Each January, we generally take stock of the new year and our new goals. February is a good time to get practical and remember to check on how well your garlic is aging in your pantry.
At 5 Sisters, we’ve been noticing that some of last year’s garlic is beginning to age more quickly than in previous years. Certain varieties are also aging more quickly than other varieties. We know that all real and natural food — food that comes from the earth — will spoil eventually. (Side note: if you are eating things that don’t spoil, we need to have a serious conversation.) Most Minnesota garlic growers have reported shorter shelf life for the 2020 crop, due to weather conditions. If you haven’t heard us say it yet, let us say it again, all together now “the weather is in charge!”
If you find that some of your varieties of garlic seem to be aging quickly, here are some other ideas for how to use last year’s garlic.
- One option is to roast the garlic in the oven and freeze it for later cooking.
- Another option is to store your garlic in vinegar for a delicious drizzle on savory dishes.
- Finally, you can dehydrate the garlic to add some simple spice in cooking.
- Good Housekeeping has some interesting tips too!
We hope these ideas give you some fun new flavors until the scapes come up in early summer (usually late June and early July). We are so excited to start tending to this year’s beautiful crop. Amidst any chaos, the earth maintains rhythms of life.