owing garlic year-round within a few years.Freelance botanist, journalist and garlic expert Penny Woodward told delegates at the weekend’s Australian Garlic Industry Association Conference that Australia had the ability to gear up to 12-month production.
Australia starts producing garlic in Queensland in September and finishes up with Tasmanian garlic in June/July.
“The bigger growers tend to grow the standard, earlier season varieties,” Ms Woodward said. “There’s a group of garlic called creoles, which have white skins and bright red cloves, and a hot, spicy flavour. They pick for a long time and they tend to be slightly later in the season.
“With a combination of varieties and growing areas working together we can have year-round production.”
Ms Woodward told the Albury conference about the importance of growers knowing and identifying varieties.
“Garlic varieties these days are divided into 11 different groups based on growing characteristics and flavour profiles,” she said.
“Garlic these days is bought for as many different reasons as we buy tomatoes.
“Some of the older growers have been growing the same cultivars for years and they know pretty much what they are, but some of the smaller growers — who are looking at growing some of these more unusual and boutique types — are harder to identify.
“It’s something we as an association want to put more work into with consumers so people know what cultivar to buy to get the flavour they want.”
Ms Woodward’s new book Garlic will go on sale next month.
Australian Garlic Industry Association treasurer John Olliff said attendance was strong, with 70 delegates from around the country travelling to Albury for the conference.
