I ordered the Egyptian onions from Ronniger's today: 15 sets. Enough to start a nice little patch.
Also, Ordered a variety of hard-neck garlic called Purple Glazer, which is supposed to be attractive (a pretty purple-streaked wrapper) and taste nice. Not too hot, so maybe the kids will eat it. Just half a pound, to give it a try.
Ronniger's also offers a few varieties of Jerusalem artichokes, which I have never seen before. Usually, companies just offer, "Jerusalem Artichokes." Anyway, I bought a pound of Red Fuseau to try, which they say is sweeter than the ordinary sort. Also, it's very pretty in the picture, and they say the tubers can grow up to six inches long, sort of like red, shiny carrots. If we like it, we should be able to save enough tubers to plant out a bigger patch next year. Oh, yeah. Side bonus: They say the plants grow up to ten feet tall, and full of blooms!
If you are interested in thinking about produce for farmer's markets, the Red Fuseau is intriguing. (And might as well find a pretty garlic, too.)
I didn't order the fingerlings. Ronniger's says they need to ship garlic and potatoes separately. So I'll order the fingerlings later in the year. They don't go in the ground 'til early spring anyway.
4 comments:
The Egyptian onions apparently are sort of a perennial garlic. You eat the tops and when you give up, digout the root and it's a small onion.
Well.... In the early spring, first you eat the young shoots and underground bulbs like scallions (if your patch is big enough to lose some onions). Then later in the year, you use the top bulbs sort of like shallots. Or like pickling onions.
Just wait. You'll like them.
Mind if I join you?
I have both Jerusalem artichokes (I call them sun chokes) and garlic.
I haven`t tried onions yet, they are slated for next year.
I find Romanian garlic very attractive. It is fairly large. It is not the largest bulb but fewer, nice sized cloves that I find easier to deal with when I am cooking.
For eating raw, I like Inchelium garlic. It has a mellow rich flavor, less peppery than many varieties.
Garlic greens are also very tasty. I plant bulbils for them.
Another garlic treat, if you grow hardnecks, is the scapes. I cook them in a little olive oil and they are great with chard.
I am intrigued by the varieties of sun chokes. There was only one variety available when I ordered them. They grow about eight feet tall, and smell (to me) like chocolate tootsie pops. Each plant produces 3 to 5 tubers, some of them near (my) fist size.
Hi Raye,
C'mon in, the water's fine!
Try the Egyptian Onions; they're a lot of fun.
I have never succeeded at growing garlic in my various gardens over the years, but I have high hopes.
I'll give you some of the Red Fuseau sunchokes, if they turn out good.
Post a Comment