How to Grow Great Garlic in your Garden

The baked garlic sounds so delicious, as well as the scapes I think I would like to try grilled! I would love some of your garlic!

I put garlic in just about everything but I especially like to add garlic and marjoram to scrambles eggs. Yummy!

Sure would like to grow some garlic this year.

I use garlic in just about everything. I love to put a few whole unpeeled cloves in with vegetables when I roast them.

Really garlicky pasta sauces! I make a fresh tomato sauce that is only tomatoes, olive oil, salt, basil, and lots of garlic!

I love garlic with pasta and shrimp!

I LOVE roasting it! Cut the top off, drizzle some olive oil and salt, tuck into a little foil pouch and bake for a while. so good!
I also throw it in everything. Garlic is a must!

This is my first year growing garlic. The kit would be a great help. Thanks for a great give away!

I like to warm up a grain, mix with crushed raw garlic and eat it on a bed of mixed salad greens.

Can you smell the Bagna Cauda baking right now? Devine! Peeled garlic cloves, 1 1/2 cups of olive oil and a pat of butter in a covered casserole dish (add anchovies, if desired) at 275 degrees for 1 1/2 hours.

I like your idea of using dried herbs – I’m definitely trying that next time!

Thanks for the opportunity.

I love to add chopped garlic to onions and olive oil as a starting point for my tomato meat sauce.
I grew garlic for the first time this past growing season. I loved it! It was very satisfying.

I love baking homemade bread with roasted garlic cloves, and then serving it with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and a good glass of wine! Yum.

We use garlic in everything. I have to admit, I’m a newbie when it comes to growing garlic but I can’t wait to harvest some beautiful braids and make some shrimp scampi with garlic from the garden. I will definitely give your recipe a try!

Love to add lots and lots of garlic to my tomato sauce, and I adore garlic scape pesto.

Lovin the contest…. Last week before the frost hit, I cut some herbs from the garden, drizzled a little bit of olive oil, a tsp of butter, and put in a little bit of chopped garlic…. used some small freezer containers and froze up some quick additions for cooking through the winter….

While baked garlic is delicious, I still love a simple pasta tossed with good olive oil, lightly fried garlic, and a hard cheese like pecorino. So tasty!

Thank you for the giveaway. I’ve only tried garlic once and didn’t know what I was doing at the time. I will do much better my next try; you’ve done such a good job explaining how to grow it. We put garlic in most all our dinners, we usually use a garlic press and stick it right in while cooking.

this is my first season growing garlic, so these’d make a LOVELY addition! cant wait to get these cloves in the ground as soon as this RAIN lets up! garlic is nice with just about everything, but roasted and confit are probably the faves…softened so you can smear it on a slice of bread.

I love garlic but have never actually grown it myself. I love to roast it in the oven and then add it to many dishes, breads, and pastas

I love to throw half a head of garlic cloves into the pan anytime I roast vegetables- they’re insanely good spread on crusty bread, or blended into a salad dressing as well!

I really like to put garlic in Guacamole. Yum! Thanks for the garlic recipe.

I use garlic in my stews and soups.I can’t seem to keep enough around the house for all the cooking I do.i try to eat it at least once a day.

We use garlic in almost everything we cook. Most recently, I discovered that I make an awesome garlic alfredo sauce which my family likes as much as Olive Garden’s for use on fresh Italian or French bread. Great post. Thanks for the recipe and give away.

I just like to add minced garlic to everything!! Stews are popular in our house.

What’s a day without garlic? Most recently, I love to put up garlic confit with lots of good quality butter. There is no end to uses for it.

I love garlic roasted in my tomato sauce. I’ll try the baked garlic.

I love using raw minced garlic in salad dressings. It’s especially good with lemon juice, olive oil, white pepper and salt over raw kale!

Always planted an unknown hardneck, had to move to the city but am back in the country starting my gardens from scratch.

Because of it’s healthy properties, I use garlic in most of my cooking including asian dishes,homemade lasagna, and all my soup recipes. I’ve never tried Purple Italian garlic before. It looks amazing!

We use garlic in everything. We like it all.

Love it, use it and want to grow some this winter! But I can see that I know woefully little about all the different varieties available. Looking forward to learning more.

I love garlic in hummus. Gives it a nice kick. I’m really looking forward to growing garlic in my garden for the first time this year.

I love to use garlic whenever I can! Stir-fries are one of my favorite ways to use it!

One of my favorite uses for fresh garlic is grated over a plate of pasta and then add some olive oil and fresh grated parmesan cheese – YUM!

I use minced garlic in just about everything. I love roasting it on chicken too.

I like to use garlic in my pasta sauce and on pizza. Thanks!

When don’t I put garlic in something!!! Eat it everyday…raw…roasted….it’s all yummy!!! Thanks for the giveaway!!!

I love taking any kind of garlic, roasting it and then adding it into soups and stews. The roasted flavor really makes the garlic stand out in recipes that are just simmered.

Me and my mum love garlic. In fact she ate one year all of our crop so we had nothing to plant. So I asked my aunt for some cloves (local Estonian mixture of different varieties). It was 2009, since then I have put some garlic away right after harvesting for planting in spring. This year crop was finally very good. Unfortunately, when I was about to plant them last week I found out almost all of them were rotten. Never happened before!

We use garlic in everything. Literally. Even scrambled eggs. But my favorite is definitely roasted. With some brie and fresh baguettes. Yum!!!

I use a lot of garlic any time I cook with tomatoes but this year was my first go at garlic scapes… roasted along with some zucchini… so yum…!!

I LOVE GARLIC because it is nutritional as well as medicinal. Right now I have some garlic cloves sitting in a pint jar of honey infusing…waiting to be used for a cold/flu remedy. I need to grow my own so would love to win some! (c:

We love garlic in our house – use it in about everything!I’d love to give garlic scapes a try… mmm sauteed up with fresh green beans… sounds YUM!

I love cooking with garlic, but one of my favorite uses is to make a garlic-ginger-lemon-honey tea. Wonderful for staving off colds and just plain delicious all year!

count me in! i love garlic.

Garlic is ambrosia! I have about 8 cookbooks that are filled with garlic recipes and always looking for more!! One of my favorite things to do with garlic is to roast it then spread it on toasted bread with some fresh in season tomatoes or sun-dried tomato paste. You can top it with fresh herbs of your choice, a drizzle of olive oil, or slivers of cheese. I serve it at wine tasting parties and it is always a big hit.
I grow a lot of herbs but garlic is my favorite!

Sauteed with mushrooms and Sweet Peppers.

I’m not sure I have a favorite- we use it in everything!Chicken soup, marinara sauce, raw with olive oil, sea salt and basil on fresh bread, in salsa. Mmmm!

I use garlic in so much it is hard to pick a favorite, but I guess that the family likes garlic and peppers in a butter sauce used to baste shrimp on the grill.

It’s hard to pick a “favorite” way to cook garlic. It goes in virtually everything we make! But I have a special fondness for roasted garlic spread on crusty bread like melted butter.

I’ve just started using fresh garlic this year in my cooking. I love to sautee it with salted butter and fresh green beans.

We consider garlic as a separate food group at our house. ;o) I like to use it in many main dishes but also when I make croutons.

Homegrown garlic is fabulous–and we eat a lot of it. Probably too much. I never realize how much garlic we eat until we’re at an event like Meet the Teacher, where not everyone indulges in garlic like we do. Awkward moments.

I planted 8 varieties, and they are wonderful. But–last year, we built raised beds where I typically plant my garlic, and to finish the project in time for a farm tour (we represented the suburban micro-farm), I had to sacrifice my garlic. So sad. I tried grow bags, but the harvest wasn’t the same. Now that the big garden is back in action, I can’t wait to plant and harvest garlic–I miss my homegrown garlic!

Thanks for hosting this great giveaway!

I love roasted garlic! One of my favorites is using it in hummus with roasted peppers. It gives a warmer milder flavor. Yum! I’d never heard about leaving the garlic to rest before cooking it to let the allicin to develop, although I sometimes do that by accident when I prep stuff well before I start cooking. : > Good to know.

I love garlic, any which way.

I put garlic in almost everything I cook. I leave it whole and boil it with potatoes for mashed potatoes. Yummy!

I don’t eat nearly enough garlic. I really need some inspiration.

We LOVE garlic in just about everything and love growing garlic too. My favorite is to just cut a clove in quarters and add it to a stir fry where the vegetables are not over cooked. Yum!

garlic in everything yum yum!! To open the clove take the flat of a knife and smack it on the cutting board gets rid of all the paper

Just about everything tastes better with roasted garlic, so I’m looking forward to growing my own this year!

This was the first season where I did harvest any garlic! Shame on me! Glad to have found this and I’m about to plant some..hope it’s not too late.

I’ve never planted garlic, but would love to (and shallots, too!) Your post says plant 4-6 weeks before a hard freeze. When would that be for the Denver metro area, typically? Thanks so much!

I love the bite that garlic gives pesto, the best combo ever!

Thanks, Jodi! You are doing a great service with your site and the Plant a Row for the Hungry project.

Thanks for the giveaway…Would love to try growing garlic this season.

I love it in almost everything, especially stir fry!

Love to roast garlic. Mashed up it makes the best caesar salad dressing. Would love to trying growing it!

I couldn’t pick just one favorite way to use garlic. I love adding it to everything and usually add more than a recipe calls for. Thanks for hosting this, I’d love to win!

I don’t have any garlic at all. Would like to start growing some. They are very good for your health. Would love to have some to grow. Thanks

I have the best heads from my garlic harvest this year ready to plant this weekend…love garlic! My favorite is the special moment when we can harvest the scapes (sauteed in olive oil and seasoned with salt/pepper). The French pickled garlic was yummy too.

I am a novice when it comes to garlic. I sautee it with butter, mushrooms, and onions then cook beef in the mixture. Sometimes it’s just steaks, other times it will be cubes of beef to make stroganoff. Thanks!

I love garlic added to just about anything!

I LOVE garlic! I double or triple the amount required in a recipe because I love the flavor. I appreciate the planting tips. I am going to try this so that I can have my own garlic stash.

I’ve been using garlic for more years than I’d like to admit. I use garlic in my homemade spaghetti sauce,meatloaf, spaghetti with garlic, olive oil and hot pepper flakes, the list goes on. Went to the garlic festival in Co Spgs a few weeks ago and got my garlic there, 3 different varieties. This year is my 1st time to grow my own garlic. I planted last weekend (hope it’s not to soon). Can you tell I am excited. Any tips?

We use garlic with a lot of things, but we use the most when we make our weekly scampi, would love to win this kit!

I use a lot of garlic in my cooking. My two favorite uses are both as garlic butter for garlic bread and garlic butter injected in turkeys, chickens and pork and beef for more added flavor and moisture for in the roasting and or smoking process.

Love your sharings! Love a chance to try garlic here – supposedly Mediterranean environment here – but so far no luck

I will make garlic fries!

I use garlic in almost all my cooking. Favorites: my mother’s spaghetti sauce recipe, kale quesadillas, basil pesto, and of course, garlic bread!

Roasted garlic endures for me!

I add garlic to soups and chilli in the winter. In the past I’ve just bought from the local grocery, however now I look forward to growing it at home. It sounds really easy to grow.

I use garlic mostly in tomato sauce and pizza

count me in, too! garlic is my favorite thing to grow.

I love to roast garlic with cherry tomatoes and purée them into soup.

My very favorite recipe is Garlic Roasted Green Beans with Shallots, cranberries & almonds. It involves lots of garlic & lots of shallots! It’s a recipe that I’ve modified from Fine Cooking magazine. The green beans and garlic & shallots all get crispy and caramelized.

Garlic in stir fry is a staple around my house. It would be so great to have some home-grown garlic to include in my meals!

I use garlic just about every night cooking. I really enjoy the different varieties, and it is great fun to grow.

I put garlic in everything – your idea sounds delish. Gonna have to try that! I love smashing up garlic with butter and using garlic butter in everything. Also storing garlic in oil so you have both preserved garlic and tasty flavored oil!

It just isn’t good unless it has garlic in it!

Like many others, we use garlic in almost everything. One halloween I made Garlic Vampire Bytes. It was like baklava made with garlic, walnuts, phyllo, and I can’t remember the rest. The recipe is available in several versions if you search for it. My husband’s all time favorite is Garlic chips, which are similar to those canned crispy onion sticks. I slice the cloves into oval shaped flat chips and then fry them in olive oil until crispy. Take a handful and put on top of a hamburger or just eat them as is. Slice a lot as they go fast. I think I may have invented this one.

Roasted garlic mashed potatoes… Both from the garden of course. Sooo good,

My son eats this at least once a day. Toast levain bread, rub with peeled garlic clove, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with grated Parmesan.

YUM!

Fresh homemade aioli!

This looks like a great site. I will be back soon. Gotta go prep my garlic bed. This will be the first year all my garlic will planted from last this year’s crop! Only my third year growing it, cannot believe how easy it is. PVF’s video about growing garlic taught me to eat the scapes, what a delicacy!

I’m afraid there is not one favorite, but given that it’s the end of the summer and I still have basil in the garden, I’d say it is time to use a flavorful garlic like Purple Italian to spice up my pesto!

I use garlic in most meals. Chopped up and sauteed with leeks and good olive oil is the start for most meals. Also, I love it raw in my made from scratch Caesar Salad recipe.

We use garlic in so many things, but my favorite is probably the pesto that I make (and freeze) every year.

My wife uses garlic in alot of dishes and salads.
Music is one of our favs.

Baked garlic, my favorite!!

Never can have enough garlic for my cooking. Thank you for this contest.

Our favorite garlic recipe is 40 clove Chicken. You roast a whole chicken with 40 garlic cloves and olive oil, it is delicious.

Favorite way to use garlic … in soup!

Aglio Et Olio!! Angel hair pasta tossed with garlic that has been sauteed in olive oil with a little salt and pepper, topped with a sprinkling of fresh basil!

That baked garlic looks yummy. I’ll have to give it a try, especially if I win and can grow my own.

Wonderful to think that garlic is growing through our cool wet winter here in Western Washington. We just had our first day of rain after a record-breaking run of dry weather. Love the hints on growing bigger, better-fed garlic in my garden.

I seldom cook vegetables but when I do, I always add garlic. It makes the flavor of the veggies more intense.

We LOVE Garlic and would Love some MORE! We use Garlic in everything!

You can never have enough garlic!

I cannot wait to grow Italian Purple. I love the fact that I can eat the Italian Purple raw. It is like a snack. I can eat several cloves, one after another with no burn. The fact that the hardnecks offer so much variety, I am very excited that I finally found Peaceful Valley because it is in a similar growing region. I was looking for hardneck garlic I could grow in Sacramento, CA. I have grown CA White, Chinese Red and Polish White. My garlic was a bit too small but I grew them in 5 gallon smart pots. This year I have been adding #15 smart pots to my collection so I can grow the garlic farther apart. But, now I want to experiment with growing garlic that has bulbils.

I’m four years into growing garlic in the desert and I’ve got to say it’s great to grow here. I’m in charge of a school garden and it’s wonderful teaching the kids how cool garlic is. So far I’ve tried to California Early White and Music. I’m especially pleased with the flavor of Music. Thanks for this great chance to try new things, what fun!

I love garlic!

may and june are my favorite time when the garlic is ready to harvest i love sampling it raw when im cleaning it and braiding it in my barn and grilled garlic scapes are hard to beat

I’m not a great cook but do like to saute onions or shallots in a frying pan with garlic until the onions just start to brown up.If I’m not careful and don’t have the rest of a recipes ingredients out and ready I’m likely to just sit down and eat the pan full of them all by themselves.

I like to make thai chili pepper dipping sauce.I have never grown garlic before so to grow my own for canning / recipes would be wonderful!

Roasted Garlic cloves with a touch of olive oil mixed together on fresh italian bread, oh yum!!!
I have been researching and trying to learn about growing garlic for my family=D I would so love a chance to win this great package but even if I don’t I’m glad to have the info from your post!
Thanks bunches=)

Love to use my own home-grown garlic, but have NO idea what variety! It was a gift of ‘bulblets’ that I planted.

Minced garlic, olive oil, and salt are the perfect dressing for asparagus – put it under the broiler briefly for a great side dish!

Roasted garlic mashed potatoes and roasted yams with garlic. I think this one would be great to try.

Garlic rules!

I make a spicy Thai-ish chicken soup with tons of garlic– it cures everything and is super delish!

A Herbed Garlic Butter is delicious on bread.

I love roasted garlic spread on fresh sourdough. Mmmm. Hope I win!

Roasting garlic is my families favorate way to eat garlic. Would love to grow my own this fall.

Shrimp scampi!

Here in Louisiana, we grow a softneck creole variety that I originally bought from a local farmer at the Red Stick Farmers Market in Baton Rouge. We have saved “seed” from this variety each year for going on five years now. We typically plant 600-800 ft of garlic each year for our CSA. This past year, we had an abundance of very large (golf ball to tennis ball) sized undifferentiated bulbs that will be planted by the end of October. I expect that these will make huge bulbs once they have another growing season to expand and differentiate into toes.

Roasted Garlic is my favorite way to eat it, slathered on some great bread! But garlic goes in almost everything really.

In my CHILI! Yum!!!

That recipe looks amazing! Yay for Garlic!

Would love to add some Purple Italian Garlic seed to the garden bed just prepared this weekend.

I am getting ready to plant a “garlic sampler” to give away to friends next year. The more varieties, the better. Thanks for participating in this give-away. Love your blog!

Love, love garlic

I love garlic in kale pesto!

Yumm! roasted garlic. I’ve never tried soaking the cloves in kelp first. I’ve grown garlic for years so I can compare the difference. Getting my soil ready next weekend.

I love garlic in tomato-basil-garlic marinara, in couscous, in my Mediterranean bean soups, and on and on. The best garlic I have ever eaten was grown at home.

my favorite way of eating garlic is pressed into butter and broiled on french bread. loved reading all the comments from others for the new ideas I got. example: I’ve never roasted garlic myself, although I love when others share it. Commenters above gave me some good recipes.

Yum, Purple Italian sounds delicious. Is that a porcelain variety? I love garlic sautéed or baked, but sometimes I chew one or two raw cloves when I feel sick because it actually helps a sore throat and congestion.

Thanks for this giveaway!

Garlic is one of my kitchen / garden staples that is used in almost every meal I prepare. Store bought just does not have the pungency and aroma of home grown. I’d love to try this new variety.

i am dying to try Purple Italian this year! it sounds like a great variety.

I love to use garlic in making stir fry and curries.

Can’t wait to get growing some garlic! Thanks to you and Peaceful Valley for the added motivation. Love it.

Garlic, garlic and MORE garlic. Love it baked!!

i add a half of bulb or more of fresh crushed garlic to any soup i make – just before it is served. that way it is nearly raw. it is so good for you.

I use it all the time, but love to use it for bruschetta with home grown tomatoes.

I love garlic and add it to just about every meal that I make I tried planting it for the first time this year and didn’t have much luck, so I look forward to using your tips!!

I love baked garlic! & never grow enough – I would love to try this variety!

Favorite way to use garlic? I can’t count the ways! Sauté okra in olive oil and lots of minced garlic, might be something different for everyone to try.

Love to roast the garlic whole and use it in cooking or just eat it.

I use fresh garlic or garlic powder in pretty much every meal I make. My favorite way to use it is to just toss some oil or butter in a pan and saute it with onions and use it in whatever meal I’m making. I also love to roast it and I love to use it when canning pickles and various other home preserves. It would be much more satisfying harvesting garlic from my own garden and using it to cook and preserve with.

I like garlic in Chana Dal, an Indian lentil dish. So tasty!

I love roasted garlic cloves hidden in homemade whole wheat bread.
Now to grow it:
First attempt at planting garlic this year—got 2 garlic bulbs; split them apart into the individual cloves; took all the skin off the cloves and planted. THEN watched video where I saw NOT to take the skin off the cloves.
Ready to do it right—-hope I win

I was reading around on your site (first time here) and enjoyed several of the entries. Of special note is the one in “water issues” that talks about rainwater harvesting. I live in California and was not aware that it may be illegal in certain areas to collect and use rainwater!!! Go figure! Anyway, we collect rainwater in two 1,500 gallon tanks and use it to water our orchard. Much cheaper than pumping out of the well! I have never grown garlic, though I have eaten quite a bit I guess I should try my hand at growing it! Would love to win the prize package! Thanks!

Hi – I grew hardneck last year for the first time. I like it because I think it is a better keeper.
Jackie

Baked garlic! That sounds awesome! I was just thinking of growing the garlic for run-of-the-mill cooking (I.e., a little bit in everything), but now I have to try it baked on crackers,

I love garlic always and in everything but chocolate

We put garlic in just about everything. One of my favorites is on homemade pizza. I don’t use pizza sauce – I just spread some tomato sauce, and then sprinkle with herbs from the garden and toss some finely sliced garlic around. Add a bit of cheese and ham or sausage, and it’s ready to bake. YUM!

Would love to try this variety.

I love growing garlic. It is easy and very satisfying. I haven’t planted mine yet. Gotta get going!

Gotta keep those Italian vampires away. Thanks

I didn’t say my favorite use of garlic. I use it in almost everything I cook, except desserts! ;-}

Scape pesto! 40-clove & lemon roasted chicken!

I love using fresh garlic on homemade pizza with garden tomatoes and basil! Just mash the clove in some olive oil and brush on the dough before adding the toppings!

One of my favorite ways to eat garlic is roasted whole and then put on pizza. It’s the best pizza topping (besides cheese)!

My very favorite way to eat garlic to pull bulbs while they are still a bit immature and nice and mild and juicy…and add it raw to salads, vegetables and pastas…

I would like to try this variety!

Homemade garlic powder in just about everything!

Fresh garlic is so hot and spicy it’s nice to saute or make into basil pesto. A lot goes into salsa and sauce for the winter stores. A bulb a day for adding to whatever’s cooking for dinner. As spring approaches the flavor mellows and adding whole cloves to dishes is a treat. Home pickled garlic and veggies in a bloody mary. Roasting the last of the previous year’s garlic as we harvest this years is a treat like candy for some.

My new favorite way to use garlic is to put roasted garlic in my guacamole.

Two nights ago I cooked red Thai rice the way I always cooked white rice, Brazilian style: washed and drained, sauteed with minced garlic and cracked cumin (rolled under the dough roller), then added boiling water and cooked in low heat. When done I mixed it with chopped tomatoes, chopped sauteed onions and also raw cukes, summer squash, and a drizzle of sesame oil. It was quite good.
Thanks for the contest!

At my feeble attempt to grow garlic this year, I bought some organic from the natural food store here in Santa Cruz and it did all right but nothing to write home about. Thank you for the tips. I love baked garlic and look forward to future success with my garlic growing!

kale chips made with garlic – yum!

I like garlic all ways! Thanks for the opportunity!

I love adding garlic to my vegetable frittatas; but then I think garlic makes any savory dish yummier.

I love to put garlic on minestrone soup!!! Garlic also keeps me from the vampires(most likely going to come out on halloween)

I love roasting garlic, or frying it in coconut oil before toasting a cooked grain in the oil.

I use garlic in almost anything I cook! I love chopping it and sauteing it before adding it to anything italian.

Gee, I’m not sure I have a favorite way. I use it in most of my cooking because I like the taste and it’s good for you. I use it in my fresh pack Kosher Dills, soups, Italian meatballs and spagetti. I use it in many venison recipes as I like the flavor better than onions. I take very large venison roasts, place it 6 qt crockpot, add h2o to almost cover, chopped fresh garlic and crush black peppercorns over the top. Then splash in some organic tamari sauce and some worcestershire sauce. Let cook on low 12 hrs+ til very tender. Yummy! Ü

Love, love, love your garlic tips and recipes! Yes, I need more garlic in my garden. TY!

It is very hard to say my favorite way to use garlic in cooking as I think I use it in almost everything! I love adding the cloves to my canning – pickles, marinated peppers, relishes, etc. I am even thinking of pickling just jars of garlic cloves so I definitely need to grow more garlic!

Am excited to start growing garlic this coming year.

We love garlic here! One way we use it is pickled (with an assortment of veggies.) Now there’s a recipe for bad breath, lol.

Fresh garlic on shrimp scampi can not be beat! YUM!!!

I swear, I put garlic in everything! When I start dinner it’s always with chopped onion and minced garlic; everything else is secondary. I have to say my favorite way to use it is roasted and spread on toast.

I love to slow roast the garlic. It’s so sweet and yummy on almost anything. I’d love to win this. I’ve never grown garlic before, but my father has. I’d love to add growing garlic organically to my repertoire.

We use garlic in just about everything we cook, but one of our favorites would have to be a nice pesto sauce.

I would love to grow this one!