Author Topic: Elephant garlic - advice wanted please!  (Read 1934 times)

Chrissie

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Elephant garlic - advice wanted please!
« on: September 15, 2005, 15:55:13 »
I bought a packet of elephant garlic from Wilkinsons (ooh controversial  ;)) but wasn't able to plant them until March - they've grown quite well but mainly turned into large bulbs instead of separate cloves. I'm told this was because of the late planting and they should be in the ground in autumn or early winter. Is that right?

Also they've produced lots of tiny bulblets around the roots - can I plant those out this year?

Finally any ideas for cooking whole bulbs the size of an onion??

Sorry to be so demanding...!

Chrissie

Mrs Ava

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Re: Elephant garlic - advice wanted please!
« Reply #1 on: September 15, 2005, 16:23:00 »
Demand away Chrissie.  Yup, for the bulb to break into cloves they needed a cold spell, so would have been best planted out last autumn.  The little bulbils will grow, but I think they will take a couple of years before they produce a BIG garlic.  I roasted mine that didn't break up and they are delicious, milder sweeter flavour than true garlic, they are actually closer to a leek than a garlic.  Hope that helps.

Chrissie

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Re: Elephant garlic - advice wanted please!
« Reply #2 on: September 15, 2005, 17:07:11 »
Mmm yummy, thanks Emma Jane.

If I have to leave the bulbils in the ground for a couple of years do I need to do anything to them or just let them get on with it?

Mrs Ava

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Re: Elephant garlic - advice wanted please!
« Reply #3 on: September 15, 2005, 17:09:13 »
I don't really know the answer to that Chrissie.  I left mine in pots, and they grew a few leaves, a few roots, but didn't get any bigger!  I guess, if you have a corner somewhere, then bung them in and leave them to it for a few years.

Derekthefox

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Re: Elephant garlic - advice wanted please!
« Reply #4 on: September 16, 2005, 11:14:38 »
I have decided I am going to plant some elephant garlic this year too, plus standard variety, Wilkinsons will be my first choice for supply too, due to ease of access.

Hope my avatar is not disturbing this thread,

EJ, sit on your hands !


Derekthefox :D
« Last Edit: September 16, 2005, 11:38:13 by Derekthefox »

Chrissie

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Re: Elephant garlic - advice wanted please!
« Reply #5 on: September 16, 2005, 15:39:00 »
Love the pic Derek!  :o Not sure if it's disturbing the thread or not... ;)

I think Wilkinsons is brilliant as long as you check the quality of "live" stuff before you buy. Especially good for odds and ends like knee-pads. Wish my branch was closer - it's a 60-mile round trip so I like to stock up.

Thanks again EJ - I'll try planting out the baby bulbs in the ground and see what happens.

Any more delicious recipes anyone  ??? ??

Hyacinth

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Re: Elephant garlic - advice wanted please!
« Reply #6 on: September 17, 2005, 17:17:56 »
Hiya, recipe I was given by a french girl on the Beeb board last year.........cover the unpeeled garlic with a good olive oil + chillies + rosemary (lots).......either tightly cover the dish & put it in a v.v. moderate oven for however long it takes, or do the same on the hob. The result will be the most glorious stuff to spread on toast, and you've got some rosemary-flavoured olive oil too.

2 years ago I bought my first elephant garlic from The Garlic Farm, planted it in the Autumn, great success and used this recipe. Last year, about this time I bought some chilean-grown elephant garlic in NY, planted it in Brum and I've got loads of huge bulbs, one of which is earmarked for replanting, the others will go in the pot. Millions of calories, of course, but how can I resist ::) ;D

Chrissie

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Re: Elephant garlic - advice wanted please!
« Reply #7 on: September 17, 2005, 19:18:31 »
Thanks Alishka, that sounds utterly irresistable. I've got a couple of rosemary bushes on my plot (one each side of a £5 Wilkinson's arch that's covered in climbing French beans). I planted them mainly for their decorative value and scent but I'll definitely trim them down a bit for this recipe.

Nice to know your elephant garlic does well in Brum. Not far from me.

Slurp... :P

 

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