The Goodness of Garlic

Anna Delany, adapted from www.Fruits&VeggiesMatter.gov

Native to central Asia, garlic is one of the oldest cultivated plants in the world and has been grown for over 5000 years. It's been a topic of much folklore for many year and has been used for numerous things including embalming, warding off evil spirits, and curing everything from the common cold to tuberculosis and even broken bones!

Today, garlic is still promoted as a health food with medicinal properties. Although garlic is a nutritious food, many of the claims surrounding it are not backed up by research. But it's still very good for you.

Read on and find out more about garlic.

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Varieties

Garlic is characterized by a strong flavor and smell, stemming from its sulfur compounds. There are approximately 300 varieties of garlic grown throughout the world. In the United States about 90 percent of the garlic crop is grown in California and comes in two types – “early” and “late”.

American	White-skinned with a strong flavor. Early garlic is white or off-white in color and harvested in mid-summer. Late garlic is off-white on the outside.
Chileno	A reddish-colored, sharp tasting garlic grown in Mexico.
Elephant	Not a true garlic, but a relative of the leek; its flavor is very mild and it is characterized by larger heads.
Green	Young garlic before it starts forming cloves. Green garlic looks like a baby leek with a long green top and small white bulb. Its flavor is much more mild than that of mature garlic.
Italian	Mauve in color with a somewhat milder flavor.

Health benefits of garlic

Numerous studies have demonstrated that regular consumption of garlic lowers blood pressure because of its high content of vitamin C, vitamin B6, selenium and manganese.

Garlic may also help to reduce inflammation, protect against cancer and a number of the most damaging degenerative effects of diabetes.

Selection and storage

How to buy

When buying fresh garlic, choose plump, dry heads that feel firm. Avoid soft, mushy or shriveled cloves. American garlic should be white to off-white.

How to store

Garlic should be stored in a cool, dark place (though not a refrigerator) and can be kept for several weeks. Many people use small clay garlic holders to keep their garlic as fresh as possible.

Cloves that have sprouted can still be used but they will not be as strong in flavor as fresher cloves. The sprouts themselves can be cut up like scallions and chives and used in dishes.

Preparation and eating

To remove individual garlic cloves, peel outer layers from the bulb and snap out each clove from the base. Cloves can then be peeled very easily.

For a stronger flavor: Use chopped, crushed, pressed or pureed garlic in dishes. The more finely garlic is chopped, the stronger its flavor will be.To chop garlic, cut in half lengthwise (remove the green core if there is one — it is bitter). Make several lengthwise cuts and than cut crosswise. A garlic press can be also be used.

For a more mild flavor: Whole cloves can be added (unpeeled for an even more subtle taste) to food while it cooks or marinates and than discarded before serving the meal. Another trick for imparting a mild garlic flavor in your dish is to spear a garlic clove with a fork and stir your dish with it — discarding the garlic when stirring is complete.

Cooking tips:

To remove garlic odor from hands, first rub salt or lemon juice over your hands and then wash them with soap.
Cooking garlic decreases the strength of its flavor making it much milder. The longer it is cooked, the more mild it tastes. Be careful not to sauté garlic too long at too high a temperature, it will brown very quickly and can become bitter.
To bake garlic, place whole, unpeeled bulbs rounded side down in a shallow baking dish, drizzle with oil, cover with foil and bake for 1 1/2 hours at 325ºF.

Good garlic tips

Flavor soups and stews with crushed garlic
Roast whole gloves with meats or poultry
Chop finely and add to salad dressings
Bake whole heads until softened; pop out soft flesh from cloves and spread on bread
Put minced garlic on a loaf of bread to make an authentic tasting garlic bread!

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