Chesnok Red Hardneck

Amish-Grown Chesnok Red Hardneck Garlic

Organically Grown, Not Certified Organic — $22 per Pound

Our Amish-Grown Chesnok Red Garlic is a true hardneck garlic and a beautiful old-fashioned variety for homesteads, gardens and kitchens. Chesnok Red belongs to the Purple Stripe hardneck garlic group, known for producing dependable plants, richly flavored bulbs and attractive cloves wrapped in reddish-purple striping.

This garlic is being grown for us by Amish growers using organic growing practices. It is organically grown but not certified organic. We want to be completely transparent about that distinction: the garlic is raised using organic methods, but the growers have not gone through the formal certification process required to label it certified organic.

Chesnok Red generally produces approximately five to eight bulbs per pound, depending on the natural size of the bulbs. Each bulb normally contains around eight to 12 cloves. Bulb size, coloring and clove count may vary because this is a naturally grown agricultural product.

Chesnok Red has a rich, full garlic flavor that remains noticeable after cooking. It can be used fresh, roasted, fermented, preserved or planted for another crop. This variety is especially well known as a roasting and baking garlic because the cloves develop a smooth, creamy texture and a rich, slightly sweet flavor when cooked.

It is excellent for garlic bread, soups, stews, roasted vegetables, pasta sauces, marinades, homemade garlic butter, fermented honey garlic, pickled garlic and everyday cooking. The cloves are also easy to separate and peel, making Chesnok Red a practical variety for both home kitchens and larger preservation projects.

Because Chesnok Red is a hardneck variety, it also sends up edible garlic scapes in late spring or early summer. The scapes can be harvested and used fresh, sautéed, grilled, pickled or blended into pesto. Removing the scapes also helps the plant direct more energy into developing larger underground bulbs.

How to Plant

Plant Chesnok Red Garlic in the fall for the best bulb development, usually several weeks before the ground freezes. Choose a sunny location with loose, fertile and well-drained soil.

Separate the cloves from the bulb shortly before planting. Plant each clove with the pointed end facing upward and the flat root end facing downward. Place the cloves approximately 2–3 inches deep and space them 6–8 inches apart, with rows approximately 12–18 inches apart.

Cover the cloves with soil and apply a generous layer of clean straw, leaves or another suitable mulch. Mulching helps protect the cloves through winter, conserve soil moisture, suppress weeds and reduce sudden temperature changes.

Growing & Care

Chesnok Red Garlic grows best in full sun with fertile soil, steady moisture and low weed pressure. Garlic has a relatively shallow root system and does not compete well with grass or heavy weed growth, so keep the planting bed clean throughout the growing season.

Water during extended dry periods, especially while the plants are actively growing and the bulbs are forming. Avoid keeping the ground constantly saturated because poorly drained soil can cause bulbs and roots to rot.

When the garlic scapes emerge and begin to curl, cut them above the upper leaves. The harvested scapes are edible and can be used in many of the same ways as fresh garlic.

Harvesting

Harvest Chesnok Red when the lower leaves begin turning yellow and drying down while several upper leaves are still green. The remaining green leaves help indicate that enough protective wrappers are still present around the bulb.

Carefully loosen the soil around each plant with a garden fork or shovel, taking care not to cut or bruise the bulbs. Lift the garlic from beneath the bulb instead of pulling hard on the stem.

After harvesting, cure the bulbs in a warm, dry, shaded and well-ventilated location for several weeks. Keep them protected from rain and direct sunlight while curing. Once the outer wrappers and stems are completely dry, trim the roots and tops and store the bulbs in a cool, dry place with good airflow.

Save the largest, healthiest and best-formed bulbs for planting the following fall. Each healthy clove has the potential to grow into an entirely new bulb, allowing this garlic to be saved, replanted and multiplied season after season.

Plant It or Eat It

Chesnok Red can be purchased for culinary use, preservation or planting. Use the smaller cloves in the kitchen and save the largest cloves for the strongest possible plants and future bulbs.

Whether you are looking for a deeply flavored kitchen garlic, an outstanding roasting variety or a dependable crop for your family’s food-security garden, Chesnok Red is a valuable hardneck garlic that can continue producing for years when properly grown and replanted.

Price: $22 per pound
Approximately five to eight bulbs per pound
Approximately eight to 12 cloves per bulb
Amish-grown using organic practices
Organically grown, but not certified organic