Gourmet Garlic Gardens offers you a wealth of garlic information, as well as being an excellent resource for finding and buying unusual and exotic varieties of garlic direct from the growers.
Garlic comes in many varieties, each unique in size, color, shape, taste, clove count, pungency, and storability. With hundreds of cultivated sub-varieties worldwide, many originate from a few basic types that have evolved distinctive traits over centuries.
Garlic 101 - Read more on our garlic guide
When things don't go right in the garlic garden you need someone you can turn to to find out what went wrong and how to correct it. Unfortunately, there are very few people who can discuss garlic pests and diseases wi...
From the Deep South all the way to California Garlic was the International Herb Association's Herb of the Year in 2004 and people learned that there are many kinds of garlic; all different in taste, pungency, color,...
Curing the Garlic Many growers dispute the proper way to cure the garlic and cut the leaves and roots off for storage. Many growers wash their garlic and see nothing wrong with it while others are horrified by the th...
How do you know when it is time to harvest the garlic? There is no pat answer as it varies depending on what part of the country you grow in and the variety of garlic involved. Different varieties harvest at different...
Garlic is subject to fungal diseases and pest infestations that can be virtually undetectable until they strike. Prevention is the best way to deal with them. In our experience, garlic that is soaked in certain soluti...
If you are going to be successful planting something to grow food for you for this year and have it provide seeds for next year, you must first give it a good home so it will grow well for you. This is not easy and us...
Soil conditions and watering are of utmost importance if you want to grow excellent, large healthy garlic. Garlic will grow (barely) in almost any dirt with whatever water is available to it but will thrive in healthy...
The Overview Everyone who can should learn how to grow garlic. Growing garlic is fairly easy as it is a hardy survivor that can withstand much abuse. Growing great garlic is more difficult and time-consuming because ...
A few of the kinds of garlic now in America came in with Polish, German and Italian immigrants over the centuries, but most of them came in all at once in 1989. The USDA had been asking the Soviets for permission to g...
Many people love the wonderful things fresh garlic can do to enliven an otherwise unremarkable dish. Some like the flavor but fear the dreaded social curse of garlic breath. Others fear garlic may overpower an otherwi...
The Ever Changing Taste and Flavor of Garlic. Not all garlic has the same taste or flavor or other eating characteristics. There are wide variations from variety to variety and also the taste and flavor of any given ...
Follow Ben's Baja Garlic Bus on Instagram! For over 11 years, we have helped harvest, clean, and braid this garlic that is grown using all organic practices in a pristine valley which floods every year supplying new, ...
Before we get into how and why garlic that is still in its natural state does, we need to go back to some earlier times and learn about some interesting scientific studies by accredited researchers that were published...
There are many things that affect the taste/flavor and eating qualities of garlic. Variety and cultivar within a variety are the first thing but they are modulated by growing conditions and especially weather during ...
Garlic's natural cycle is to be planted outside in the fall and to be harvested the following spring or summer. Garlic can be planted in the spring and might mature ok, but fall planting usually gets better results. P...
Black Garlic - what it is and what it isn't Black garlic is enjoying a recent surge in popularity and this has spawned a lot of confusion as to exactly what is is and what its properties are and how to make it. I wil...
The Spring Sky Chart One painting in particular caught my eye and that one is shown above. The cute little triangular guy seemed almost out of place with the other figures and was a darker color. It was beautifully p...
Rare pictographs of the 1054 and 1572 Supernovae There is another pictograph at Paint Rock that has gotten my attention. It is a rather complex set of images that contain a W-shape in several places , all within a fe...
Solar and Stellar Observatories Still Work Centuries Later. A little over an hour's drive west of our place, Paint Rock is a little dried up old West Texas town that looks like it's about to blow away with the next ...
A Thousand Years of Indian Pictographs at Paint Rock. Solar and Stellar Observatories Still Work Centuries Later. Fred and Kay Campbell, owners of the ranch, are genial hosts and conduct the tours themselves and poi...
A Thousand Years of Indian Art; Where we See the Big Dipper and Bootes, the Ancients saw Kokopelli Rising in the Spring Sky My fascination with the astronomical pictographs at Paint Rock, Texas, led me to look to oth...
Garlic has a long history of being used in herbal folk remedies but that brings up as many questions as answers. What cultivar of which variety of garlic are we discussing? Because all are different and it's important...
Storing garlic properly helps maintain its flavor, texture, and quality over time. Here are the best practices for storing garlic:
Choose the Right Garlic: Select bulbs that are firm, plump, and have tight skin. Avoid bulbs with soft spots or sprouting.
Store in a Cool, Dry Place: Garlic should be stored in a cool (60-65°F or 15-18°C), dry, and well-ventilated place. Ideal storage spots include a pantry, cellar, or a cool corner of the kitchen. *The biggest component to successful storage is to try to always maintain a constant temperature and humidity.*
Avoid Moisture: Garlic should be kept dry to prevent mold and sprouting. Moisture can cause garlic to deteriorate quickly.
Use Ventilated Containers: Store garlic in containers that allow for good air circulation. Our mesh plastic and burlap bags are ideal for storage. Baskets and garlic keepers with holes also work well. Avoid storing in plastic bags or sealed containers without ventilation.
Keep Intact Until Use: Leave the garlic bulb whole until you are ready to use it. Breaking the cloves apart prematurely can reduce its shelf life.
Avoid Direct Sunlight: Keep garlic away from direct sunlight as it can cause it to sprout and lose flavor.
Check Regularly: Periodically check stored garlic for any signs of sprouting, soft spots, or mold. Remove any cloves that show these signs to prevent them from affecting the rest.
Do Not Refrigerate Unpeeled Garlic: Unpeeled garlic should not be stored in the refrigerator as it can cause it to become rubbery and moldy.
Store Peeled Garlic in the Refrigerator (if necessary): If you've peeled garlic cloves and want to store them, place them in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Use them within a week for best flavor.
Freezing Garlic: You can freeze peeled cloves or chopped garlic in airtight containers or freezer bags for longer-term storage. Frozen garlic may change texture but retains its flavor well.
By following these storage practices, you can ensure that your garlic stays fresh and flavorful for as long as possible, allowing you to enjoy its culinary benefits in various dishes.
Storing garlic properly helps maintain its flavor, texture, and quality over time. Here are the best practices for storing garlic:
Choose the Right Garlic: Select bulbs that are firm, plump, and have tight skin. Avoid bulbs with soft spots or sprouting.
Store in a Cool, Dry Place: Garlic should be stored in a cool (60-65°F or 15-18°C), dry, and well-ventilated place. Always try to maintain constant temperature and humidity. Ideal storage spots include a pantry, cellar, or a cool corner of the kitchen.
Avoid Moisture: Garlic should be kept dry to prevent mold and sprouting. Moisture can cause garlic to deteriorate quickly.
Use Ventilated Containers: Store garlic in containers that allow for good air circulation. Mesh bags, baskets, or garlic keepers with holes are ideal. Avoid storing in plastic bags or sealed containers without ventilation.
Keep Intact Until Use: Leave the garlic bulb whole until you are ready to use it. Breaking the cloves apart prematurely can reduce its shelf life.
Avoid Direct Sunlight: Keep garlic away from direct sunlight as it can cause it to sprout and lose flavor.
Check Regularly: Periodically check stored garlic for any signs of sprouting, soft spots, or mold. Remove any cloves that show these signs to prevent them from affecting the rest.
Do Not Refrigerate Unpeeled Garlic: Unpeeled garlic should not be stored in the refrigerator as it can cause it to become rubbery and moldy.
Store Peeled Garlic in the Refrigerator (if necessary): If you've peeled garlic cloves and want to store them, place them in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Use them within a week for best flavor.
Freezing Garlic: You can freeze peeled cloves or chopped garlic in airtight containers or freezer bags for longer-term storage. Frozen garlic may change texture but retains its flavor well.
By following these storage practices, you can ensure that your garlic stays fresh and flavorful for as long as possible, allowing you to enjoy its culinary benefits in various dishes.
Culinary Garlic:
Seed Garlic:
Key Differences:
In summary, the main distinction lies in their purpose and subsequent treatment: culinary garlic is for eating, while seed garlic is for growing more garlic.
Ugly garlic is garlic that is considered of a lower grade to our seed and culinary garlic. Usually bulbs will have a nick, a clove missing, or a slight deformity. Also, we include very small garlic in the Ugly garlic orders. None of this effect its flavor and nutrition however. In some cases, it may affect its ability to store long periods of time.
Choose Fresh Garlic: Fresh garlic contains higher levels of the active sulfuric compounds like allicin, which is responsible for many of its health benefits. Look for firm bulbs with tight skin.
Crush or Chop Garlic: Allicin, the compound responsible for garlic's medicinal properties, is produced when garlic is chopped, crushed, or chewed. Allow crushed garlic to sit for 10-15 minutes before consuming to maximize allicin formation. We crush our garlic first thing, then let it sit while we prep the rest of the meal. Cook it lightly in a healthy oil until it is slightly brown, then the oil is infused with Allicin.
Cooking Methods: While raw garlic has the highest levels of allicin, cooking garlic lightly can still preserve some of its health benefits. Avoid overcooking garlic as it can reduce its potency.
Include Garlic in Your Diet Regularly: Incorporate garlic into your meals consistently to benefit from its immune-boosting, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties.
By following these tips, you can ensure that you're getting the most medicinal benefit out of your garlic consumption.
