hardy on the shelf. But many varieties of hardneck garlic will have a much thinner outer bulb wrapper or none at all, which greatly reduces their longevity on the shelf. This is assuming that the store went to lengths to assure proper transportation and proper storage, which most don't. Since I started growing my own garlic I can say that I have never bought a fresh bulb of hardneck or softneck varieties, regardless of the store.

Even if the garlic is in good shape at the store, no matter if it's softneck or hardneck varieities, it will have much less flavor than fresh picked garlic.

I have tried to grow grocery store garlic with poor success. I'm not a garlic expert so I can't explain way it didn't grow right. What I ended up with was one large onion shaped bulb that tasted like garlic rather than a regular bulb with individual cloves. But your mileage may vary.

Oh...another bonus of growing your own garlic is garlic scapes. Absolutely wonderful, just use them like chives.

dan

I just ordered a pound from Territorial Seed. $27 including shipping! It better grow, or else!

At Green City Market today, Leaning Shed farm had 4 different types of garlic. I was in a hurry and didn't take the time to see what the varieties were, but if they still have it next week I'll post the different types. I usually get Nicholas Italian garlic of which I'm really fond.

I just ordered a pound from Territorial Seed. $27 including shipping! It better grow, or else!

Whoa - a pound?! Good gravy! Chalet is selling individual heads of seed garlic for - get this - $7.99. I'd say you got a hellacious deal, my friend, at least relatively speaking!

Who knew?