Garlic
Garlic is a member of the lily family (Allium sativum) the highly aromatic and strongly flavored edible bulb (called a head) is covered in a papery layer and is composed of several sections (called cloves), each of which is also covered with a papery membrane: used as a distinctive flavoring in cuisines around the world.
Garlic is arranged in a head, called a "bulb," which averages about 2 inches in height and diameter and consists of numerous small separate cloves. Both the cloves and the entire bulb are encased in paper-like sheathes that can be white, off-white, or have a pink/purple hue. Although garlic cloves have a firm texture, they can be easily cut or crushed. The taste of garlic is like no other—it hits the palate with a hot pungency that is shadowed by a very subtle background sweetness.
Most producers of garlic divide its varieties into four types: hardneck, softneck, black, and Creole. Hardneck garlic, like the name suggests, has a central stalk that is hard and woody. Purple Stripe is a popular variety of hardneck garlic, as are Rocambole and Porcelain. In the case of Purple Stripe and other hardneck varieties, you will typically find a light purplish or rosy tint to small portions of the cloves and skins. Hardneck varieties of garlic typically have more "bite" than softnecked varieties. Allium sativum subspecies ophioscorodon is usually the subspecies name to refer to hardneck garlics.
China is by far the world's largest commercial producer of garlic, with 20 million tons of production in 2014. In that same year, India was the second largest producer with about 1.25 million tons, and South Korea, Egypt, and Russia rounded out the top five countries for garlic production. Between 50-75% of all garlic consumed in the U.S. is currently grown in China. Mexico and Argentina are also important sources for garlic imports into the U.S. At present, the U.S. serves as the number one import market for fresh garlic worldwide. This demand for fresh garlic in the U.S. is clearly reflected in our increased history of use: on a per capita basis, U.S. adults average about 2 pounds of garlic per year, as compared with less than ½ pound per year in the early 1970's.
Within the United States, 80-90% of all garlic comes from California. Two regions of the state are especially important for garlic production: the western San Joaquin Valley and the area west of the Diablo mountain range. Much smaller amounts of garlic are grown commercially in Oregon, Nevada, and Arizona.
Purchase garlic that is plump and has unbroken skin. Gently squeeze the garlic bulb between your fingers to check that it feels firm and is not damp.
Avoid garlic that is soft, shriveled, and moldy or that has begun to sprout. These may be indications of decay that will cause inferior flavor and texture. Size is often not an indication of quality. If your recipe calls for a large amount of garlic, remember that it is always easier to peel and chop a few larger cloves than many smaller ones.
Fresh garlic is available in the market throughout the year.
Structure of Garlic
How to Grow
Planting
How to Cook
Garlic is a fantastic addition to many meals, even if it might give you a bad breath.
Sources @ http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=60#historyuse
@ Webster's New World Dictionary of Culinary Arts by Steven Labensky, Gaye G. Ingram, Sarah R. Labensky
@ https://www.almanac.com/plant/garlic
Garlic is a member of the lily family (Allium sativum) the highly aromatic and strongly flavored edible bulb (called a head) is covered in a papery layer and is composed of several sections (called cloves), each of which is also covered with a papery membrane: used as a distinctive flavoring in cuisines around the world.
Garlic is arranged in a head, called a "bulb," which averages about 2 inches in height and diameter and consists of numerous small separate cloves. Both the cloves and the entire bulb are encased in paper-like sheathes that can be white, off-white, or have a pink/purple hue. Although garlic cloves have a firm texture, they can be easily cut or crushed. The taste of garlic is like no other—it hits the palate with a hot pungency that is shadowed by a very subtle background sweetness.
Most producers of garlic divide its varieties into four types: hardneck, softneck, black, and Creole. Hardneck garlic, like the name suggests, has a central stalk that is hard and woody. Purple Stripe is a popular variety of hardneck garlic, as are Rocambole and Porcelain. In the case of Purple Stripe and other hardneck varieties, you will typically find a light purplish or rosy tint to small portions of the cloves and skins. Hardneck varieties of garlic typically have more "bite" than softnecked varieties. Allium sativum subspecies ophioscorodon is usually the subspecies name to refer to hardneck garlics.
Softneck varieties of garlic are the most common types that you will find in the grocery store. They typically have less "bite" than hardneck varieties. Formidable, Western Rose, Artichoke, and Silverskin are popular varieties of softneck garlic. Allium sativum subspecies sativum is usually the subspecies name to refer to softneck garlics. Softneck varieties of garlic are also typically the types that you find braided in the supermarket.
You will find a good bit of agricultural information on garlic that treats "Creole garlic" as a type of softneck. However, there is also some genetic evidence to suggest that Creole garlic be treated as its own type of garlic, separate from softneck.
Creole garlic is usually recognizable by from the rosy/purplish color of the entire garlic bulk (and not just intermittent rosy hues as can be present in hardneck varieties). You are less likely to come across this variety of garlic in the grocery store. Worldwide, however, well-known varieties of Creole garlic include Burgundy, Ajo Rojo, Cuban Purple, and Creole Red.
Heat treatment, high humidity, and aging are typically the processes used to create black garlic. Particularly when the aging process is allowed to continue not only over the course of several days but over the course of several weeks (or even longer), the color of the garlic cloves can turn into a rich black. This variety of garlic has a special history of popularity in parts of Korean, Japan, and Thailand. Although you will often hear the term "fermented garlic" being used to describe black garlic, the use of this term is a matter of some controversy since microorganisms (like bacteria) are not typically added during the garlic aging process to help produce black garlic. (In the world of food, "fermentation" is usually understood to involve the use of bacteria or yeasts in development of a "fermented food.")
Elephant garlic (Allium ampeloprasum) is an unusual type of garlic because it is actually more closely related to leeks (Allium porrum) than to garlic (Allium sativum). When you see elephant garlic growing, its tall flower stalk and large purplish flower head make it seem like an extremely large version of normal garlic—and thus the name. Unlike leeks, however, elephant garlic does form a bulk, and this bulb usually consists of very large cloves that are few in number. (Elephant garlic bulbs may sometimes have only three to four cloves per bulb.)
Two other terms that are important to include in any description of garlic are scapes and ramps. Scapes is a term that is used to refer to the stalks that grow in the middle of hardneck garlic varieties and hold the flowers of the garlic plants. In other words, we are talking about the "greens" of hardneck garlic (versus the root bulb). Ramps (often called wild leeks, wild onions, or spring onions) are a unique species of garlic (Allium tricoccum) that scientists view as a very close relative of wild garlic (Allium vineale). The flavor of ramps is like a blend of pungent garlic and sweet onion. In terms of appearance, ramps look a good bit like scallions. Both scapes and ramps can be enjoyed in a food plan!
History
Few foods have been enjoyed for such a long period of time and in so many different parts of the world as garlic. There is evidence that garlic originally grew wild in locations as diverse as China, India, Egypt, and what is now Ukraine. At the present time, because wild garlic only grows prolifically in the area represented by Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, this region is considered by some to be the "center of origin" for this remarkable food. Regardless of its center of origin, however, garlic has been cultivated for thousands of years in diverse regions of the world and has become a staple in cuisines across many continents.China is by far the world's largest commercial producer of garlic, with 20 million tons of production in 2014. In that same year, India was the second largest producer with about 1.25 million tons, and South Korea, Egypt, and Russia rounded out the top five countries for garlic production. Between 50-75% of all garlic consumed in the U.S. is currently grown in China. Mexico and Argentina are also important sources for garlic imports into the U.S. At present, the U.S. serves as the number one import market for fresh garlic worldwide. This demand for fresh garlic in the U.S. is clearly reflected in our increased history of use: on a per capita basis, U.S. adults average about 2 pounds of garlic per year, as compared with less than ½ pound per year in the early 1970's.
Within the United States, 80-90% of all garlic comes from California. Two regions of the state are especially important for garlic production: the western San Joaquin Valley and the area west of the Diablo mountain range. Much smaller amounts of garlic are grown commercially in Oregon, Nevada, and Arizona.
How to Select and Store
For maximum flavor and nutritional benefits, always purchase fresh garlic. Although garlic in flake, powder, or paste form may be more convenient, you will derive less culinary and health benefits from these forms.Purchase garlic that is plump and has unbroken skin. Gently squeeze the garlic bulb between your fingers to check that it feels firm and is not damp.
Avoid garlic that is soft, shriveled, and moldy or that has begun to sprout. These may be indications of decay that will cause inferior flavor and texture. Size is often not an indication of quality. If your recipe calls for a large amount of garlic, remember that it is always easier to peel and chop a few larger cloves than many smaller ones.
Fresh garlic is available in the market throughout the year.
Structure of Garlic
How to Grow
Garlic is easy to grow and produces numerous bulbs after a long growing season. Plus, it’s frost tolerant! Here’s how to grow garlic in your garden.
Beyond its intense flavor and culinary uses, “the stinking rose” is good in the garden as an insect repellent and has been used for centuries as a home remedy.
- Garlic can be planted in the spring as soon as the ground can be worked, but fall planting is recommended for most gardeners. Plant in the fall and you’ll find that your bulbs are bigger and more flavorful when you harvest the next summer.
- In areas that get a hard frost, plant garlic 6 to 8 weeks before that frost date. In southern areas, February or March is a better time to plant.
- Break apart cloves from bulb a few days before planting, but keep the papery husk on each individual clove.
- Plant cloves about one month before the ground freezes.
- Do not plant cloves from the grocery store. They may be unsuited varieties for your area, and most are treated to make their shelf life longer, making them harder to grow. Instead, get cloves from a mail order seed company or a local nursery.
- Ensure soil is well-drained with plenty of organic matter. Select a sunny spot.
- Place cloves 4 inches apart and 2 inches deep, in their upright position (the wide root side facing down and pointed end facing up).
- In the spring, as warmer temperatures come, shoots will emerge through the ground.
Care
- Northern gardeners should mulch heavily with straw for overwintering.
- Mulch should be removed in the spring after the threat of frost has passed. (Young shoots can’t survive in temps below 20°F on their own. Keep them under cover.)
- Cut off any flower shoots that emerge in spring. These may decrease bulb size.
- Weeds should not be a problem until the spring. Weed as needed.
- Garlic requires adequate levels of nitrogen. Fertilize accordingly, especially if you see yellowing leaves.
- Water every 3 to 5 days during bulbing (mid-May through June).
- A note on garlic scapes: Some folks love cooking the scapes (the tops of hardneck garlic). Whether you trim the scapes or let them keep growing is your preference. We like to stir fry scapes the way we cook green beans—similar, with a spicy kick!
Pests/Diseases
Garlic has very few problems with pests in the garden (in fact, its a natural pest repellent!), and also very few problems with the diseases that plague other veggies. White Rot is one concern, but you should also keep an eye out for the same pests that plague onions.
- White Rot is a fungus that may attack garlic in cool weather. Not much can be done to control or prevent that problem except rotating your crops and cleaning up the area after harvesting. The spores can live in the soil for many years. The fungus affects the base of the leaves and roots.
Harvest/Storage
- Harvest time depends on when you plant, but the clue is to look for yellow tops. Harvest when the tops begin to yellow and fall over, before they are completely dry.
- In Northern climates, harvesting will probably be in late July or August. In Southern climates, it will depend on your planting date.
- Check the bulb size and wrapper quality; you don’t want the wrapper to disintegrate. Dig too early and the bulb will be immature. Discontinue watering.
- To harvest, carefully lift the bulbs with a spade or garden fork. Pull the plants, carefully brush off the soil, and let them cure in an airy, shady spot for two weeks. We hang them upside down on a string in bunches of 4 to 6. Make sure all sides get good air circulation.
- The bulbs are cured and ready to store when the wrappers are dry and papery and the roots are dry. The root crown should be hard, and the cloves can be cracked apart easily.
- Once the garlic bulbs are dry, you can store them. Remove any dirt and trim off any roots or leaves. Keep the wrappers on—but remove the dirtiest wrappers.
- Garlic bulbs may be stored individually with the tops removed, or the dried tops may be braided together to make a garlic braid to hang in the kitchen or storage room.
- Bulbs should be stored in a cool (40 degrees F), dark, dry place, and can be kept in the same way for several months. Don’t store in your basement if it’s moist!
- The flavor will increase as the bulbs are dried.
- If you plan on planting garlic again next season, save some of your largest, best-formed bulbs to plant again in the fall.
Recommended Varieties
There are three types of varieties of garlic: Softneck, Stiffneck, and Great-headed (Elephant). Most types are about 90 days to harvest.
- Softneck varieties, like their name suggests, have necks that stay soft after harvest, and therefore are the types that you see braided. Especially recommended for those in warmer climes, as it is less winter-hardy than other types. Strong, intense flavor. Recommended varieties: ‘Persian Star’, ‘Mother of Pearl’
- Stiffneck varieties grow one ring of cloves around a stem, there is not a layer of cloves as there is in softneck varieties. They are extremely cold hardy, but do not store as well or long as other varieties. Flavor is more mild than softnecks. Recommended Variety: ‘Carpathian’
- Great-headed varieties are not recommended. They are less hardy, and more closely related to leeks than other varieties. Their flavor is more like onion than traditional garlic. Bulbs and cloves are large, with about 4 cloves to a bulb.
How to Cook
Garlic is a fantastic addition to many meals, even if it might give you a bad breath.
Sources @ http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=60#historyuse
@ Webster's New World Dictionary of Culinary Arts by Steven Labensky, Gaye G. Ingram, Sarah R. Labensky
@ https://www.almanac.com/plant/garlic
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