Garlic problem -- no outer skin

[Weebleman]

Hi,
Just before I went on holiday 2.5 weeks ago I thought about lifting my garlic but decided it wasn't quite ready, so left it until my return.
I returned yesterday and horrified to see that all the wet weather we had destroyed all the leaves so I decided to lift them come what may from the very wet soil.
The resultant bulbs were not too bad at all, good size and no signs of rot setting in, but the problem is that they do not appear to have any outer skin (that normally goes 'papery' and holds the cloves together).
So a couple of questions:
1. do you think this was caused by excessive wet weather?
2. can I dry/store the bulbs as normal or would the lack of outer skin mean the bulbs won't keep? (certainly cant string them together).
3. if not, do you have ant recommendations as to the best method of preserving the crop.

There's about 4 dozen bulbs so would hate to lose the lot.

Thanks!

[rustylady]

You're lucky to have a crop, mine are pathetic. Any pictures?

[franw]

Me too

Mine have the same problem. A friend said it was slugs (they have certainly been at everything else!) but they don't look nibbled to me, it looks as if the skin never grew.

[Snadger]

Quite a bit of mine has the same problem. I personally think you can leave the garlic in too long in the ground once its mature, and naturally its next stage would be to break apart and start new plants for next year.
Some pickled garlic for me methinks!

About 50% of mine was affected this way so its not a complete failure.

[Paulottie]

The outside has just rotted off...normally white rot causes it. But as Snadger says they split up eventually anyway.

[Aberdeenplotter]

Some pickled garlic for me methinks!

What kinda taste do you end up with if you pickle them Snadge? Also, does it leave the dreaded garlic breath? Recipe please if it something too delish to miss..

[Gemmalaveen]

I seem to have the same problem - or the skin is just much thinner than usual. I am taking my chances with trying to dry half of them. I plan to chop the other half up today and freeze.

My Solent Wight looks the best. Marco not brilliant. Unknown variety I picked up at local Potato Day not great at all... look like pickled onions not garlic.

[Weebleman]

In some ways it's reassuring to know that I'm not the only one with the problem. I don't think it's due to slugs and there's no other signs of attack, even the leaves looked healthy before I went away -- the joys of gardening eh? The onions I had in the same bed also appeared fine when I lifted them, in fact not a bad crop at all.

So... does anyone have any proven pickling recipes? I've bought garlic cloves in jars of clear liquid from the supermarket but didn't seem to have much flavour.... also heard that just sticking in virgin olive oil can be poisonous...

[shona_b]

my garlic is probably similar to yours - lots of small cloves but not being held together by any outer layer? I've just layed them out on newspaper in a cardboard box and hope they'll keep like that. Otherwise instead of pickling them as I prefer the natural garlic taste I would chop and freeze. As I make a lot of curry I also chop up any ginger and freeze together with chopped garlic and they go into the pan together without being defrosted first! Mind you make sure you have some lemon jiuce for your fingers if you are going to chop a seasons garlic in one go

[Alison]

I pickled some using a recipe in the River Cottage Handbook (Preserves) last year, very nice, will be doing more this year when I've lifted my garlic. The few bulbs I've pulled have been better than normal as I'm normally a bit rubbish on that front. Had it down to a mild winter as my spring sown onions are pants.

[binley100]

A lot of mine had no outer skin either ......those I bashed up with some wine vinegar for lazee garlic a la Zaz ..........

[snohare]

Oh mine did that too, when I pulled one up it had white fur all over the basal root plate and the leaves were mushy, so in a panic I immediately pulled it apart and have left it out to dry on my windowsill at home. After about 10 days the cloves are developing a nice papery skin, I expect that once a bit more dehydrated they will develop a thicker, leathery skin as we are used to - but that will mean they are less juicy...
They are no different to other alliums like onions y'know, leave them to dry long enough and they will go papery on the outside !

[paultess]

No loose 'paper' skin

Hello, a slightly different query in that my garlic has no outer 'paper' skin. It is covered in a white 'skin', tight and healthy, the garlic itself is very large, about 2.5 inches diameter. (Not elephant garlic). The outer skin on the cloves themselves is almost hard, but once removed there is 'paper' skin under that.
Last year , my first year growing, my garlic was what I would call 'normal', small bulbs, papery outer skin. Is this years crop unusual in a good way?

[snohare]

As long as it's not mouldy or diseased, Paultess, I don't think the skin matters - but reading between the lines (and I'm hoping some old-timers will come along to enlighten us here) I'm guessing that differences in skin texture and thickness are largely responsible for which varieties last well in storage or not. So we might be comparing apples and oranges here...I've completely forgotten which varieties I have growing where !
Where this year's crop is concerned, I think it is all down to moisture levels. (Surprise surprise ! ) The ones that got the correct amounts of moisture have done great - the ones that received too much from being in waterlogged ground, rotted. Mine are some of each; no small bulbs due to lack of moisture.