Found at many Northeast festivals and farmer's markets, Pskem River is a prime example of the quality that can be found from wild garlic being grown commercially and in gardens. Raw heat, with amazing flavor roasted or sauteed as well. Bulbs typically make 3 or 4 cloves but can go up to 6, and they're rarely symmetrical- usually 1 or 2 distinctly large cloves and a runt or two. Collected in the wild from the Pskem River valley in Uzbekistan, its genetics are probably not far from the earliest domesticated garlic. Sometimes lumped in with the Purple Stripe category. In the Northeast, it tends to sprout after the Porcelains but before much else, and usually matures earlier than most other Hardnecks. First to go to scape, too. If you want to enjoy seeing what a half-domesticated garlic might grow like, this is it. With good fertility it’ll show some purple in the skin but not quite like a true Purple Stripe usually would.
