What You Need To Know About Garlic
The first thing you need to know about garlic is that almost all of the garlic sold in the United States Of America comes from China. As an American farmer, I am appalled. We as a people, now more than ever, need to know, not only where our food is coming from, but how it is grown. It begins with the seed. The seed is the all important first step in growing great garlic.
HARDNECK VARIETIES: Rocamboles, Porcelain, Purple Stripe
Hardneck varieties of garlic are preferred over softneck varieties by chefs around the world for their rich robust exceptional flavor. Hardneck varieties have fewer cloves, but the cloves are much larger, uniform in size and easier to peel. They have less of an outer bulb wrapper, sometimes none at all, which makes them more sensitive and reduces their shelf life. Hardneck varieties will store, usually four to six months, and have a medium to hot flavor. As an added bonus, hardneck varieties produce a flower stalk, called a scape. Garlic scapes are completely edible and considered a gourmet delicacy by many chefs because of their delicate garlic flavor. Garlic scapes are only available for a two to three week period. Cutting the flowerheads off the garlic allows the plant's energy to produce larger bulbs. Hardneck varieties of garlic grow very well in colder climates.
Rocambole Varieties: Rocambole varieties are considered by many to be the best tasting of all the garlics. They tend to have thinner bulb wrappers, and produce an average of nine to twelve large cloves that are easy to peel. They store for about five to six months, and have a deep full-bodied flavor. They grow well in cold climates. Our favorite for dehydrating.
Porcelain Varieties: Porcelain varieties produce a beautiful plant and impressive bulb. They have a thick satiny white wrapper with four to six large fat cloves and a sturdy scape. Porcelains are rich, flavorful galics that are easy to peel, making them another favorite of chefs. They store seven to nine months, longer than most other garlics; only the silverskins store longer. As a group, the porcelains are a superior medicinal garlic, having the highest yields of allicin, the sulfur compound most associated with garlic’s therapeutic benefits. Allicin supports normal cholesterol levels, boosts the imune system, and enhances circulation.
Purple Stripe Varieties: Purple stripe varieties are so named for their vivid purple striping on the bulb wrappers and clove skins. Their taste is strong, complex, and rich without being overly hot. Many regard purple stripes the best for roasting. Purple stripes are further broken down into two groups: Glazed and Marbled. Both sub groups are harder to find than the standard variety. Purple stripe varieties average seven to nine cloves per bulb and store four to six months. Grows well in cold climates.
Weekly Bolting Varieties: Asiatic, Creole, Turban
A weekly bolting hardneck is a garlic that may have a less woody stalk than a standard hardneck. They do not mature like other garlics; when they are ready their tops fall over, like onions. They are the first garlics harvested early in the season. They also have a short shelf life, averaging five months.
Elephant Garlic: "The Great-Headed Garlic"
This looks like garlic but it is actually more closely related to a leek. Extremely hardy, they grow to twice the size of the largest real garlics. They produce on average five really huge cloves. The bulb wrappers are extremely white and thin. After a few months the skins may evaporate leaving bare or almost bare, bulbs. This does not hurt their shelf life, only their looks. Elephant garlic is harvested early to mid-season and stores for up to a year. Extremely mild flavor, very sweet when roasted.
Softneck Garlic:
Most common garlic sold at grocery stores because it stores well for over a year. Mild flavor garlic with lots of of small cloves wrapped in heavy skins. We use this long storing garlic in the winter when hardneck garlic is not available.
Hardneck varieties of garlic are preferred over softneck varieties by chefs around the world for their rich robust exceptional flavor. Hardneck varieties have fewer cloves, but the cloves are much larger, uniform in size and easier to peel. They have less of an outer bulb wrapper, sometimes none at all, which makes them more sensitive and reduces their shelf life. Hardneck varieties will store, usually four to six months, and have a medium to hot flavor. As an added bonus, hardneck varieties produce a flower stalk, called a scape. Garlic scapes are completely edible and considered a gourmet delicacy by many chefs because of their delicate garlic flavor. Garlic scapes are only available for a two to three week period. Cutting the flowerheads off the garlic allows the plant's energy to produce larger bulbs. Hardneck varieties of garlic grow very well in colder climates.
Rocambole Varieties: Rocambole varieties are considered by many to be the best tasting of all the garlics. They tend to have thinner bulb wrappers, and produce an average of nine to twelve large cloves that are easy to peel. They store for about five to six months, and have a deep full-bodied flavor. They grow well in cold climates. Our favorite for dehydrating.
Porcelain Varieties: Porcelain varieties produce a beautiful plant and impressive bulb. They have a thick satiny white wrapper with four to six large fat cloves and a sturdy scape. Porcelains are rich, flavorful galics that are easy to peel, making them another favorite of chefs. They store seven to nine months, longer than most other garlics; only the silverskins store longer. As a group, the porcelains are a superior medicinal garlic, having the highest yields of allicin, the sulfur compound most associated with garlic’s therapeutic benefits. Allicin supports normal cholesterol levels, boosts the imune system, and enhances circulation.
Purple Stripe Varieties: Purple stripe varieties are so named for their vivid purple striping on the bulb wrappers and clove skins. Their taste is strong, complex, and rich without being overly hot. Many regard purple stripes the best for roasting. Purple stripes are further broken down into two groups: Glazed and Marbled. Both sub groups are harder to find than the standard variety. Purple stripe varieties average seven to nine cloves per bulb and store four to six months. Grows well in cold climates.
Weekly Bolting Varieties: Asiatic, Creole, Turban
A weekly bolting hardneck is a garlic that may have a less woody stalk than a standard hardneck. They do not mature like other garlics; when they are ready their tops fall over, like onions. They are the first garlics harvested early in the season. They also have a short shelf life, averaging five months.
Elephant Garlic: "The Great-Headed Garlic"
This looks like garlic but it is actually more closely related to a leek. Extremely hardy, they grow to twice the size of the largest real garlics. They produce on average five really huge cloves. The bulb wrappers are extremely white and thin. After a few months the skins may evaporate leaving bare or almost bare, bulbs. This does not hurt their shelf life, only their looks. Elephant garlic is harvested early to mid-season and stores for up to a year. Extremely mild flavor, very sweet when roasted.
Softneck Garlic:
Most common garlic sold at grocery stores because it stores well for over a year. Mild flavor garlic with lots of of small cloves wrapped in heavy skins. We use this long storing garlic in the winter when hardneck garlic is not available.
Helpful Tips From JC Growers
Planting: Garlic is planted in mid to late October, so it has time to establish a good root system. Garlic thrives in rich, well drained soil and full sun. Separate the cloves of garlic just prior to planting. Select the largest cloves for planting, as this will produce larger bulbs. Plant the cloves six inches apart, two inches deep. Elephant garlic should be planted eight inches apart, and four to six inches deep. Mulch heavily to keep the plants from heaving out of the ground.
Growing: In the spring, leave the mulch on to keep the soil cool and evenly moist. Water as necessary to maintain good growth. When flower tops appear (in hardnecks, called scapes) snap the stems off. This will direct the plant's energy to the bulbs and produce larger bulbs.
Harvesting: About two weeks before harvest (early July) pull mulch away from the plants to let the soil dry; stop watering. When there are still three or four green leaves on the plant and the bottom leaves have turned yellow or brown, it is time to harvest. Each green leaf represents a covering on the bulb after it cures. Gently dig the plants. Do Not Pull the plant from the ground. Remove as much dirt as possible by brushing with your hand. Do Not Wash the bulbs. Bundle plants in small bundles and hang in a dry, well ventilated location out of the sun.
Storing: After about two weeks of curing, the roots should be trimmed close to the bulb to keep them from drawing moisture. Garlic can then be hung in bundles or braids or, remove the stems and store in mesh bags, in a cool, dark, well ventilated location.
Growing: In the spring, leave the mulch on to keep the soil cool and evenly moist. Water as necessary to maintain good growth. When flower tops appear (in hardnecks, called scapes) snap the stems off. This will direct the plant's energy to the bulbs and produce larger bulbs.
Harvesting: About two weeks before harvest (early July) pull mulch away from the plants to let the soil dry; stop watering. When there are still three or four green leaves on the plant and the bottom leaves have turned yellow or brown, it is time to harvest. Each green leaf represents a covering on the bulb after it cures. Gently dig the plants. Do Not Pull the plant from the ground. Remove as much dirt as possible by brushing with your hand. Do Not Wash the bulbs. Bundle plants in small bundles and hang in a dry, well ventilated location out of the sun.
Storing: After about two weeks of curing, the roots should be trimmed close to the bulb to keep them from drawing moisture. Garlic can then be hung in bundles or braids or, remove the stems and store in mesh bags, in a cool, dark, well ventilated location.