Garlic Farmers Blog | All Things Garlic

Ashes to Ashes

. We have recently installed beautiful new woodburning stoves in our yurts, restaurant, farm shop and cottages. Not only are these some of the most efficient and least air polluting stoves available on the market today they are also made...

GARLIC COOK-ALONG: Fusion Steak Night!

. Important note if you don’t like garlic and stumbled across this page because you were searching for other Isle of Wight produce, such Simon’s salt from Ventnor or Andrew’s dry-aged meat from Cheverton farm, then please look away now....

Black Garlic Inspired Tapas!

Black garlic, sweet, chewy, delicate in flavour and so full of goodness. This precious, sticky black gold is filled with anti-inflammatory, immune boosting qualities and its flavour is quite apart from the pungent aromas of fresh garlic. But what are...

Garlic Planting, Aerodromes & Love

Under a blanket of fair-weather cumulus, the team managed to plant various varieties of garlic before the rain took hold. The short video shows our farm van trundling across the field delivering seed garlic to the planter. Looking at the...

Recipe ideas for Scapes - includes video of cooking demonstration!

. . RECIPES AND IDEAS FOR GARLIC SCAPES. . What to do with Garlic Scapes? This is one of the most frequent questions we are asked here at The Garlic Farm on the Isle of Wight. . If you’ve landed...

How To Preserve Garlic

Fresh garlic always delivers the best flavour and nutritional value, and it’s not long now until our new season garlic will be ready to harvest (green Elephant Garlic can be eaten from May!). Wild garlic also delivers a fabulously fresh...

Coronavirus Updates: Shop, Restaurant, Website, Wholesale

. Please see our FAQs regarding Coronavirus HERE.

Garlic Shoots

. When garlic begins to grow, the shoots start to protrude from the top of the clove. For amateur growers and professional farmers alike, this is a re-assuring sign that the crop cycle has begun. The garlic shoot to which...

Veganuary

Plant-based eating has never been so popular, as the benefits to both our health and the environment become better known. Whether you consume an entirely vegan diet or are simply looking to increase the amount of fruit and vegetables in...

The Good Food Guide 2020

The Good Food Guide , published annually by Waitrose & Partners , reviews restaurants, pubs and cafés all over the UK. Anonymous inspections and readers’ feedback allow the guide to offer their readers up-to-date and unbiased advice on where to...

Circular Economy T-Shirts

Successful farmers put as much back into the soil as they take out. Without re-balancing the nutrients that garlic and other crops extract, the land becomes exhausted by the take, take, take and eventually stops giving. There is evidence of...

News from the Garlic Farmer

Garlic is planted by enthusiastic amateur gardeners all across the UK, keen to harvest their own supply of this delicious kitchen staple. But poor results from supermarket-bought bulbs lead many people to think they (or their garden) haven’t got what...

Elephant Garlic Scapes – Recipe Comeptition 2019

. . SCAPE SEASON. . A single harvest crop, with a short season, garlic scapes punctuate the two May bank holidays and bring a fresh flavour to our plates and smiles to our faces. By mid to late June our...

Make your own all-natural garlic sprays

. We all love garlic for its unique flavour and ability to transform everything it’s paired with – after all, what would garlic bread, pesto or spaghetti bolognese be without this key ingredient?! Garlic’s legendary health attributes as a powerful...

Tending to your garlic crop

We’re nearing the end of the growing season now, and most garlic is almost ready to harvest. No matter how long we have been farming Isle of Wight garlic, nothing beats the excitement of seeing the garlic seed we planted...

Spring Garlic

. Spring is in the air, and whilst this time of year is traditionally known as ‘the hungry gap’ by British farmers (for its lack of fresh produce to harvest), there’s still a wealth of seasonal garlic treats available to...

A Fashion for Fermentation

by Josephine Boswell. In the lead up to our next Fermentation Workshop here at the farm on 18 th April run by fermentation guru – and daughter of The Garlic Farm’s Colin Boswell – Josephine Boswell, from Cooking With Josephine...

Spring planting

If you didn’t get round to planting any garlic last autumn, there’s no need to panic – you can still enjoy a bountiful crop of homegrown garlic this summer with our special spring-planting bulbs : Solent Wight, Tuscany Wight, Picardy...

Garlic: The Heart of Flavour for Vegan and Vegetarian Dishes

Whether you’re embracing a new vegan diet, having Meat-free Mondays, cutting back on salt, or simply upping your vegetable intake with more vegetarian cooking, garlic is key to ensuring your food still packs a punch on the flavour front. Naturally,...

The Elephants are coming!

. . Seed, soil and skill. . Elephant Garlic needs a little understanding to be fully appreciated! Here, Garlic Farmer Colin Boswell gives some background into how this exceptional plant came into being, and explains how to grow your own...

Garlic For Gut Health

. There has been much written in the press recently about probiotics, and whether consuming ‘good’ bacteria in bio-yoghurts or drink supplements can really improve our digestive health (with some nutritional scientists suggesting that probiotics may be destroyed in the...

Planting Season is Here!

For many gardeners, the onset of autumn signals the annual tradition of planting next summer’s crop of garlic. Late September through to December is the optimal time to start planting autumn planting varieties of garlic. Spring varieties can be planted...

The Ultimate Bloody Mary

. . Although a small Island, the Isle of Wight is home to a growing collection of quirky, high quality food producers. With a strong sense of community and short distances between farms and facilities, collaboration is thriving. A fun...

Garlic – Our European Union

. We have grown garlic on the Isle of Wight for over fifty years and a large part of our enthusiasm and specialism in this crop is due to our close relationships with partner farms in Europe. Pioneered by my...

Garlic For Insomnia

Garlic boasts many attributes in addition to its unique flavour, but we bet you’ve never been told that it can tackle insomnia!. Can garlic help you sleep?. Amongst its other valuable nutrients , garlic contains zinc and high concentrations of...

The Dark Art of Black Garlic

Black Garlic is a magical substance. But for those who are daunted by what to do with the coal-coloured cloves, we’re here to demystify the black bulb, and show you how to celebrate its unique flavour. Black Garlic is made...

Garlic For Health: the amazing health benefits of garlic

Allium Sativum – better known to us all as garlic – has been celebrated for centuries for both its food-enhancing and life-enhancing qualities. And, whilst many of us are content to consume garlic for its delicious flavour alone, it is...

Smoked Garlic Q&A

Isle of Wight garlic in its pure, unadulterated state is hard to beat. Sometimes though, a twist on a beloved, everyday ingredient can add extra interest to a favourite recipe. And because our smoked garlic is partially pre-cooked, it has...

It's the the most wonderful time of the year... for garlic planting!

. Forget the mince pies for now and get your hat, gloves and boots on! If you have not yet planted your garlic cloves for harvest next June/July, now is definitely the time to do so. Our garlic is divided...

Meet us at Farmers Markets, Country Shows, Food Fairs and other events…

. . Talking directly to the people involved in making the food that you buy is one of the ways to turn shopping from a chore into a more rewarding experience. Coupled with the ability to ‘try before you buy’,...

Is your concern over Garlic Breath holding back your garlic consumption?

. Read on and learn how to mitigate the anti-social side effects of eating garlic…. As the garlic harvest gets into full swing, it’s the time to enjoy and appreciate garlic’s abundance, get fully garlicky and make the most of...

Spring is Sprung!

. April is almost here and everywhere on the farm new life is bursting through. Our Elephant Garlic crop looks as good as any we have had. Its recovered from the salt burn from the prevailing winter winds coming in...

Spring Garlic Planting and Maintenance

If you’ve already planted…. . If you’ve already planted autumn varieties, there is little for you to do for your crop right now as you wait for the first shoots to appear. In the case of Elephant Garlic planted early...

Beat the winter bugs with garlic?...

Roman soldiers were fed it for strength, Greek athletes ate it for stamina, the Egyptians took it with them to the afterlife, Ancient Chinese used it to aid digestion and Ancient Indian healers used it to treat leprosy. But is...

Now is the time to plant your spring garlic!

What is spring garlic?. . In certain regions extending from Russia through to California, some garlic types known as Silverskins, usually pink, silvery skinned softnecks, have been selected by local farmers as they grow well from an increasing temperature profile...

Garlic Recipes For Christmas

. Get your garlic on this Christmas with these recipe ideas to bring great garlic flavour to your table. Christmas Turkey with 40 cloves of garlic. Prepare at least 3 bulbs worth of garlic cloves by bashing the whole bulb...

Planning your garden with garlic: companion planting

. Why companion planting?. Before planting garlic bulbs in your garden, it’s worth thinking about where you position them, as companion planting can not only help your garlic plants thrive, but also benefit the surrounding plants too! Garlic is a...

The Garlic Farm Garlic Fertiliser: the easy way to larger, better tasting, healthier bulbs.

. Is it magic? No, it’s: 5-12-20+3%MgO+24%SO 3 Don’t switch off!! We can explain everything…. Our Garlic Fertiliser is specifically designed for use on any garlic variety, regardless of soil type in your garden. What are the benefits?. In a...

Garlic Growing for Novices

A Step-by- step guide to growing your own garlic from the experts As our many garlic seed customers can testify, growing garlic is exceptionally easy and rewarding. One bulb of garlic when broken into cloves and planted can reap 10-20...

The Garlic Farm is proud to be the UK expert in garlic growing.

The Garlic Farm is proud to be the UK expert in garlic growing. Our garlic cultivating experience is unrivalled in the UK and thanks to our many years of research and travels, our relatively small family-run company is now globally...

The Garlic Festival on the Isle of Wight 2016

. The Garlic Festival 2016 takes place at Fighting Cox Cross Roads on 20 th and 21 st August 10am – 6pm. Tickets are available via Red Funnel:. http://www. redfunnel. co. uk/island-guide/isle-of-wight-events/isle-of-wight-events-july-to-september/the-garlic-festiva For the love of Garlic…. The first Newchurch...

Summer is happening on The Garlic Farm!

. Most of the garlic has now been harvested with just some of the later planted Solent Wight remaining in the ground for another couple of weeks. This means we now have new season elephant garlic and a variety of...

Cooking with garlic, garlic types and true garlic seed!

. We have a stand at the Hampton Court Flower Show every year. This year we decided to provide the horticulturally minded visitors to the stand with some essential bite sized garlic facts relating to the growing and propagating of...

June update: Seed Garlic, Harvesting, Glamping and Events!!

. Seed garlic is now available to pre order online for delivery from mid September onwards. We have a fantastic selection of growing garlic this year including a NEW Heritage type from the Black Sea named Lyubasha. It produces beautiful...

Green Garlic Spring Onions… otherwise known as wet garlic, young garlic, aillé (French) or garlic scallions.

. . What are Green Garlic Spring Onions?. . Green garlic spring onions are simply young garlic bulbs that have not yet reached full maturity, and are therefore milder in flavour than other garlic. Green garlic can be harvested at...

Dead Sea Garlic in Israel

. The Garlic Farmer Colin Boswell visits the Dead Sea Garlic in Israel. This is the lowest garlic on Earth, at over 400 meters below sea level, The garlic fields are by the Dead Sea, and in sight of the...

Watch us on Mary Berry's Foolproof Cooking BBC2 series

. Mary Berry and her crew came and spent a beautiful afternoon on the farm where they learned about different garlic types and Mary even tried some of our Black Garlic Beer! Lots of really great and simple recipe ideas...

Ode Tae The Garlic

ODE TAE THE GARLIC – Heather Follis. Tae feed the Rich. Tae feed the Poor. We grow the pretty garlic flow’er. As way below her smellie feet. A bulb so strong and precious sweet. Sae well fed an’ tasty too....

Boost into a healthier 2016 with more garlic in your life

. If you’re after a slightly easier new year’s resolution than cutting out sugar and chocolate or doing more exercise why not make your resolution to EAT MORE GARLIC !. Here’s all the wonderful things garlic can do for you:....

Garlic Planting this Spring

. . If you haven’t yet planted your garlic, don’t worry, there is still plenty of time to get your garlic in the ground. In fact, certain varieties of garlic do better when planted from January to March. Select from...

Holidays on The Garlic Farm

. Wondering where to go in 2016? Come and stay with us in one of our Holiday Cottages on the farm. Here’s a few reasons we think you’ll love it:. Beautiful cottages in a gorgeous location at the foot of...

Boxing Day Recipe Ideas

. Nothing better than a spread of Christmas meats & cheese with a delicious selection of chutneys. Our favourites for Boxing Day are Celebration Chutney , Onion Marmalade, Pear & Date Chutney and any of our mayonnaises for the perfect...

All about… Smoked Garlic

In the darkening days of autumn, it’s easy to pine for the summer – for warmer weather, long balmy evenings, and al fresco barbecues. But autumn and winter bring their own delights, and comfort foods like garlic-infused roast chicken, spicy...

Garlic gets the girl: Forget aftershave - just eat garlic to attract women, study finds

. . The Telegraph:. . Scientists finds that sweat of men who had eaten the bulb smelt more attractive to women because it suggests the person is healthy. Read the full story here. . . . Daily Mail Online:. ....

Christmas Parties at The Garlic Farm

Have your Christmas party at the farm in our renowned restaurant. The restaurant is open Friday and Saturday evenings throughout December. If you are more than 20 people we can open any evening. . Christmas Menu 01983 865378 | www....

What is Black Garlic?

. . Black garlic is not some Halloween-themed version of the clove. Nor is it garlic that’s been sitting around longer than usual until the health-boosting bulb has shrivelled into a blackened fossil. On the contrary, black garlic is being...

Weddings at The Garlic Farm

. We host fabulous weddings at The Garlic Farm. The perfect rustic environment for a charming rural wedding in a unique location. We can provide: use of our Allium Cafe and Restaurant or use of our education room and taste...

Time To Plant Garlic

. It’s October and it’s time to start planting your garlic. Here’s a quick reminder of what you need to do:. ·Break the garlic bulb into cloves just before planting, no longer. ·Plant small cloves at 4"/100mm and larger cloves...

Pickled Garlic

Whether you grow your own, or get your supplies from The Garlic Farm , there’s an abundance of fresh garlic at this time of year. Garlic will keep well for months, if it is stored in a cool, dark environment....

THANK YOU GARLIC TEAM!!!

. Teamwork is probably the single most important word on the farm. We are garlic specialist so in one way our activity is quite focused but the reality is that there is a lot going on with the producing and...

Summer BBQs and Al Fresco Dining... Garlic Farm Style!

. . We love cooking with our legendary fresh garlic all year round but, in the summer months, when barbecues, beach and picnics beckon, our delicious range of ready-made garlic sauces, dressings and mayonnaises make al fresco feasting fabulously quick...

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