Catherine Scarborough is the name behind Catherine’s Black Garlic. Catherine grows and harvests Elephant Garlic on her farm in the Orara Valley, next to Bagawa State Forest.
Soon after moving there she was encouraged by neighbours – who grew garlic – to plant her own crops. Catherine took on her new lifestyle with gusto. “The land had been unfarmed for more than 20 years, and we knew the land was clean. Garlic is a good crop to grow because it needs no pest control or fencing.” Since then, her neighbours have given up growing garlic, “I think they realised how much work it is!” Catherine says she wanted to keep growing it, and decided to make black garlic. “This more than doubled the work.” However she is rewarded by her customers’ reactions. “The look on people’s faces – when they try black garlic for the first time – is priceless!” Catherine has added smoked garlic cloves to her range, using Ironbark – an Australian native hardwood – to smoke the garlic. “An Ironbark tree had fallen down across our bush track. A bit of online research revealed it’s the best local wood to smoke with.”
The process from harvest to black garlic
Garlic is harvested around November. It is then cured until February-March. Then the garlic is cooked on a low temperature for 12 days. This allows the Maillard process to caramelise the sugars, in a similar way to cooking and caramelising onions. Put simply, the process is: Harvest the garlic. Trim roots and leaves. Cure the garlic, and then cook in small batches. Pack into jars for distribution.
A flavour to savour
Black garlic’s unique umami flavour and ease of use is a foodie’s friend.It is ready to eat straight out of the jar – no chopping, grating, or mincing – and it doesn’t leave you with strong garlic breath, the way fresh garlic sometimes does. Catherine’s Black Garlic products include a versatile range for cooking and entertaining: garlic paste; peeled cloves; whole unpeeled garlic bulbs; smoked garlic peeled cloves, and smoked whole unpeeled bulbs. Black garlic is already “cooked” and needs no further cooking, so it can be added to cooked meals as an edible garnish, or stirred through cooked pasta to add a subtle, slightly sweet garlic flavour. Other easy ways to eat black garlic is to spread the paste over hot buttered toast or grilled focaccia. Or add whole cloves – regular or smoked – to your cheese platter. Its earthy flavour pairs well with cheeses and added fruit. Why not reduce your cheese plate to three simple, quality elements: a ripe soft cheese; black garlic bulbs or garlic paste; and your choice of chopped fresh fruit. Add a touch of elegance with a sprinkle of edible flowers, and a drizzle of locally produced honey over the cheese. Eating and sharing fresh local produce not only supports local growers, it adds to the enjoyment of our food experience.
Where to source Catherine’s locally produced black garlic:
Coffs Harbour – Kaleidoscope, in Coffs Central; Affordable Whole Foods; Jetty Markets
Sawtell – Active Nutrition Pantry
Dorrigo – Dorrigo Rainforest Centre, or Dorrigo Deli
Moonee – Black Apple Café
Woolgoolga – Coastal Pantry
Nana Glen – The Idle Inn Café
Grafton – Grafton Regional Art Gallery; Clarence Kitchen Collective
Catherine’s Garlic:
Website catherines-black-garlic.square.site
Email catherine1909@gmail.com
Instagram @catherinesgarlic
Facebook @catherinesgarlic
Phone 0410 421 373
Article: Awia Markey
Image credits: Awia Markey (pic of Catherine) / Catherine Scarborough (harvesting garlic)
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