We Harvested 27 Bulbs of Garlic. Here’s What I Did With Them!

Overloaded with garden garlic? Try these recipes and preservation methods!

I have to admit, I wasn't convinced we needed to grow garlic.

My husband was the one who really convinced me to give it a try, and now that we've harvested 27 beautiful bulbs of garlic, I can confidently say: we're growing it every year!!!

There is something so incredibly satisfying about growing a crop that is practical and easy to use. Garlic doesn't require a ton of work once it's planted, and one of the things I love most about growing it is the timing. We plant garlic in October and harvest it around July, so it doesn't really interfere with all of the other crops we grow during the warmer months. And it basically does its thing in the garden while we're busy growing everything else.

Then comes harvest time. Suddenly, you have a whole pile of garlic sitting on your kitchen counter, and you start thinking, Okay...what am I going to do with all of this?

Luckily, garlic is one of those foods that is super versatile. It can be used fresh, roasted, frozen, blended into sauces, added to vegetables, mixed into grains, spread onto toast...the possibilities are almost endless.

As a dietitian, I also appreciate that garlic isn't just a flavor powerhouse (although I do really love that part). It's a plant food that contains a variety of biologically active sulfur-containing compounds. When garlic is chopped, crushed, or minced, it produces allicin, a compound that has been studied for its antioxidant and potential cardiovascular and metabolic benefits. Garlic also contains other sulfur compounds and antioxidants that contribute to its potential health-promoting properties.

While garlic isn't a miracle food (and we shouldn't expect any single ingredient to transform our health) it is a simple way to add more plant compounds and flavor to everyday meals. Some research has linked regular garlic consumption with modest benefits for things like blood pressure and cholesterol, although the effects vary depending on the amount, preparation, and individual.

One of my favorite things about garlic is that it makes our food taste really good! When vegetables, whole grains, beans, potatoes, eggs, chicken, or fish are covered in roasted garlic, you're much more likely to actually want to eat them.

So, after harvesting our 27 bulbs, here's exactly what I did with them!

1. Roasted Whole-Bulb Garlic

This might be one of the easiest ways to use your garlic.

Instead of using individual cloves, I roasted the whole bulb. Simply slice the very top off the garlic bulb so that the tops of the cloves are exposed. Drizzle with a little olive oil, sprinkle with sea salt (if desired), wrap the bulb in foil, and roast at about 400°F for 35 to 45 minutes, or until the cloves are soft and golden.

Let it cool enough to handle, then squeeze the cloves right out of the bulb. The flavor becomes much sweeter, softer, and more mellow than raw garlic.

You can spread the roasted garlic directly onto bread or crackers, mix it into mashed potatoes, stir it into pasta, add it to sauces, or mash it into a quick dressing.

Easy roasted garlic spread

Mix together:

• Roasted garlic cloves or whole garlic bulb

• Olive oil

• A pinch of salt

• Black pepper

• Fresh or dried herbs (optional)

Mash everything together and spread it onto toast...that's it! It's one of those recipes that feels much fancier (in my opinion) than the amount of work it actually requires.

2. Homemade Garlic Bread

Of course, some of our garlic had to become garlic bread. Homemade garlic bread is actually so delicious with fresh garlic! First I roasted a whole garlic clove (see above). I softened butter and mixed it with the roasted garlic cloves, salt, and pepper, red pepper flakes, fresh parsley, olive oil, and a little parm, then spread it over slices of bread. I topped it with mozzarella cheese and baked until golden brown and bubbly, and crispy around the edges.

You can use:

• French bread

• Sourdough

• Italian bread

• A baguette

• Whole-grain bread

• Whatever bread you already have on hand!

3. I Froze Minced Garlic Into Squares

This was probably the most practical thing we did with our harvest.

I knew there was no way we were going to use 27 bulbs of garlic quickly, so I wanted an easy way to preserve some of it. We peeled and then minced the garlic using a food processor, put it into a plastic gallon-size freezer bag, and spread it out into a thin, even layer with a rolling pin.

Then we used the back of a knife to score the garlic into little squares before freezing it. Now, when I'm cooking, I can simply break off a square and toss it into whatever I'm making!

If you preserve garlic this way, next time you cook:

No peeling.

No chopping.

No garlic press.

No cutting board covered in garlic.

Just grab a square and add it to the pan! This has been such a useful little kitchen shortcut. You can freeze garlic in the same way in smaller portions using an ice cube tray, but I like the gallon bag method because it takes up very little freezer space and allows me to break off exactly as much as I need.

And no more buying minced garlic in a jar!

Tip: Label each bag with the date so you know when you froze it :)

4. Roasted Garlic Cloves With Rosemary & Olive Oil

This might be my favorite way I used our garlic...I love rosemary! I separated the garlic cloves, tossed them with olive oil, rosemary, and salt, and roasted them until the cloves became soft, golden, and caramelized. Then I smashed the roasted garlic onto a piece of sourdough toast.

That's it.

And it was so yum! The garlic becomes soft and almost creamy when roasted, so it spreads nicely onto toast. The rosemary adds a lovely earthy flavor, while the olive oil and salt bring everything together.

My simple version

Ingredients:

• Garlic cloves

• Olive oil

• Fresh rosemary

• Salt

• Sourdough bread

Directions:

1. Peel the garlic cloves.

2. Place them in a small baking dish.

3. Toss with olive oil, chopped rosemary, and salt.

4. Roast at 400°F until soft and golden, about 30 minutes, depending on the size of the cloves.

5. Toast a slice of sourdough.

6. Smash the roasted garlic directly onto the toast.

7. Add an extra drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt if desired.

It makes a fantastic snack, appetizer, or addition to breakfast.

You could also top it with a fried egg, avocado, tomatoes, feta, or Parmesan!

More Easy Ways to Use Garlic

Once you start looking for ways to use garlic, you'll realize just how many meals it can sneak into!

Here are some of my favorite simple ideas:

1. Add it to roasted vegetables

Toss broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, potatoes, Brussels sprouts, or zucchini with olive oil, minced garlic, salt, and pepper before roasting. It's one of the easiest ways to make vegetables more flavorful.

2. Make garlic mashed potatoes

Add roasted or minced garlic to mashed potatoes along with butter, olive oil, milk, or your favorite dairy-free alternative.

3. Make a quick garlic vinaigrette

Whisk together:

• Olive oil

• Lemon juice or vinegar

• Minced garlic

• Dijon mustard

• Salt

• Pepper

Drizzle over salads, roasted vegetables, grain bowls, or chicken.

4. Add it to pasta

Sauté minced garlic in olive oil, then add cooked pasta, Parmesan, red pepper flakes, and fresh herbs.

It's a simple pantry meal that comes together quickly.

5. Garlic rice

Sauté minced garlic in a little olive oil or butter, then stir in cooked rice.

Add parsley, lemon juice, Parmesan, or green onions for extra flavor.

6. Garlic hummus

Add roasted garlic to your favorite hummus recipe or simply stir roasted garlic into store-bought hummus. Serve with pita, crackers, or vegetables.

7. Garlic and herb potatoes

Toss baby potatoes with olive oil, minced garlic, rosemary, salt, and pepper, then roast until crispy.

8. Add it to eggs

Sauté garlic with spinach, mushrooms, tomatoes, or other vegetables before adding eggs.

It makes a simple breakfast feel much more flavorful.

9. Add it to soups

Garlic is an easy addition to chicken soup, lentil soup, tomato soup, bean soup, and vegetable soup.

10. Make garlic roasted chickpeas

Toss chickpeas with olive oil, minced garlic, paprika, salt, and pepper and roast until crispy.

They're great on their own or sprinkled over salads and grain bowls!

11. Make a garlic yogurt sauce

Mix plain Greek yogurt with minced or roasted garlic, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and fresh herbs.

Use it as a dip or sauce for roasted vegetables, potatoes, chicken, wraps, or grain bowls.

Why I Think Garlic Is Worth Growing

Before this year, I probably wouldn't have thought of garlic as one of the first things I'd want to grow in our garden. Now I can't imagine not having it! It's relatively easy to grow, it fits nicely into our gardening schedule, and it gives us something we can harvest in early summer before many of our other crops are ready.

But perhaps the biggest reason I love growing it is because we actually use it. There are plenty of garden vegetables that require a little more planning once you've harvested a huge quantity. Garlic is different. It's something we use throughout the week without even thinking about it. A little goes into dinner. A few cloves go into a sauce. Some gets roasted. Some becomes garlic bread. And the rest can be preserved for later!

Our 27 bulbs of garlic may have started as a little gardening experiment that I wasn't sure about, but they've quickly become one of my favorite things we've grown.

So yes, my husband was right.

We're growing garlic again next year ;)