Goods on Garlic

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While we wait for the farm property we have our eye on to continue sitting on the market, and reduce in price (again) so we can submit an offer (again), and hopefully this time have it accepted, we dream of gardens, and animals, and remodelling the distressed house on the property. It's pretty distressed, and the first order of business if it works out to our advantage (if they accept it next time) will be renovating the house to a liveable, at least, condition. It's going to be a long process. It'll be worth it.

In the meantime...

Today we're researching garlic. You wouldn't think there was that much to it, but apparently there are are. And we want to make the right choices.

There are two main types of garlic:

Hardneck (a strong central stalk):
Sub-types: Purple Stripe, Marbled Purple Stripe, Asiatic, Glazed Purple Stripe, Creole, Middle Eastern, Turban, Rocambole, and Porcelain.

• Hardier, generally (Purple Stripe and Rocambole being the most hearty)
• Northern climate friendly
• Fewer cloves
• Larger cloves
• Stronger flavours reflective of soil and weather patterns ("the wine of garlic")
• Easier to take the skin off of
• Shorter storage capability (a few months)
• Early summer scapes (scapes at the greens at the top, which as edible)

Softneck (most common in grocery stores):

Sub-types: Silverskin and Artichoke

• Better in milder climates (but that doesn't mean you can't grow them in harsher climates)
• No scapes
• Several cloves
• Small cloves
• Milder flavoured
• Better for long-term storage
• Perfect for making garlic wreaths/braids

We plan on trying to grow Elephant Garlic (sometimes poreceline Garlic is confused for Elephant Garlic) the first year, as well as other varieties. Garlic is very good for you, and has many health benefits, including promoting a healthy immune system and assisting in the regulation of blood pressure. (see below for links to information on the benefits of garlic)

Elephant Garlic is a not a true garlic, but a member of the onion family, is milder and sweet, subtle, compared to other garlics. And it's HUGE!

Elephant Garlic

The best thing to do with a head/bulb of Elephant Garlic (because sautéed it browns/burns easily) is cut the top off, just exposing the tips of the clove, drizzle about a Tablespoon of oil into it, season, wrap in tin foil, and bake for 30-45 minutes at about 375 degrees (Celsius).

When you unwrap it, roasted Elephant garlic smells and tastes glorious. You can spread on toast points, pizza crusts, put into omelets, sauces, dips, anywhere.

So, while we wait, semi-patiently, we're planning our dream garden, and learning things about what we want to plant, so we can have the best, and most diverse, first garden possible.

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Learn about the health benefits of garlic:

Garlic: Health Benefits and Actions, BioMedicine, 2011 http://www.e-biomedicine.com/article/S2211-8020(11)00037-4/fulltext VERY SCIENTIFIC, so...you might be more interested in...

Garlic Facts, Remedies and Health Benefits, Disabled World, 2008 http://www.disabled-world.com/artman/publish/garlic-benefit.shtml

Unlocking The Benefits of Garlic, NYT Health|Science, 2007 http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/10/15/unlocking-the-benefits-of-garlic/