It looks like the U.S. is headed for another robust garlic season, with grower-shippers reporting good growing conditions and ample supplies.
The U.S. harvests about 25,000 acres of garlic annually, 90% of which is in California, according to USDA. U.S. growers harvest about 174,000 tons of garlic each year.
Christopher Ranch
The harvest looks promising for Gilroy, Calif.-based Christopher Ranch, the nation’s largest garlic grower-shipper.
“We’re right in the middle of starting our new crop,” Ken Christopher, executive vice president, said in mid-July. “Our garlic is coming in to the tune of hundreds of thousands of pounds every day.”
A “really nice, cold winter” provided the cold units the garlic needed, and that was followed by a warm spring that brought the garlic to fruition.
“I can see the tremendous quality that’s coming out of our fields,” Christopher said.
I Love Produce
U.S. fresh garlic demand has shown consistent growth, and data suggests the upward trend will continue into the near future, says Samantha Snyder, director of marketing, sustainability and innovation for West Grove, Pa.-based I Love Produce.
Snyder cited data from Circana OmniMarket Integrated Fresh, a Chicago-based market research and analytics company, indicating that garlic sales have been trending up for years, with dollar sales up 8.5%, unit sales up 7.8% and volume up 13.2% compared to the previous year.
Over a three-year period, dollar sales increased 27.7%, units were up 13.6%, and volume increased by 29%, according to Circana.
Snyder says she expects garlic sales this year to be in line with vegetable sales.
“Garlic is a versatile ingredient and is often purchased alongside foundational cooking ingredients, such as onions, mushrooms and potatoes,” she says.
I Love Produce sources garlic from all over the world, “following the growing seasons,” Snyder adds.
Maurice A. Auerbach Inc.
Garlic sales are up, says Bruce Klein, director of marketing for Secaucus, N.J.-based Maurice A. Auerbach Inc., which markets products under the AuerPak label.
AuerPak offers an extensive selection of garlic options, including multiple varieties of fresh garlic, peeled garlic and jarred garlic along with ginger, shallots and specialty onions, Klein says.
The company sources its garlic from growers in California, Mexico, Argentina, China and Spain.
AuerPak was starting shipments out of Mexico in early July and will continue to source from that growing area for a couple of months before transitioning to California and then Spain, Klein says.
Garlic out of Mexico should be good quality, though a bit smaller than usual this season, he says.
Building on a Solid Foundation
Christopher Ranch grows nearly all of its two soft-neck varieties on 7,500 acres in California’s Central Valley and in the Gilroy area, Christopher says.
About 10% of the company’s garlic consists of an early varietal, but the majority comes from its classic heirloom varietal.
“We have the only heirloom seed in the nation,” he says. “This garlic has been under our cultivation for over 50 years, which means families and customers can enjoy the same flavor profile year after year after year.”
Christopher Ranch offers about 200 SKUs of garlic from fresh to peeled, roasted, organic and pickled, Christopher says, and harvests 100 million to 110 million pounds per year — that’s about 1 billion bulbs.
Volume at Christopher Ranch increases about 2% to 5% every year, in line with the growing U.S. population.
“We try to find responsible growth,” Christopher says. “We’re a very mature industry, so we’re not looking for blockbuster growth.”
The company focuses on priorities like food safety and treating workers well, he says.
“We make sure we’re best in class, and people tend to respond to that,” Christopher says.
In the 17 years he has been with the company, garlic has risen from a pretty much non-essential item to a center-of-the-table must, Christopher says. The company continues to reinvest in its operation to keep up with garlic’s expanding role in the kitchen.
“We’re not just a company that was founded 70 years ago, we’re a company that wants to be here 70 years from now,” he says.
I Love Produce is dedicated to providing premium shallots, ginger and other fruits and vegetables in addition to garlic, Snyder says.
The company currently has white, purple and black garlic offerings.
“Black garlic is naturally fermented over time, creating a deep, sweet and tangy umami flavor,” Snyder says. “It produces a mild, caramelized taste with no harsh garlic aftertaste.”
I Love Produce offers retail and foodservice products including minced, chopped and peeled garlic in several pack sizes and offers an easy-tear, shelf-ready box with 6-ounce or 1-pound peeled bags.
“Serving professional chefs, food manufacturers, home cooks, retailers, wholesalers, food service providers and others, I Love Produce is committed to quality, service, sustainability, innovation and long-term partnerships,” Snyder says.
