It's almost time...we'll finish harvesting in a few days. It's been a very wet and cool spring, and summer is still a while away. We've been incredibly lucky: the garlic is growing particularly well in this soil on the Hochberg. No waterlogging, no mold—everything's been going well so far. The bulbs are beautiful!
The real challenge begins with the drying process. The first time, we pre-brushed everything on the farm with a brushing machine to remove any coarse dirt. This allows the dry, warm air in the drying room to flow much more easily through the crates in which the garlic is stored. It requires patience and experience, but also a delicate touch to ensure that the drying process is not too hot and not too long, but long enough. This affects the shelf life of our garlic.
The stem-forming varieties dry faster than the softneck varieties because more air can get into the middle where the stem is. This makes it even more difficult since we only have one drying room for both varieties. We're hoping for the best; in any case, we'll definitely learn a lot this time.