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Extension Today: Growing and Cooking Garlic

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ABOUT THIS EPISODE

Is garlic an herb or a spice or what? Technically, it’s a vegetable!

Herb, spice, seasoning, vegetable – garlic is well-rounded, and there’s a lot to this aromatic crop you can grow in your very own garden. We've got some tips and tricks for planting and growing garlic for a successul home harvest of this fresh vegie. There's a lot of information available about how to prepare and use garlic as a key ingredient in your recipes – starting with oven-roasting your own cloves at home.

COOK AT HOME!
You can make your own kitchen smell wonderful as you roast garlic and prepare to use it in a variety of recipes!

Here's how to roast your own garlic! Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove the very top of the garlic head to reveal the top of the cloves/bulbs within the head of garlic. Pour olive oil over the whole head, and wrap a piece of foil around it.. Place it on a baking sheet and back for about 40 minutes. The garlic is done when it is soft to the touch and you can poke it with a fork or spoon. Scoop the garlic out of each clove, and it is ready to use.

You can freeze garlic cooked or raw. You can also freeze cloves whole; or remove the outer layer, then mince with a knife or use a garlic press.

GET THE FACTS!
You can do a lot with garlic whether you grow it yourself or buy it at the store. If you're ready to prep some soil in your backyard and plant a few cloves, get started with our free fact sheets available on Ohioline:

LEARN MORE!
Did you know that garlic belongs to an ancient family of vegetables, and it's been around for more than 5,000 years? And it's a big family – with lots of cousins, like the onion.

If you want to grow garlic in your home garden, you want to plant it in early November to harvest in June. Learn more about Growing Garlic in this blog post from one our our expert educators.

CONNECT WITH OUR EXPERTS!
Tim McDermott, OSU Extension educator based in Franklin County, has recently shared some valuable advice about growing fall and winter vegetable crops. Check out some of the latest info he has shared online at u.osu.edu/growingfranklin/category/vegetable-production.

Several of our OSU Extension experts have published helpful advice over time, including this answer to the question Are Garlic Scapes Edible....YES!

And if you want to Keep the Vampires Away... here's some tips to get your garlic planted between Halloween and Thanksgiving.

The Buckeye Environmental Horticulture Team provides education and resources to support the home yard and gardening public, as well as green industry professionals. Team members are local Extension educators who offer public programs (virtual and in-person) about a variety of gardening topics, help diagnose plant problems and offer solutions, support local Master Gardener Volunteers and Ohio Certified Volunteer Naturalists, and partner with other horticulture professionals and associations.