Why We Grow German Extra Hardy Garlic (and How to Use Every Delicious Part!)
- Honey Bee Gardens
- Jun 17
- 2 min read
Updated: Jun 23
At Honey Bee Gardens Farm, garlic isn’t just another crop — it’s a flavorful treasure we look forward to every year. One of our favorites is German Extra Hardy Garlic, a robust, cold-hardy variety prized by chefs and home cooks. Here’s why we grow German Extra Hardy garlic, how to enjoy its rich flavor, what to do with its tasty green tops (scapes!), and two farm-fresh recipes to inspire you!
What Makes German Extra Hardy Garlic So Special?
German Extra Hardy is a hardneck garlic, which means it has a stiff central stalk and produces beautiful, curly scapes. Unlike the softneck garlic you usually find at the grocery store, this hardy variety thrives in colder climates like ours (growing zone 5b) and develops big, easy-to-peel cloves with a deep, robust, slightly spicy flavor that makes every dish shine.
Our garlic will be ready for harvest and available at the Farm Market and farmstand around mid-July. Please mark your calendar to get it fresh!
Why We Love It:
✅ Extremely cold hardy — perfect for Midwest winters
✅ Bold, complex flavor with a nice kick
✅ Large, easy-to-peel cloves
✅ Delicious scapes in late spring for an extra seasonal treat
Why Chefs & Food Lovers Prefer It
Chefs and garlic lovers appreciate German Extra Hardy because its flavor is richer, more layered, and stronger than grocery store garlic. Roasted, sautéed, or raw, it brings out the best in savory dishes, and those large cloves make kitchen prep quick and easy.
What Are Garlic Scapes (& Why You Should Try Them)
In late spring, our garlic plants send up curly green stalks called scapes. We harvest them to help the bulbs grow larger, but these tender green tops are edible and delicious, with a mild garlic flavor that makes them a springtime favorite.
👨🍳 How to Use Scapes:
Chop raw vegetables into salads or pasta
Blend into a bright green pesto
Toss with olive oil and grill whole
Stir-fry with veggies or eggs
Growing garlic connects us to the rich tradition of seasonal farming, and we love sharing every flavorful part with you. Our German Extra Hardy garlic bulbs will be ready by mid-July, and scapes are now available!
🌱 Farm-Fresh Garlic Recipes
Garlic Scape Pesto
Ingredients:
1 cup chopped garlic scapes
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
½ cup nuts (pine nuts, walnuts, or almonds)
½ cup olive oil
Juice of ½ lemon
Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions:
In a food processor, pulse scapes and nuts until finely chopped.
Add Parmesan, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.
Slowly stream in olive oil while blending until smooth.
Toss with pasta, spread on sandwiches, or swirl into soup!
Roasted German Extra Hardy Garlic Butter
Ingredients:
2 heads German Extra Hardy garlic
1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter, softened
1 tablespoon fresh herbs (parsley, rosemary, or thyme)
Pinch of salt
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 400°F. Slice the tops off the garlic heads, drizzle with olive oil, wrap in foil, and roast for 30–40 minutes until soft and golden.
Squeeze roasted garlic cloves into a bowl, mash, and mix with softened butter, herbs, and salt.
Spread on fresh bread, melt over veggies, or use to finish meats and fish.
Downloadable Recipe PDF Here ⤵️
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