Kelty McKay can tell you why five bulbs of Chinese garlic sell for 99 cents and one bulb of Ontario garlic costs $1.50 or more.

“We do everything by hand,” says McKay, co-owner of Willowtree Farm in Port Perry. Willowtree Farm grows about five hectares of Ontario’s signature variety Music, developed by grower Al Music.

“We crack the bulbs into cloves by hand and plant them by hand around Thanksgiving,” she says. “In the spring, we remove the green scape by hand so the bulb sizes up nicely. In late July or August, we pull the bulbs, cut off the stems and roots and clean them ... all by hand.”

Bart Nagel, owner of Bulbs of Fire, north of Penetanguishene, says China’s softneck garlic — many small cloves packed in layers like an artichoke — may be several years old by the time it hits our supermarket shelves and will sprout quickly if the bulbs have been kept in cold storage.

“If you’re looking for a high-quality product that’s good for your health, connect with a local farmer you know and trust,” says Nagel, who grows some 40 soft and hardneck varieties, including Music, a hardneck bulb with five to eight big cloves around a central stem.

He and McKay have watched Ontario garlic grow in popularity in the past few years, and both say now is the best time to stock up for winter.

McKay says once people taste her garlic, which usually sells out by January, they don’t go back to imports.

“Local garlic is strong, with large cloves so you can use one instead of three small ones and there’s less to peel,” she says. “Our bulbs store well for months and never sprout.”

Nagel’s hottest varieties include Leningrad, which boasts a high level of healthful allicin. His current favourite is French Red from the hardneck rocambole family, which only lasts until Christmas.

“It’s beautiful to look at and flavourful like Merlot,” he says. “Big, bold, not complicated.”

And worth the price.

Buy & Store

Willowtree sells garlic on the farm and at GTA markets. Bulbs of Fire sells on the farm and at farmers’ markets in Gravenhurst and Midland. Nagel hopes to be in Toronto next spring.

Choose firm garlic bulbs, avoiding soft or sprouted cloves.

Store in a cool, dry, dark place with good air circulation. Try a garlic keeper or hang in a mesh bag. Properly stored garlic will last several months, depending on the variety. As the kitchen can be too moist for storage, McKay keeps her bulbs in a bowl in the dining room.

If your garlic sprouts, cut clove in half, remove the green sprout (which can be bitter) and carry on.

Prep

Garlic is pungent when raw and mellow when cooked.

To peel, place garlic clove on a cutting board and press with the flat side of a chef’s knife until the papery skin cracks and is easily removed.

When a recipe calls for garlic and onion, sauté the onion first, then add the garlic, as it burns easily.

Simmer peeled cloves in broth until tender. Serve with meat, add to mashed potatoes or toss with cooked pasta or vegetables.

Roast

Slice top off garlic bulb, exposing cloves. Place on a square of foil. Drizzle with 2 tbsp (30 mL) oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast about 45 minutes at 350F (180C) until soft when squeezed. Gently squeeze paste into a small bowl; discard skin. Spread on bread or add to any dish, soup, even pizza.

Pickle peeled cloves in vinegar to use in salads and appetizers.

Garlic Chicken

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Braised garlic takes on a potato-like texture and mellows in flavour. Serve this simple, savoury main dish, adapted from the EatingWell Vegetables cookbook, with mashed potatoes and green beans.

2 heads Ontario garlic, cloves separated

8 chicken drumsticks (1 kg), skin removed*

3 tbsp olive oil

1/3 cup (75 mL) white wine

1 cup (250 mL) sodium-reduced chicken broth

2 tsp (10 mL) Dijon mustard

2 tsp (10 mL) all-purpose flour

1/4 tsp (1 mL) each salt and freshly ground pepper

1/4 cup (60 mL) chopped green onions or fresh chives

*Cool tip: To skin raw chicken drumsticks, grip skin from the meaty end with a paper towel and pull down toward the exposed bone until it comes off completely.

Lightly smash garlic cloves with the side of a large knife to loosen the skins. Peel; cut large cloves in half or thirds. Sprinkle chicken with a little salt and pepper.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until it begins to brown, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate with a slotted spoon.

Add chicken to pan and cook until brown on one side, about 4 minutes. Turn over and return garlic to pan. Add wine and cook 1 minute.

In a small bowl, whisk broth, mustard, flour, salt and pepper. Add mixture to pan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to maintain a lively simmer. Cover and cook until chicken is cooked through and garlic is tender, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle with green onions or chives.

Makes 4 servings.