Last week I finished up the garlic we had bought on Pender Island in September and the smaller bulbs from my garden that I grew in containers. So, I went out to our shed to bring in a few of the more robust bulbs that have been swinging from the rafters since I harvested them at the end of the summer. The difference in size between the garlic grown in containers compared to the garlic grown in the ground was significant. I’m not sure why the difference was so great, since my container seemed ample enough… I’ll probably be tempted to try it again in the future, but the ground seems like the way to go.

I brought in a few bulbs from the shed, cracked them open to clean them up and found the most enormous cloves. We’re talking two or three cloves per bulb. Juicy, spicy, beautifully fragrant, giant garlic cloves. Now, I have my parental units to thank since it was their garlic I planted this time last year in my garden. Their prize winning garlic that is. My father can get quite competitive around the time of the Mayne Island Fall Fair and takes great pride in winning Best Garlic year after year. It is beautiful, he has every reason to be so pleased. He’s earned his bragging rights. And it seems I may have inherited more than beautiful garlic from my parents, because I am tickled pink with the garlic that came out of my garden this year and realize I’ve been doing a little bragging of my own. Honestly, just look at them!

We may not have a community fair to compete in, but melt down some pennies and make this garlic a medal! Hands down, Best in Show in our kitchen.