Help keep One Green Planet free and independent! Together we can ensure our platform remains a hub for empowering ideas committed to fighting for a sustainable, healthy, and compassionate world. Please support us in keeping our mission strong.
Garlic is one of those ingredients that has worked its way into just about every savory dish in modern cuisine. It’s not just for pasta sauces anymore! We like garlic on our bread. We need garlic in our soups stews and curries. We might put it on French fries, definitely in our hummus, and in fire cider. Some of us like to simply serve it roasted.
The wonderful thing about garlic’s popularity is that it is a very healthy addition. It wards off colds and flu. It helps with cardiovascular issues, prevents neurodegenerative diseases, and boosts overall immunity. Whacky blood sugar levels, eye infections, acne scars – it’s linked to improving all sorts of health problems.
What many of us don’t realize about garlic is that there are several different types. Most of the time supermarkets have one choice, but for those interested in growing it (it’s an easy crop and a great companion plant), there are loads of choices to consider.
The Garlic Basics
Garlic is generally split into two broad categories. There are hardneck varieties, and there are softneck varieties. Hardneck garlic has long, flowering stems known as scapes, and these stems get hard as the garlic matures. Softneck garlic has leaves as a central stem, and those leaves do not harden as the garlic bulb matures.
Each variety has slightly different general characteristics. Hardneck garlic tends to be heirloom varieties with stronger and more complex flavors. Softneck selections are what we tend to find in supermarkets, and that’s because they are best for long-term storage. Hardneck varieties usually have fewer, but larger cloves per bulb.
Types of Hardneck Garlic
The categorization of garlic doesn’t stop with hardneck and softneck. There are several types and even more varieties of each broad garlic category. For hardneck, the three main options are purple stripe, rocambole, and porcelain.
- Purple stripe garlic varieties are considered the oldest cultivars and are regarded as high-quality culinary garlic. It is named thusly because of the purple stripes on the bulb wrappers. And, it is a great good choice for growing in cold, harsh environments.
- Rocambole is the most popular variety for home growers. They are recognized as the best tasting, and adding to that argument, each delicious head has 8-10 easy-to-peel cloves per bulb. The downside is that they don’t store as long as other varieties. Like other hardneck varieties, they are also great for cold places.
- Porcelain garlic has good hardiness, large bulbs, a sweet flavor, and satiny white wrappers. It takes a backseat to purple stripe and rocambole, but it could be a fun experiment for garlic-growing enthusiasts.
A great bonus for hardneck garlic is that the scapes are edible and delicious in the spring, providing a secondary harvest for each plant.
Types of Softneck Garlic
These types of garlic are the ones likely to be found in supermarkets. Not only do they store very well, but also they are the best choice for milder climates. They tend to have a milder flavor than hardneck, and they have several small cloves per head compared to hardneck bulbs.
- Silverskin softneck garlic has 8-40 cloves per bulb. It has the longest storage potentially, stretching over a year when done correctly.
- Artichoke garlic is larger among the softneck varieties. It has a high yield and is grown for commercial uses like garlic powder, sauces, and salts. The bulbs contain 12-25 bulbs, and they can be stored for up to a year
What About Elephant Garlic?
Elephant garlic is another popular variety to grow. Technically, it is more closely related to leeks than garlic (both members of the allium family), but it has garlic-like characteristics. It yields huge bulbs with 5-6 huge cloves that are easily peeled. This “garlic” has a sweet, mild flavor, so much so that it can be eaten raw.
It’s an amazing choice for any garden setting. Like hardneck garlic, it has very tall scapes (3-4 feet) that are edible in early spring but harden as the garlic matures.
The Big Takeaways for Garlic Lovers
Growing garlic at home is a great idea. It does well with very little attention and can tolerate colder climates. Hardneck garlic has stronger flavors, larger cloves, and is more cold-tolerant, as well as edible scapes in spring. Softneck garlic.is milder in flavor and does better in milder climates. While hardneck garlic will keep for several months, softneck garlic can stay good for a year or more. Elephant garlic has the mildness of softneck but desirable characteristics of hardneck such as edible scapes and large cloves.
Here’s a great garlic supplement: DEAL SUPPLEMENT Odorless Aged Garlic Pills made from Garlic Oil Extract.
