Spent some time in Martha's Vineyard MA last week, hit a farmers market, and found someone selling the largest cloves I've ever seen:
I arrived at the market an hour after opening, this vendor still had 10 or so left of these huge things. Hard to tell from just the photo, but the right clove is just a touch over
four inches in diameter at its widest point, three inches at its narrowest.
I assumed elephant garlic, but the seller assured me she planted regular garlic cloves late last year, and they just all came up huge this year. Full, hot garlic flavor she said.
I purchased three, buck and a half per. Haven't busted any open yet, as I'm saving them to plant in a couple months. They don't look like elephants, tho since I don't grow elephant, I'm not an expert at identifying them. Each head has at least six cloves, eight if you include the two small mutant clove things popping out at opposite ends of each head (what's up with those?).
Seller didn't know what specific kind they were. Hardneck, appear to be completely eggshell white (no color streaks at all).
Any idea what these are? The
Growing Great Garlic guy says to avoid bulbs over three inches, as you'll get erratic (mostly disappointing) results, but my curiosity will force me to plant every clove.
FYI, seller info: Tiasquam Brook Farm, out of West Tisbury MA. Flowers, herbs, vegetables. Plowing and mowing services too, heh heh.