A Passion for Garlic

Our region has a rich culinary history shaped by generations of immigrants who made New England their home, bringing with them treasured family recipes and traditions from around the world. Today, you can still experience those flavors in neighborhood restaurants, specialty markets, and, of course, right here at the Salem NH Farmers Market.

If there’s one ingredient that connects nearly every cuisine, it’s garlic.

From Asia to Europe and across New England, this humble member of the onion family has been adding flavor, nourishment, and tradition to meals for thousands of years.

That’s why this week we’re shining the spotlight on Lindon Garlic Farm, a 100-acre family farm in Gilmanton, New Hampshire, operated by “Garlic Guy” Don Womack, his wife Linda, their daughter Allison and son-in-law Ron. Longtime favorites at the Market, they’re known not only for exceptional garlic, but for their creativity, innovation, and seemingly endless knowledge of all things garlic.

July is an exciting time at Lindon Garlic Farm. Harvest is underway, and before long, the beautiful garlic bulbs that customers wait for every summer will be arriving at the Market.

Don’s garlic journey began in 2004 with a suggestion from a neighbor to plant a few cloves in his Massachusetts backyard. What started as a small garden experiment quickly grew into a passion. Since moving production to Gilmanton in 2009, the family has steadily expanded while intentionally maintaining the feel of a small family farm.

Today, Lindon Garlic Farm offers far more than fresh garlic. Their table is filled with products that celebrate garlic in every form — garlic scapes, garlic powder, black garlic, garlic chips, garlic popcorn, garlic jam, garlic scape pesto, pickled garlic, and their popular Lebanese garlic spread, toum.

The Season Begins with Garlic Scapes

The first harvest each summer is garlic scapes — the curly green flower stalks that grow from hardneck garlic. Their flavor falls somewhere between garlic, scallions, and asparagus, making them perfect for grilling, stir-fries, soups, pestos, or blending into compound butter.

Fresh scapes are available now, and if you miss them, don’t worry. Don freezes part of the harvest each season to make his homemade garlic scape pesto later in the year.

Every Garlic Has Its Own Personality

As the bulbs finish curing over the next few weeks, shoppers will begin seeing Lindon’s impressive collection of garlic varieties.

This year’s harvest will feature favorites including Music, German White, and German Extra Hardy — each with its own unique flavor profile. German Extra Hardy delivers a bold, spicy bite when raw while becoming rich and buttery when roasted. German White offers a milder, sweeter flavor that becomes wonderfully nutty when cooked.

Later in the season, customers may also find specialty Eastern European varieties that garlic enthusiasts eagerly anticipate.

From Powder to Black Garlic

Lindon’s garlic powder was one of the farm’s very first products back in 2004, and it remains one of their biggest sellers today. Made from several of their own garlic varieties, it’s joined by garlic granules, garlic chips, and a customer favorite — a white and black garlic chip blend in a grinder that many say tastes like an “everything bagel.”

Another standout is Lindon’s black garlic.

Created by slowly aging whole garlic bulbs in carefully controlled heat and humidity, black garlic develops deep caramelized flavors with notes of molasses, balsamic, and dried fruit. The cloves become soft and spreadable, making them perfect for stirring into cream cheese, mayonnaise, salad dressings, pasta dishes — or even vanilla ice cream.

Black garlic products now account for nearly half of the farm’s sales.

Small Farm, Big Demand

We caught up with Don during the busy harvest season to see how things are going.

Business has been strong, even though many of their signature products won’t be available until the fresh garlic finishes curing.

“The bottom line is that we never seem to grow enough garlic,” Don says. “Even though we keep increasing our plantings, we still want to maintain that small family farm feel.”

Because every jar of garlic powder, granules, and chips begins with fresh garlic grown on their farm, once the harvested garlic is gone, production must wait until the next growing season.

Coming Soon to the Market

Fresh garlic bulbs should begin arriving at the Salem NH Farmers Market within the next couple of weeks.

After harvest, garlic requires three to four weeks of curing before it’s ready for storage and cooking. During that process, the bulbs lose moisture and develop the rich flavor and texture garlic lovers appreciate.

In the meantime, shoppers will continue to find fresh garlic scapes, peeled black garlic cloves, dehydrated black garlic chips, theater popcorn seasoned with black or white garlic, and limited batches of toum, Linden’s rich Lebanese garlic sauce that’s delicious on sandwiches, grilled meats, vegetables, or simply spread on fresh bread.

And yes, customers have already been asking when the garlic powder is coming back.

The wait is almost over.

Stop by and Say Hello

One of the best parts of shopping at the Salem NH Farmers Market is meeting the people who grow your food.

Spend a few minutes talking with Don about garlic varieties, cooking tips, preserving garlic, or the newest products they’re experimenting with. His enthusiasm is contagious, and chances are you’ll leave with a few new recipe ideas along with your favorite garlic products.

Whether you’re roasting whole bulbs, making homemade pesto, grilling garlic scapes, or discovering black garlic for the first time, Lindon Garlic Farm has something for every garlic lover.

Stop by their booth this Sunday and taste why garlic truly is one of the world’s most beloved ingredients.