Last fall you tucked your garlic bulbs into the soil and have been (im)patiently waiting to harvest them. But when is the perfect time?
You want to wait for the stalk of green growth coming out of the garlic to start to brown. This signifies that the head of garlic has finished growing and reached peak flavor.
Wait until all but two of the leaves have turned brown and harvest while two are still green.
This ensures the membrane that holds the cloves together is still in tact. If you harvest after all the growth above has died back, the membrane will also die. The garlic can still be used, but the cloves will start to separate and their shelf life becomes much shorter.