“If your friends are bothered by your Garlic breath, get new friends” John Swenson
Types of Garlic
Hardneck Garlic
Also referred to as “Ophio” Garlic evolved directly from wild Garlic. This Garlic type produces a woody flower stalk called a “Scape” above the plant in late spring and a single circle of cloves around the central woody stalk. Scapes are a culinary feast in themselves and can be used in a variety of fresh or cooked dishes. Hardneck Garlic are ideally suited for harsh winter growing climates and have a shorter storage life than the Softneck, sometimes being called “fresh-market or gourmet Garlic.” Hardneck cultivars include some of the world’s finest-tasting Garlic.
Softneck Garlic
Is the perfect Garlic for folks living in the South or areas of the country that have warm, milder winter or spring seasons and still want to produce a mellow, quality Garlic. Softneck Garlic, of which there are 2 sub-species, silverskin and artichoke, matures quicker than Hardneck and produces smaller cloves per bulb. This type of Garlic does not produce Scapes and therefore is often braided prior to selling. Softneck Garlic also is known for its excellent long-term storage capabilities.
Green Garlic
“Green garlic” is a name given to garlic plants that are picked immature, usually in the spring, a good use for small bulbs
Elephant Garlic
Elephant Garlic is not true Garlic, what it is, is a type Allium sativum, or Leek. It produces very mild, large Garlic flavored cloves numbering four to six per bulb. Bulbs can weigh up to one pound.
Black Garlic
Black Garlic is made when heads of garlic are aged at temperatures ranging from 140 to 190 °F for 15 to 90 days. The cloves turn black and develop a sticky date-like texture.
Health Benefits
Much has been written on the therapeutic properties of Garlic. I would like to share with you, some of the more interesting things that I found on the web.
Not only is Garlic a food or flavoring agent, but is also believed to be disease preventative, health preserving and health restoring.
For thousands of years, Garlic has been recommended as a treatment for wounds, ulcers, pneumonia, bronchitis, dyspepsia and gastrointestinal disorders. Garlic bulbs have been found in Egyptian tombs.
Garlic has a distinctive odor is a result of organic sulfur compounds. Sulfur compounds are well-known antibacterial agents. Crushed raw Garlic is said to be a powerful antibiotic.
Some clinical studies have shown that Garlic can have a cholesterol lowering effect.
Garlic has been used to treat elevated blood pressure since the early part of the twentieth century. Numerous studies have affirmed its therapeutic effect in reducing high blood pressure.
Garlic powder and Garlic oil in dog food has been proven effective in eliminating filaria (a type of parasite) from the blood stream.
Some people ferment Garlic cloves in raw honey. “a clove a day
Is Garlic a cure all or magic remedy? You be the judge, but I think Garlic could be utilized as part of a healthy life style.
