Garlic: Tips and Troubleshooting, Selecting, Storing, Recipes, Safety

[SobaAddict70]

rocambole garlic, if you can get those.

I buy them from USGM (Union Square Greenmarket) in NYC.

[CatPoet]

I prefer Solo, a Chinese garlic with no cloves in winter  and organic fresh ones  when they are in season.

[liuzhou]

I prefer Solo, a Chinese garlic with no cloves in winter  and organic fresh ones  when they are in season.

 

"Solo garlic" is exactly the garlic I answered you with in the first reply to your question. In Chinese it is 独蒜 dú suàn or "single garlic". Its lack of cloves has nothing to do with it being winter. It is available all year round. 

 

Although often called "Sichuan Single Head Garlic" ("Solo garlic" is just some European marketing strategist's brand name) it actually originated in Yunnan province of China.

 

 

Edited August 10, 2014 by liuzhou (log)

[Smithy]

Like CatPoet, I'll take what I can get in the winter. Although the garlic found in our grocery stores during the winter months often comes from China, I've never seen the Sichuan Single Head / Solo garlic, based on liuzhou's photo. The Chinese garlic I see is just labeled as 'comes from China' and is typically white. If it's fairly heavy for its size, I'll take it.

During the summer months when the local crops are available, I look for the reddish stiff-necked types. Samarkand is one of my favorites. I also recall enjoying the Music variety, but now I don't remember what it looks like.

[liuzhou]

 Although the garlic found in our grocery stores during the winter months often comes from China, I've never seen the Sichuan Single Head / Solo garlic, based on liuzhou's photo. The Chinese garlic I see is just labeled as 'comes from China' and is typically white. 

 

Yes, China also does the regular white garlic with multiple cloves. In fact,  it is the world's biggest producer by a long shot. About 77% of it.

I  mentioned the single head version as an interesting variation in light of the OP's original question. And because I prefer it.

[Kerry Beal]

Best garlic I've ever had is the rose garlic I bought at the market in Nice.  Brought a couple of braids home with me a couple of years running.  

[dcarch]

I have no idea what kind of garlics are sold in the stores. 

 

I get peeled garlic for the convenience.

 

I get elephant garlic as a vegetable.

 

I get black garlic as a special ingredient.

 

 

dcarch

[FauxPas]

For everyday use I like the Christopher Ranch garlic from Gilroy, CA. It's Monviso, which they say is a variety that originated in Italy. The price of the Christopher Ranch garlic can be a better buy than the Chinese garlic, which is usually sold by the individual head. We use quite a bit of garlic so I like buying the 450g/1 pound bag. Christopher Ranch gives a 'packed on' date, which is nice, but it doesn't necessarily mean it's fresh. They harvest around the time of their big Gilroy Garlic Festival - late July, early August. But I understand they store their garlic quite carefully.

 

At any rate, I think it tends to be tastier than some of the Chinese garlic we get in the local stores. Smaller, but a better flavour.

 

There's a local farm here where I buy a lot of produce and they grow their own garlic, but it seems pricey. When I asked, they said it is expensive to grow garlic here. I should ask more about that and maybe ask the variety. And I should give it a try, just to see how it compares!  

Edited August 10, 2014 by FauxPas (log)

[Martin Fisher]

10 "varieties" and around 70 cultivars of garlic

 

 

There are hundreds of cultivars.

I have several favorites.

German Extra Hardy is my "go to" garlic.

Edited August 10, 2014 by DiggingDogFarm (log)

[ElsieD]

I like pushlinch garlic which I can only find at farmer's markets about now. It is nice and assertive.

Edited August 10, 2014 by ElsieD (log)

[Kerry Beal]

Interesting - when I think of Puslinch I picture quarried rocks - not garlic.  Shall have to look for it.

[NewFoodie]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I'll try to find some of these.

[cakewalk]

Yes, China also does the regular white garlic with multiple cloves. In fact,  it is the world's biggest producer by a long shot. About 77% of it.

I  mentioned the single head version as an interesting variation in light of the OP's original question. And because I prefer it.

Tell us more about the single head garlic. I've never heard of this. Why do you prefer it? Is it milder than "regular" garlic? How much would you use in comparison to regular garlic, where a recipe might call for one or two cloves? How do you store it once it's peeled, if you don't use it all? I'm going to look for this. Thanks.

[Ashen]

The more varieties I try the more I like.   I really like Music and I am partial to most rocamboles but I really  am looking forward to the going to the Stratford Garlic festival again this year. Being able to try different varieties for different dishes is eye opening. thai garlic used to flavour the  butter before making an omelette  was a real winner.    After forgetting or being confused other years as to which I had tried or wanted,  I took a picture of my haul after coming home from the festival last year.  I wanted to be able to remember varieties tried and varieties  to buy again. . 

 

I will pick up some  brown rose ,bogatyr  , duganski  and choparsky  if possible this year and try some more new ones.  There is one vendor that grows over 100 different types of garlic but she only brought around 30 last yr. 

 

[CatPoet]

I meant in winter the best garlic I can get is the solo. I been eyeing up smoked garlic but it is only sold braided and 25  in one braid and that is too many, too expensive.

[liuzhou]

Tell us more about the single head garlic. I've never heard of this. Why do you prefer it? Is it milder than "regular" garlic? How much would you use in comparison to regular garlic, where a recipe might call for one or two cloves? How do you store it once it's peeled, if you don't use it all? I'm going to look for this. Thanks.

 

There is a bit more information on my blog, here. The only thing I can add to that is that I never don't use all that I peel, so storage of peeled bulbs is not an issue I have faced.

[CatPoet]

The solos I buy gives about 1- 1½ tablespoon of grated garlic, so they are not big, they are  just  perfect in my  world.

[Kerry Beal]

Ashen - when is the Stratford Garlic festival?

[rotuts]

My mother used to grow garlic

 

the hottest Ive had were russian  'hard stem'  if that's what the stem diff. is.

 

lots were from E. Europe.

[Wayne]

It's been a long time since I've posted on eGullet.

 

I've been growing my own garlic for about five years and it is one of the easiest garden crops. I grow hardneck varieties which do well in my growing zone.

 

Varieties:

 

Rocambole: Killarney Red, Svetlana, Spanish Andolini and Rioja cultivars. The Puslinch cultivar mentioned upthread is a rocambole and is also called Ontario Giant.

 

Porcelain: Floha, Portugal 2, Romanian Red, Music and Georgian Fire cultivars.

 

Marbled Purple Stripe: Bogatyr, Choparky, Duganskij and Metechi cultivars.

 

The cultivars do exhibit sometimes subtle and sometimes striking differences flavour and 'heat'.

 

Ashen's photo: Judging by the label printing the garlic came from Golden Acres Farm in Gadskill. An excellent supplier of organic seed garlic. The Stratford Garlic festival is being held this year Sept. 6-7. Here's a link to the site:

 

http://www.stratfordgarlicfestival.com/

 

The variety Kerry mentioned upthread is most likely a Creole variety French cultivar named Ail Rose de Lautrec. I know there are a few growers attempting to adapt it to grow in Southern Ontario and I hope to obtain some of their seed garlic.

 

Cheers.

[sparrowgrass]

I grow my own garlic, and have for several years.  I started with grocery store cloves -- probably from China--and replant my own cloves every year.  I don't know what variety they are, but they keep well and taste good. The interesting thing is that this year, after about 5 years planting them, I ended up with several heads that look just like that single clove garlic above.  The plants also produced bulbils this year, for the first time.

[rotuts]

I wonder if garlic still comes from Gilroy, CA.  not that far from where I grew up

 

driving though Gilroy, at anytime of the year, was a 'potent' experience

 

in later years the had their Festival.

[Kerry Beal]

Wayne - do you sell your garlic anywhere around the Grimbsy area?  I'd love to get my hands on some since our Manitoulin garlic supply has dried up.

[gfweb]

Best garlic I've ever had is the rose garlic I bought at the market in Nice.  Brought a couple of braids home with me a couple of years running.  

What about it is good? Different flavor?

[Wayne]

Kerry: Sorry I don't sell my garlic. I only grow it as a hobby and to supply my family. It's a long term project to find what does very well in my area and to maintain the integrity of the seed stock.

If you go to the Grimsby Thursday afternoon farmers' market there are more than likely vendors supplying locally grown garlic.