Garlic

Jellybaby1

I usually check out the Cooking & Recipe section on Boards and I see a lot of complaints there about the garlic in the supermarkets. I popped a few cloves into the ground a couple of months ago and they are looking good so far. Fingers crossed all goes well as it's my first time to grow it. So just wanted to ask do Irish supermarkets ever sell Irish garlic? And if they don't then it's a good idea for someone in the gardening section to go into business to supply it, isn't it?

redser7

That's globalisation for you :-)
People don't want to hang big strings of stored garlic in their homes. They just want pick up a bulb every so often as they need it. We can only produce a crop during a relatively short window in Ireland. So if you want fresh garlic all year we have to import.

Jellybaby1

I can understand that of course. But during the Irish garlic season, is anyone supplying supermarkets here? I was just curious as I've never seen garlic in my local shops which was produced here. Why would they not? Surely the cost of shipping would be a discount at that time?

magicbastarder

the garlic in the supermarkets is generally soft neck garlic, but hard neck garlic is more suited to our climate.
i've often seen english, and even israeli, spuds in the supermarket. where the supermarkets source their goods is another debate entirely.

Jellybaby1

Then what I planted must be soft neck garlic. It was just the cloves of a head of garlic which I bought in the supermarket. Just wanted to see if I could grow it successfully. It's looking like what spring onions look like at the moment. Any advice would be welcome - when will it be ready to harvest?

magicbastarder

usually around midsummer. wait until the leaves start to turn brown.
you can also harvest the leaves (sparingly) to use as salad greens, they'll taste nicely garlicy but not overwhelming.

Jellybaby1

That's great, thanks! Didn't know about the leaves.

Cardinal Richelieu

Jellybaby1 wrote: »

I usually check out the Cooking & Recipe section on Boards and I see a lot of complaints there about the garlic in the supermarkets. I popped a few cloves into the ground a couple of months ago and they are looking good so far. Fingers crossed all goes well as it's my first time to grow it. So just wanted to ask do Irish supermarkets ever sell Irish garlic? And if they don't then it's a good idea for someone in the gardening section to go into business to supply it, isn't it?

Almost like saying someone who likes doing hobby electronics should start building laptops. Apart from that Supermarkets like continuity of supply, you would have to gurrantee a certain period of Irish supply, then their is the expenditure such as packhouse, harvest equipment, audits, drying house, gas, packaging etc, Basically you would need plenty of cash before you even approached the supermarkets and a proven track record of growing garlic in large quantities of good quality. you might get into supermarkets as a local produce supplier but under your own brand but would you have enough sales to make your business profitable?

Jellybaby1

I never meant me! Just thought someone already supplying supermarkets with other products would consider doing garlic. Obviously in other European countries there are people doing this, I merely questioned if there was an opening for the same thing here. But as I have already been told, our window here in Ireland is quite small probably due to our weather conditions. Thanks for all the replies anyway.

Ding Dong

Saw a doco a few years back on a large producer in Scotland. Just seems ridic to be importing it all the way from China....

magicbastarder

you'll probably find that the lower cost of labour in china more than compensates for the price of shipping the garlic here.
i'm not saying that's a good thing, mind.

thewintermute

I avoid the Chinese stuff with passion, the flavour just isn't there when I've tried it. My Dad grows some on his patch in the garden and it's great, I can generally find Spanish Garlic in Tesco, which I much prefer to the Chinese stuff. Would love to find big french bulbs somewhere.

magicbastarder

fallon & byrne, if you live near dublin city, may have what you're looking for.

Jellybaby1

Ding Dong wrote: »

Saw a doco a few years back on a large producer in Scotland. Just seems ridic to be importing it all the way from China....

I agree entirely Ding Dong. We should import from Scotland so.

magicbastarder wrote: »

fallon & byrne, if you live near dublin city, may have what you're looking for.

I've heard F & B are very expensive but probably they need every penny they can get now they are in examinership.

I'm really hoping my garlic is up to scratch this year. I won't have huge amounts but enough to keep me going for a while anyway. Can't wait!

yeppydeppy

I tried to do what your doing the year before last and it didn't work out. A friend of my (who's into gardening) told me it would be difficult. I suggest you do a bit of googleing on growing garlic, especially in this climate - good luck.

Jellybaby1

yeppydeppy wrote: »

I tried to do what your doing the year before last and it didn't work out. A friend of my (who's into gardening) told me it would be difficult. I suggest you do a bit of googleing on growing garlic, especially in this climate - good luck.

After reading this, I've become deflated. Dang!

redser7

Certified garlic can still be bought in garden centres and planted and is cheap. Supermarket stuff 'might' work out, but you'd be better off buying proper stock and using this while we still have a couple of cold months ahead of us.

magicbastarder

Jellybaby1 wrote: »

I've heard F & B are very expensive but probably they need every penny they can get now they are in examinership.

my experience is that they're seen as expensive because they stock expensive goods.

i bought a pound of lean mince and a (small) red pepper in there a few days ago - €3.89 and 36c.

magicbastarder

yeppydeppy wrote: »

I tried to do what your doing the year before last and it didn't work out.

you mean growing garlic or growing garlic for supply?

i've never had much trouble growing garlic, except last year when i didn't get it into the ground till very late and we had a mixed bag of weather over the summer.