HOW TO GROW GARLIC THE RIGHT WAY:
It’s garlic harvesting time and it’s important to dry your crop out so it lasts well into the winter. However, this has not been a good year – my Topinky Wight crop has very small bulbs, due to an attack of rust.
They should dry, but rust does affect the keeping qualities, so beware.
To dry garlic, brush off the majority of the muck and put them somewhere dry and warm – a greenhouse or conservatory is ideal.
Lay them out on a rack or staging where air can circulate, then just leave them to it. If you see any black patches developing, trim up the bulb and use them first.
After three-four weeks, the foliage should be offwhite and quite dry and crispy.
If you can see any green left in the stems, or there’s a bit of “give” in them, leave them to dry a bit longer.
Then the fun begins - I’d strongly advise cleaning them off outside, because you’ll end up filthy.
You’ll need a wide bucket to catch the rubbish, scissors and an old toothbrush.
Trim the roots close to the bulb, but don’t damage the basal plate, or they won’t store well.
Strip off the papery outer layers until the bulb is clean, brush off dirt round the roots with the toothbrush and then trim the stem to the desired length.
I say “desired length” because some of you will want to plait them traditionally. I’m afraid I don’t do this, as I couldn’t even plait my daughter’s hair properly.
All I do is bunch about six bulbs together, all different lengths, so the bulbs are not touching, then tie the stems together tightly with twine. It’s not as pretty, but much faster and they taste just the same.
Then they are hung in the cellar where it’s dry and cool and usually last well into the new year.