“There are five elements: earth, air, fire, water, and garlic.”
—Louis Diat
I love this quote by Louis Diat, renowned French chef and culinary writer.
For gardeners and cooks, garlic delivers a delightful culinary opportunity. It offers both flavorful bulbs and tender garlic scapes.
For us northerners, hardneck garlic is the kind that thrives in our cooler climate. With a more robust flavor profile than its softneck cousin, hardneck garlic gets two thumbs up, especially when harvested at the right time.
When is the right time to harvest garlic? You’ll find the answers above and below the ground. So this week, we’ll cover the best practices for harvesting hardneck garlic bulbs and the scapes.
What is a garlic scape?
These are the long, curved stalks that grow out of hardneck garlic in mid-summer. They end in a pointed flower bud and carry a mild, sweet garlic flavor.
According to Geoff Hamilton, author of “The Complete Guide to Organic Gardening,” scapes are a gourmet delicacy that shouldn’t be missed.
Understanding when to harvest these gems is important, and somewhat confusing if you’ve never done it. I recently spoke with Gary Cirullo, farm owner and manager of The Garlic Farm in West Granby, Connecticut.
“We cut off the scapes after they curl,” he said. “With four acres under cultivation, that’s a lot of scapes, which have become a sought-after delicacy in the past decade.”
But timing is everything, as Gary explains. “Plants use a lot of energy to create flowers, and cutting off the scapes allows the plant to redirect its energy towards bulb growth.”
This leads to larger, healthier garlic bulbs. In fact, warns Gary, “If you do NOT cut the scapes, the size of your garlic bulbs will decrease by 30 to 50 percent.”
When to harvest garlic bulbs
When it comes to harvesting the garlic bulb, mid-July to early August is often the perfect time, though our cool spring and summer may have slowed the maturation process.
Clues to guide your harvest:
- Leaf condition: Half yellow or brown and half green leaves often signal readiness for harvest.
- Bulb size and form: Gently dig down to the top of a bulb (or pull an entire plant) to inspect its size. If the bulb appears full and the cloves are well-formed, it’s time to harvest.
- Soil condition: It’s best to harvest when the soil is dry to prevent bulb rot and damaging the “papers” or wrappers.
- Weather forecast: If heavy rain is predicted and your garlic is nearly ripe, better to cover your garlic plants or harvest early than risk water damage.
Don’t procrastinate, as garden expert Barbara Damrosch advises gardeners.
“Hardneck garlic doesn’t forgive the tardy harvester. A few days late, and the bulb begins to split and deteriorate.”
Generally speaking, when the scapes are ready to pick, the bulbs are next to harvest, about three to four weeks later.
For the actual harvest, a few tips:
- With a blunt-tipped digging fork, carefully loosen the soil around the garlic bulb. Use the fork or your hand to gently lift the whole plant.
TIP: Simply pulling the stalk can easily damage the bulb. - Always handle the bulbs gently to prevent bruising or tearing of the cover “papers.”
- Resist the temptation to wash the bulbs, as this can lead to rot during storage. Instead, gently shake, not brush, the loose dirt and let them dry.
- Place the garlic on some sort of drying rack, or gather them into small bundles, around 5–8 bulbs depending on their size. Be careful not to pack them too tightly, as you want air to circulate between each bulb. Secure the bundles using twine.
- Hang your bundles, bulb-side down, in a well-ventilated, dry, shaded area that’s out of direct sunlight. This could be a garage, shed, or even a covered porch. The location should have good air circulation to speed up the drying process and prevent mold.
Curing might take four to six weeks.
“Don’t be too hasty to use your freshly harvested garlic. Curing not only allows the flavors to develop but also extends the storage life of your garlic bulbs. Patience is key.”
—Martha Teichner
Patience yes, and respect, as a traditional Spanish proverb would have you know: “Garlic is as good as ten mothers.”
When you can no longer smell garlic when you sniff the top of the bulb, they are ready for storage. Cut the stems an inch or two above the top of the bulbs and store them in a cool, dark, dry place.
A 2-for-1 harvest
In essence, hardneck garlic presents a dual harvesting opportunity: By understanding how and when to harvest both the garlic bulbs and scapes, you can enjoy a 2-for-1 culinary experience.
How to use garlic scapes?
Let me count the ways…
- Saute with scrambled eggs
- Stir-fry
- Grilled
- Stuffed into salmon and baked
- Salsa
- Pesto
- Pickled
- Dips
- Flower arrangements
- Chopped and frozen for use later
- Vinegar
- Infused in olive oil
- Pizza topping
- In cornbread
- Soups, stews, chili
- Spaghetti
- In quiche
- Potato salad and kale salad
- Hummus
- Butter
- Garnish
- Pasta
Did I miss anything?
Final thoughts
And finally, let me quote horticulturist Elizabeth Murray: “Gardening is the art that uses flowers and plants as paint, and the soil and sky as canvas.”
Have a great week!
Kodiak Garden Calendar for July 20
- Watch for bumblebee activity
- Sow seeds of mixed salad greens
- Create some garden art
- Weed. Weed. Weed.
- Make compost from grass clippings, kelp, leaves
- Count your blessings