By Jaimie Rosenwirth, Suwa’lkh Lead
As our current Raise the Roof fundraiser is underway, we reflect on the fundraiser we had earlier in the year to celebrate National Garlic Day, where the Suwa’lkh SOYL youth made jars of garlic powder from scratch. Learn more about the behind-the-scenes process, and tips and tricks if you ever wanted to make your own garlic powder at home!
Made by our SOYL Suwa’lkh youth, including this amazing logo on ever jar!
How did it start?
Lately, I have been thinking of ways to preserve our harvests. I was in a Zoom meeting with participants from all over the country, when one of the members had mentioned that they had just made garlic powder with their leftover garlic. That sparked my interest and I went into looking for ways to make garlic powder.
I had access to a dehydrator, so I got to work slicing garlic by hand as thinly as I could. Putting it all in the dehydrator, I learned very quickly that consistency in the slices is very important for the dehydration time. I found a garlic slicer online and that made the process so much easier. I also found it was difficult to put the garlic on the trays; the garlic clove selection for slicing had to be very specific. I then looked online and found some dehydrator mats that made it so I could use even the small pieces and the smaller garlic cloves. It also makes it so that removing the dried garlic chips can be done in a couple of seconds.
Freshly grown and harvested from the schoolyard farm!
Every garlic clove skin is hand-peel with love!
The constant aroma of garlic filled Suwa’lkh School thanks to the hours of dehydration
Making Garlic Powder (SOYL Spring Break)
During SOYL spring break this year, this was a task that the youth had a lot of time to help out with. They were able to be a part of the whole process. There are many steps that you learn things from. Peeling garlic, slicing garlic, laying out the garlic to grinding it up. We quickly learned that garlic is very sticky and makes your fingers stick together, which makes it difficult to lay out the slices without them touching each other.
The Suwa’lkh SOYL youth in action working together
So much garlic!
Way to go, SOYL! Thank you for all of your care and effort that you put into every jar of garlic powder
All in all, it was a meticulous but rewarding process. Thank you everybody that participated in the fundraiser to support our youth. Enjoy the garlic powder!
Stay tuned for jars of picked garlic made this year’s SOYL youth in Vancouver and Suwa’lkh – coming soon to market! Check out our current RAISE THE ROOF fundraiser: https://freshroots.ca/raise-the-roof-fundraiser/