You may make history, Sandy.

Believe me, softneck will store longer than hardneck and there is absolutely no comparison with the storage length of Creole, compared to hardneck. I grow hundreds of bulbs each year and not only so I sell what I grow, I store and use them in our everyday meals. I still have Creole from my May, 2014, that are just as good quality as when I bagged them. My hardneck would have long ago either sprouted or rotted - take your pick.

The names don't really matter to me, but their origin does. Though some of these heirloom garlic that I grow are many hundreds years old varieties, some may go back thousands of years. Garlic is truly an ancient plant. You simply can't reverse thousands of years of growing conditions. I grow many tropical, but can't grow them as they do in the tropics and sub-tropics. I have to cheat! I imagine you'll have to do the same, Sandy.

Good luck and keep us posted.

Kent, unfortunately, everything, or at least the majority of garlic you see is from China. Surprise, surprise. We don't even know what it is. Another surprise! Even those that produce garlic seed in the US now state a disclaimer: "None of these seeds originate from China or have been grown from China stock".

Twenty years ago, 90% of our garlic came from California, specifically, the Gilroy area. I have been there and seen their production facilities. No more. China is the darling of America's corporations. If you want quality garlic, truly heirloom, gourmet, organically grown garlic, purchase from an American farm or someone like, you know who.

Ken, I'm pretty sure this is not recommended, but what about storing garlic in the crisper drawer of a fridge?? or maybe in a root cellar?? (which I don't have, but still...) I keep mine in our unheated (but rarely goes below freezing because it's attached to the house) garage, so basically it's being stored all winter at refrigerator temps. Next year (well, I guess that would be this year) I'm going to do some experimentation with storage methods.

Ken, do you have hardneck or creole garlic that you could sell me so that I can plant it this fall? I would really like to get a small crop of garlic growing. Send me a T-Mail if you would like. Thanks for your knowledge on garlic.

No, no, no. The last place you want to store garlic is in a refrigerator. It will rot quickly. I just store all mine in our pantry, in plain-ole brown paper sacks. The temperature pretty much stays around 68F. That's not ideal (not a "root cellar") but it seems to work. The main thing is to keep it out of light, dry, and cool. The problem with store-bought garlic is that it may have already been stored for several weeks in transit, then further storage once it reaches the US, and then in bright light in our grocery store. That's not the way to handle garlic, even the crappy stuff.

Jeanne, thanks for your interest. May I make a suggestion? Please eat the Creole ( you will truly fall in love with it) and plant the hardneck in the late summer. That's a win-win solution.

Where can I get the American raised hardneck garlic for planting? I will try to get some Creole garlic for eating/cooking. Thanks for setting me straight.

Well, mine has never rotted out in the cold garage, so...

After I harvest it, I spread it out to dry for a while (several weeks), then cut off the roots and tops, and store it in paper bags. (in the garage)

Jeanne, Territorial Seed Company is a good source for garlic (although I don't think they sell the Creole type).

www.territorialseed.com

There are several sources ofheirloom, gourmet garlic. I am just a hobbyist grower and don't grow a lot. I sell out every year and always have to refuse orders/return payments because I have more orders than I can supply. Mine is all organically grown. I will post a notice in the "Classifieds" forum when I begin to accept pre-orders. My returning customers always get in first, then ATP subscribers, and then everyone else. You will find that gourmet, heirloom garlic is almost impossible to find until late summer. I don't even know why. My garlic is available for pre-order in April, with delivery in late May/early June. Most of my customer don't grow it, they eat and cook with it!

Sandy, you are doing things right. When I dig my garlic (hardnecks first and then a couple of weeks later the softnecks and Creole), I shake off what soil comes away readily and then hang it all in one of my greenhouses for two weeks. That "cures" the garlic. Then I will cut off the stalks, gently remove what soil remains, weigh it, and bag it in one pound, brown paper sacks. Nothing special and nothing hard in the way I prepare my garlic for selling/storing.

I and my wife made 2-3 gal. of tortilla soup tonight. We probably put about 1/4 cup of fresh Creole garlic in it. Oh boy! I just can't begin to tell you how different this garlic is from store-bought garlic. I know, there are lots is disbelievers out there. Garlic is garlic, right? Until you really have tasted gourmet-class garlic, you have never even tasted garlic. By the way, Elephant garlic is not even a garlic!

I guess I really need to publish that garlic article.

"I guess I really need to publish that garlic article. "

Yes, Ken -- you do!!

I have just gotten so lazy in my old age! Crap - whoops, sorry - bad word!!!!!!!!!

The big difference between your garage, Sandy, and the refrigerator crisper is humidity, not temperature. That is the reason for a crisper drawer... to increase humidity (that encourages garlic to rot).

That sounds right, Rick

Would garlic store well in a root cellar? (which I wish I had)

I suppose if it was a real root cellar, it would be humid, so probably not so good.

So... probably cold, but dry? hmmm -- there must be somewhere I can keep the temp more consistent!

Do you not have a simple pantry, Sandy?

drdawg said:Do you not have a simple pantry, Sandy?

Like a separate room for food storage? Unfortunately, no...

You know Sandy, since my panty is just another room like all the others in the house, central air and heat (but adjacent to the kitchen), any closet in your house would probably be just as suitable. All you need to satisfy garlic storage needs is darkness (brown paper, grocery bags), dryness, and moderate temperatures.