Allium sativum

Garlic for sale in the Campo dei Fiori, Rome, Italy

Growing garlic is one of the simplest forms of crop production, and I don't think I am alone in not wanting to eat garlic that has been bleached with chlorine, sprayed with dubious pesticides and fumigated with methyl bromide (in accordance with Australian quarantine standards), as much imported garlic is, these days (and most of our garlic is imported). Imported garlic is also often kept for long periods in cold storage (losing much of its nutritional value in the process) and treated with growth inhibitors.

The ideal spot to grow it is in a bed with light, well-drained soil in full sun. Added aged compost or rotted animal manure will enrich the soil. If the soil tends towards being acidic, add a little lime. Separate a garlic bulb into individual cloves, making sure each one has some of the 'base plate' of the bulb. It can be a good idea to soak the cloves overnight in water to help them sprout sooner. Poke them into the soil, with the pointed top of the clove just below the surface. It's best to only plant largish cloves as smaller ones won't amount to mulch (though they can be grown in a pot to produce garlic-flavoured leaves for the kitchen over winter!). Mulching is helpful to reduce weed competition, and regular watering is important. March to early April is the optimum time to plant the cloves. The area for planting should be changed each year for best results, as this will prevent the build-up of pests and diseases.

My garlic bulbs drying in spring

My garlic bulbs drying in spring

The cloves take around seven to eight months to turn into a bulb, so garlic planted now will be ready around September or October. The best time to harvest is when the tops start to turn brown - not when they have completely died back. They should be dug up very gently, so that the bulbs aren't bruised, as this will reduce their keeping quality. Don't wash the bulbs as they may rot. The next step is to dry the bulb for two or three weeks, outdoors but undercover, such as on a clothes rack, pegging each bulb by its long, brown foliage. Alternatively, they can be dried on flat racks. After drying (which takes two to three weeks), the bulbs should be stored in net bags in a dry place. At this stage, any dirt clinging to the bulbs can be brushed off. Bulbs store better when kept whole, rather then being separated into individual cloves.

Research has shown that garlic has a range of health-giving properties, being most beneficial when eaten crushed and raw, and tasting at its best shortly after being prepared; however, I also like to roast whole bulbs of garlic in the oven to produce a more mellow flavour to add to salad dressings and mayonnaises.

Garlic for eating and planting; Glenlarge variety

Garlic for eating and planting; Glenlarge variety

Various types of organic garlic cloves can be purchased now from suppliers to plant. It isn't advisable to plant garlic from a bulb bought at the supermarket, which could be imported and carry the risk of introducing serious soil-borne viruses (despite all the sprays they have been subjected to). If you don't wish to grow your own garlic but don't want to eat the imported stuff, investigate the range of organic Australian garlic on sale online later in the year when the harvest has come in.

Note that 'Black garlic' is not a different variety of garlic but it is actually made from standard garlic bulbs, slowly cooked until the cloves are black and almost treacly. It has a delicious, subtle umami flavour that can be added at the end to cooked dishes or spread on bruschetta.