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Garlic seems weird this year??

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John F

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Garlic seems weird this year??

by John F » Tue Dec 06, 2022 7:17 pm

Anybody having this experience? I feel like lots of the garlic in my area (Boston) is sort of older looking, drying out quickly, sprouting green shoots quickly…… and this is across multiple stores (including Whole Foods) over several months.

Anyone else having this experience or is it just the food mind police having fun with me?
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Jenise

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Re: Garlic seems weird this year??

by Jenise » Tue Dec 06, 2022 9:05 pm

I haven't noticed anything, but at the moment I'm protected with a woven bundle from a local grower that hangs in my pantry. Won't last much longer but for now I'm good.

However, I understand that a great deal of garlic sold in the U.S. comes from China, and I know I don't have to explain why that could be the source of your problem.
My wine shopping and I have never had a problem. Just a perpetual race between the bankruptcy court and Hell.--Rogov
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Jeff Grossman

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Re: Garlic seems weird this year??

by Jeff Grossman » Tue Dec 06, 2022 10:40 pm

Actually, I noticed that a few months ago, but things are fine now.
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Re: Garlic seems weird this year??

by Karen/NoCA » Wed Dec 07, 2022 12:32 pm

I use a lot of fresh garlic, usually have about three to four big heads in my garlic bowl at a time. Have not seen anything unusual. I bought them at the Farmer's Market when in season, but usually need to source from the grocer.
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Re: Garlic seems weird this year??

by Jenise » Wed Dec 07, 2022 1:27 pm

Karen, you're likely to be getting local garlic--you *do* live more or less around the corner from Gilroy, the self-proclaimed 'Garlic Capital of the World'.
My wine shopping and I have never had a problem. Just a perpetual race between the bankruptcy court and Hell.--Rogov
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Re: Garlic seems weird this year??

by Karen/NoCA » Thu Dec 08, 2022 12:12 pm

Yep, I only buy Garlic that comes from there. They also have a fabulous offer of fresh garlic, already peeled in packages. It is found in the produce isle in the fridge section. It is amazing. I have a dear friend who has shaky hands, she has trouble dealing with garlic. I bought her two of those packages and she thought she was in heaven. So cool. I happen to like the peeling part of the garlic, and banging them with the side of my knife. I do believe one can order garlic from Gilroy.
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Re: Garlic seems weird this year??

by Paul Winalski » Thu Dec 08, 2022 1:11 pm

I have friends who live in San Jose. You can tell when the wind is from the south.

-Paul W.
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Re: Garlic seems weird this year??

by John F » Thu Dec 08, 2022 4:08 pm

Karen/NoCA wrote:Yep, I only buy Garlic that comes from there. They also have a fabulous offer of fresh garlic, already peeled in packages. It is found in the produce isle in the fridge section. It is amazing. I have a dear friend who has shaky hands, she has trouble dealing with garlic. I bought her two of those packages and she thought she was in heaven. So cool. I happen to like the peeling part of the garlic, and banging them with the side of my knife. I do believe one can order garlic from Gilroy.


I’ve never tried the “pre-peeled” garlic in the super markets is it somehow seems fake or industrialized or something…. Sounds like I should reconsider?
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Re: Garlic seems weird this year??

by Karen/NoCA » Sun Dec 11, 2022 12:06 pm

If you can get the Christopher Ranch brand, yes, reconsider. I keep a package in the freezer whose those days, when I am in a hurry , or just lazy. Whenever I buy them, the cashier always notices the fresh garlic odor and comments . They freeze well, as I put them into another freezer bag, air tight. They are fresh, no chemicals added.
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Re: Garlic seems weird this year??

by Jeff Grossman » Sun Dec 11, 2022 2:35 pm

Thanks for the rec. I have considered buying pre-peeled or even pre-chopped garlic but I have given up on it all: not a fanboy for food processed in China, and the cut stuff loses potency too fast. I've had occasional good results with the garlic-in-a-tube products but they're not so easy to use as they sound!

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