Garlic
Culinary Use, Storage, & Benefits
Vegetable Profile: Garlic (Allium sativum)
Description
Garlic is one of the most prized crops we grow. We have been saving our own seed garlic for almost a decade. We grow two types, both hardneck: yellow German, and red Japanese. We offer green garlic, which is immature garlic (May-June), garlic scapes (June), and fresh or uncured garlic bulb (July), and cured garlic bulb (August-December).
Nutrition
Garlic is a nutritional and medicinal powerhouse. Pungent and sweet in taste, it has a warming nature and tonifies the spleen, stomach, kidney, and lungs. It stimulates a healthy appetite, improves metabolism and digestion, and is considered antibacterial, antifungal, and anticarcinogenic. It actually helps promote healthy intestinal growth by discouraging pathogenic bacteria. It has also been shown to help stabilize blood sugar.
Storage
Green garlic: best stored in the fridge in a waterproof bag or container. Use up before it wilts, in about 6-7 days.
Garlic scapes: Store in a waterproof bag or container for up to 3 weeks in the fridge.
Fresh uncured garlic bulb: Store in the fridge. Because they haven’t been dried out yet, they don’t store well on the counter. Use in 1-2 weeks.
Cured garlic bulb: store out of the fridge in a cool, dry, low-light location and use up within 1-2 months.
Use
We are guilty of tripling the amount that every recipe calls for. That’s just how we do it!
Green garlic: remove outer leaves all the way down the stalk, like leeks or scallions. Then, chop off the root base and slide up the stalk into small disks until it becomes fibrous at the end. Sautee, or use like scallions for a powerful garlic flavor. Excellent on pizza!
Garlic scapes: Simply mince the whole thing until you get to the tail end of the seed head where it’s fibrous or turns brown. Use as green garlic above.
Fresh uncured garlic bulb: Use like cured, except these won’t lost long outside of the fridge. Cloves are extra tender and juicy.
Cured garlic bulb: Remove outer husk and either chop or mince, according to your recipe. Can be used raw or cooked.
Sources:
The New Whole Foods Encyclopedia by Rebecca Wood
Asparagus to Zucchini by Fairshare Coalition
Produce: A fruit and vegetable lover's guide by Bruce Beck
Our own experience!
