Garlic seems weird this year??

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?

[Jenise]

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.

Actually, I noticed that a few months ago, but things are fine now.

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.

[Jenise]

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'.

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

-Paul W.

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?

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.
https://www.safeway.com/shop/product-de ... lsrc=aw.ds

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!