FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Garlic
The online GARLIC SHOP is NOW CLOSED... the 2011 red rocambole garlic is already SOLD OUT. Sorry to disappoint for those who missed out. Each year we aim to grow a little more, as the farm and our labour force expands.
The next garlic crop is due approx. December 2012. Join our newsletter list via the homepage subscription entry to be informed when the new crop is available each year.
During the season, new orders are dispatched weekly on Tuesdays (except public hols.) from the start of order dispatches until sold out.
N.B.: Our focus is to grow premium quality, gourmet garlic for direct sale as food to home cooks and chefs. We are NOT commercial planting stock suppliers or set up as a 'nursery' (even though our garlic is 'fertile' and you can grow from it in your home garden if you wish). We do not sell 'bulk priced' planting stock, do other wholesale orders or provide especially selected 'planting bulbs', as we are not a large enough farm for those sales approaches and services.
The online shop is open for direct sales during garlic season which runs approximately from December until May/June or earlier as soon as all our gorgeous gourmet garlic is sold out. Please note: only pre-payment secures an order. You can also buy garlic from us direct at our farmers’ market stalls and at our farm gate by calling us first.
N.B.: We DO NOT have credit card/EFT facilities outside of the Paypal facility within the online shop system (i.e. we personally can't process credit cards or EFT payments at all - only via the online shop using Paypal).
How is my garlic delivered and the delivery charged?
We use Australia Post, as we've found them the most reliable and cost effective shipping method for each order. Australia Post delivery charges are based on the volume and weight of your purchase as well as your delivery destination. Your delivery charge (including GST) is calculated and included once you've entered and checked your post code at the 'checkout' stage of your purchase. PLEASE NOTE our Terms & Conditions: Delivery times are estimates only. Delivery times are subject to change by the delivery service provider. We are not responsible for delivery later than estimated or for any failure of the delivery service.
How long will my garlic keep?
Garlic is a seasonal product, at its peak during summer/ early autumn. If kept dry and stored properly, your gorgeous gourmet garlic will keep perfectly, without sprouting until April or May, so about 4-5 months or so from its harvest time.
From around April/May the garlic will usually start its natural sprouting process but will still taste great, so you can happily use it in your kitchen for some time, as it will still be fresher and superior in flavour to almost all other garlic available in the shops.
Garlic is a seasonal product, at its peak during summer/ early autumn. If kept dry and stored properly, your gorgeous gourmet garlic will keep perfectly, without sprouting until April or May, so about 4-5 months or so from its harvest time.
From around April/May the garlic will usually start its natural sprouting process but will still taste great, so you can happily use it in your kitchen for some time, as it will still be fresher and superior in flavour to almost all other garlic available in the shops.
Use your smaller bulbs last as these tend to store the best and tend to sprout latest.
Why would I buy my year’s supply of garlic just after harvest?
Being an annual crop, even if you buy ‘fresh’ Australian garlic a bulb or two at a time, it is still from the same harvest back around November-Dec/Jan.. That is, if you buy more garlic from us or elsewhere months down the track, it will be the same crop as the first (and only) harvest that season/year. Therefore it is perfectly practical to purchase new season garlic in bulk so long as you store it well. Most long-stored shop bought garlic has been cool stored, which rapidly diminishes its quality greatly and is why it has so often sprouted, is flavourless (poor growing methods contribute) and perishes quickly. Garlic is an annual seasonal crop, being at its peak during summer/autumn but if you want to ensure you have a supply through the lean months of winter/spring, try preserving some before it sprouts by confit (cooking slowly in oil) or freezing whole, peeled cloves. It is risky though to store fresh (uncooked) garlic bottled/covered in oil to prolong its life, as it's possible for the oil to become contaminated with botulism, a highly toxic and dangerous 'food' bacteria which can cause serious illness.
How best do I store my garlic?
Simply store in a dry, well ventilated location, away from direct sunlight, other heat AND humidity. Even cool-mild temps. seem good (e.g. pantry/larder). In Southern/cooler locales, do NOT store it in the fridge as this will encourage your garlic to sprout prematurely and make it spongy and rapidly diminish its flavour, as fridges are usually too damp. However, it Northern, hot or hot/humid locales, your garlic may well store better in a well maintained fridge (or cellar!) than being exposed to extreme heat &/or humidity. These are our recommendations not our guarantee!
How much garlic do I have to buy?
Our online garlic shop takes orders in 1kg increments for the loose garlic bulbs, with 1kg being the minimum order quantity required. The Australia Post weight limit is 20kg per package. You can order 1 or more garlic braids per order. Of course you can purchase any quantity you like from us directly at our farmers' market stalls or via pre-arranged farm gate sales. N.B. We DO NOT supply 'seed'/planting stock garlic, cheap bulk OR sell general wholesale garlic.
How many garlic bulbs in 1 kilo?
Why would I buy my year’s supply of garlic just after harvest?
Being an annual crop, even if you buy ‘fresh’ Australian garlic a bulb or two at a time, it is still from the same harvest back around November-Dec/Jan.. That is, if you buy more garlic from us or elsewhere months down the track, it will be the same crop as the first (and only) harvest that season/year. Therefore it is perfectly practical to purchase new season garlic in bulk so long as you store it well. Most long-stored shop bought garlic has been cool stored, which rapidly diminishes its quality greatly and is why it has so often sprouted, is flavourless (poor growing methods contribute) and perishes quickly. Garlic is an annual seasonal crop, being at its peak during summer/autumn but if you want to ensure you have a supply through the lean months of winter/spring, try preserving some before it sprouts by confit (cooking slowly in oil) or freezing whole, peeled cloves. It is risky though to store fresh (uncooked) garlic bottled/covered in oil to prolong its life, as it's possible for the oil to become contaminated with botulism, a highly toxic and dangerous 'food' bacteria which can cause serious illness.
How best do I store my garlic?
Simply store in a dry, well ventilated location, away from direct sunlight, other heat AND humidity. Even cool-mild temps. seem good (e.g. pantry/larder). In Southern/cooler locales, do NOT store it in the fridge as this will encourage your garlic to sprout prematurely and make it spongy and rapidly diminish its flavour, as fridges are usually too damp. However, it Northern, hot or hot/humid locales, your garlic may well store better in a well maintained fridge (or cellar!) than being exposed to extreme heat &/or humidity. These are our recommendations not our guarantee!
How much garlic do I have to buy?
Our online garlic shop takes orders in 1kg increments for the loose garlic bulbs, with 1kg being the minimum order quantity required. The Australia Post weight limit is 20kg per package. You can order 1 or more garlic braids per order. Of course you can purchase any quantity you like from us directly at our farmers' market stalls or via pre-arranged farm gate sales. N.B. We DO NOT supply 'seed'/planting stock garlic, cheap bulk OR sell general wholesale garlic.
How many garlic bulbs in 1 kilo?
Size varies from season to season and we never know until it is harvested and fully cured each year. Therefore, number of bulbs will vary from 1kg order to the next. Of course your order is always the full weight ordered and we only dispatch quality garlic, the best available each season and it's always a good size for kitchen use, even the smaller bulbs. Also, please bear in mind that our garlic is a totally natural product, we do NOT 'force feed' our crops with excessive fertiliser NOR use any artificial fertilisers or other processes to forcibly produce particularly large bulb size. We aim for healthy plants which produce premium flavour and a practical size.
Why is organic garlic so much more expensive than other garlic in the shops?
There’s 2 major factors:
a) Growing garlic commercially is a very labour intensive business, particularly when grown without using pesticides, fungicides and herbicides. Angelica Organic Farm garlic is produced almost entirely by hand – it’s planted, weeded, harvested, cured, trimmed, cleaned, sorted, plaited (some years) and packed by hand, ensuring the best quality garlic - TLC from planting to sale!
b) The ‘flood’ of cheap, inferior, chemically treated garlic into Australia began a decade or so ago. China has become our largest supplier (90% +) by forcing down its price through cheap labour, harsh working conditions and often substandard farming practises. Ethical consumerism (preventing exploitation of humans, animals and the natural environment) and fair trade (preventing exploitation of us growers!) and 'clean' healthy food are serious considerations, which demand we ask ‘how our food is grown, at what price and WHO paid the real price?’
Can I plant Angelica Organic Farm garlic?
Yes. It’s best to keep the bulb whole and then split the cloves up to be planted individually (each clove produces a new bulb) in autumn, around late March or into April (for Sthn, cool climate areas) . Until then, store well as normal. You plant them with the pointy end sticking upwards, covered just under the soil, about 10cm apart and it takes approximately 8-9 months to grow.
N.B.: Our focus is to grow premium quality, gourmet garlic for direct sale as food to home cooks and chefs. We are NOT commercial planting stock suppliers or set up to do so (even though our garlic is 'fertile' and you can grow from it in your home garden if you wish). We do not wholesale, sell 'bulk priced' or especially selected planting stock and are simply not a large enough farm for those sales approaches.
Can I eat garlic which has sprouted?
Yes. Our garlic only sprouts naturally and not prematurely as it is not cold-stored. Once sprouted, the flavour is not at its most pungent nor is its health giving power at its strongest but it still tastes very good and superior to most shop bought garlic. Some people prefer to remove and discard the green sprout when they cut the garlic in half and others eat it sprouts and all.
a) Growing garlic commercially is a very labour intensive business, particularly when grown without using pesticides, fungicides and herbicides. Angelica Organic Farm garlic is produced almost entirely by hand – it’s planted, weeded, harvested, cured, trimmed, cleaned, sorted, plaited (some years) and packed by hand, ensuring the best quality garlic - TLC from planting to sale!
b) The ‘flood’ of cheap, inferior, chemically treated garlic into Australia began a decade or so ago. China has become our largest supplier (90% +) by forcing down its price through cheap labour, harsh working conditions and often substandard farming practises. Ethical consumerism (preventing exploitation of humans, animals and the natural environment) and fair trade (preventing exploitation of us growers!) and 'clean' healthy food are serious considerations, which demand we ask ‘how our food is grown, at what price and WHO paid the real price?’
Can I plant Angelica Organic Farm garlic?
Yes. It’s best to keep the bulb whole and then split the cloves up to be planted individually (each clove produces a new bulb) in autumn, around late March or into April (for Sthn, cool climate areas) . Until then, store well as normal. You plant them with the pointy end sticking upwards, covered just under the soil, about 10cm apart and it takes approximately 8-9 months to grow.
N.B.: Our focus is to grow premium quality, gourmet garlic for direct sale as food to home cooks and chefs. We are NOT commercial planting stock suppliers or set up to do so (even though our garlic is 'fertile' and you can grow from it in your home garden if you wish). We do not wholesale, sell 'bulk priced' or especially selected planting stock and are simply not a large enough farm for those sales approaches.
Can I eat garlic which has sprouted?
Yes. Our garlic only sprouts naturally and not prematurely as it is not cold-stored. Once sprouted, the flavour is not at its most pungent nor is its health giving power at its strongest but it still tastes very good and superior to most shop bought garlic. Some people prefer to remove and discard the green sprout when they cut the garlic in half and others eat it sprouts and all.
Alternately you can plant these cloves in your garden (plant late March/early April in Southern States).
What varieties of garlic do you grow?
For 2011 we are growing our renowned red rocambole variety to sell, a hard-necked purple-skinned, early season type. Rocamboles are renowned for their excellent flavour, glamorous red-purple skins and easily peeled, single circle of 6-12 plump cloves.
Is your garlic an Italian variety?
Rocamboles are commonly referred to as an ‘Italian variety’ but really that is a myth which has probably grown through world famed Italian cuisine and its faithful use of this common garlic type. Most experts agree, all garlic actually originated in the mountains of South-Central Asia thousands of years ago, within the original ‘garlic crescent’ as it is known, which probably ran along the modern Soviet border with China, Afghanistan and Iran (e.g. Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan).
Can I buy produce at your farm gate? Farm gate now OPEN (Jan 2012). Friday arvo is best time - please call.
Yes. Please phone Tim (0438 482 738 - at least one day ahead please) prior to visiting the farm and for pick up from the farm at a pre-arranged time (mostly Friday arvo pick ups are suitable). We will run a regular produce listing on the home page, keeping you informed on what’s currently available or find out when you call. PLEASE NOTE: We are not set up like a green grocer's shop at the farm, availability of different vegies varies from week to week at times and not everything is harvested and 'waiting' in storage every day of the week (N.B. the farm is CLOSED on WEEKENDS). Friday afternoons fit in best with our weekly harvesting schedule for pick up and full availability of current produce.
Seasonal vegetables and herbs are generally available from mid summer through to late autumn.
What farmers' markets will we see you at?
Please come and meet us and sample the Angelica Organic Farm harvest at the following monthly farmers’ markets: Daylesford Farmers’ Market (1st Sat.), Collingwood Children’s Farm Farmers’ Market (2nd Sat.), Hawthorn's Boroondara Farmers’ Market (3rd Sat) and Slow Food Melbourne Farmers’ Market (4th Sat).
Click here for full market details.
What varieties of garlic do you grow?
For 2011 we are growing our renowned red rocambole variety to sell, a hard-necked purple-skinned, early season type. Rocamboles are renowned for their excellent flavour, glamorous red-purple skins and easily peeled, single circle of 6-12 plump cloves.
Is your garlic an Italian variety?
Rocamboles are commonly referred to as an ‘Italian variety’ but really that is a myth which has probably grown through world famed Italian cuisine and its faithful use of this common garlic type. Most experts agree, all garlic actually originated in the mountains of South-Central Asia thousands of years ago, within the original ‘garlic crescent’ as it is known, which probably ran along the modern Soviet border with China, Afghanistan and Iran (e.g. Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan).
Farm Gate Sales & Farmers’ Markets
Yes. Please phone Tim (0438 482 738 - at least one day ahead please) prior to visiting the farm and for pick up from the farm at a pre-arranged time (mostly Friday arvo pick ups are suitable). We will run a regular produce listing on the home page, keeping you informed on what’s currently available or find out when you call. PLEASE NOTE: We are not set up like a green grocer's shop at the farm, availability of different vegies varies from week to week at times and not everything is harvested and 'waiting' in storage every day of the week (N.B. the farm is CLOSED on WEEKENDS). Friday afternoons fit in best with our weekly harvesting schedule for pick up and full availability of current produce.
Seasonal vegetables and herbs are generally available from mid summer through to late autumn.
What farmers' markets will we see you at?
Please come and meet us and sample the Angelica Organic Farm harvest at the following monthly farmers’ markets: Daylesford Farmers’ Market (1st Sat.), Collingwood Children’s Farm Farmers’ Market (2nd Sat.), Hawthorn's Boroondara Farmers’ Market (3rd Sat) and Slow Food Melbourne Farmers’ Market (4th Sat).
Click here for full market details.
Other events where you'll see us...
- Sunday 12 February 2012: The Lake House Regional Producers Day - Enjoy sampling the best produce, food and wine that the Daylesford-Macedon region has to offer and meet the growers and producers by Lake Daylesford in the gardens of the award winning Lake House. 10am to 4pm
Other Produce- Vegies and Herbs
As well as gorgeous gourmet garlic, our family farm consists of small-scale mixed cropping of seasonal vegetables (e.g. rainbow chard and silverbeet, zucchinis, salad greens, broccoli, cauliflowers, some heirloom beetroots and carrots + others), heirloom tomatoes (from late Feb. approx.), culinary herbs and during summer sunflowers. We run a regular produce listing on the home page, keeping you informed on what’s currently available or find out by calling Tim on 0438 482 738.
Seasonal vegetables and herbs are generally available from summer through to late autumn/early winter, with late summer/autumn being the most abundant period with the most variety of crops. We have a 'hungry patch' over winter into early spring, due to our long, cold winters and fluctuating spring climate.
