Garlic, that indispensable ingredient in countless kitchen creations, hails from Central Asia and can be grown effortlessly in your garden. Not to mention, it won’t hog much space. It’s a close cousin to onions, shallots, and leeks. The easiest way to tell them apart is by their leaves: garlic’s leaves are flat, while onions boast round, hollow ones. A garlic head, also known as a bulb, consists of individual cloves enclosed in a papery sheath. Each of these cloves is essentially a mini-bulb, comprised of unexpanded leaves.
What kind of neck does this garlic have?
Now, let’s dive into the garlic family tree. There are three main groups to know: hardneck, softneck, and elephant. Hardneck garlic yields fewer but more massive cloves. They’re a breeze to peel but won’t last as long as their softneck counterparts. Hardneck garlic further divides into purple stripe, porcelain (known for their thick white papers), and rocombole types. Speaking of rocombole, they don’t thrive in warmer climates, so they might not be the best pick for southern regions. Northern areas, though, offer a better home for them.
Softneck garlic, on the other hand, comes in two main flavors: artichoke and silverskin types. Artichoke garlics (yep, they’re also known as that) produce lots of cloves per head, usually ranging from 14 to 20, depending on the variety. Softneck garlic stores well, and silverskin types are the champions in that department.
Unlike hardneck varieties, softneck types generally don’t grow scapes, and they come with many cloves per bulb. Their skins are snug, and they tend to stay fresh longer. These guys flourish in warmer climates and are the stars of commercial garlic production.
Now, what about the odd one out? Elephant garlic, often mistaken for true garlic, is more like a leek. It packs a milder flavor and sports those huge cloves that vary from creamy to yellow.
When it comes to selecting the variety to plant in your garden, here’s the lowdown:
- Hardneck varieties might not last as long, but they give you the delightful bonus of scapes to harvest in early summer.
- Softneck varieties are scape-less but usually offer higher yields and a longer shelf life.
Where to get your planting garlic:
Heads up! Avoid planting store-bought garlic from your local grocery store’s produce aisle. That variety is adapted to the region it came from. If you buy garlic from the far-off lands of China or sunny California at your local grocery store, it might not thrive in your neck of the woods and could taste less than spectacular. In addition, store-bought garlic may have been treated to prevent sprouting, which is great for its shelf life but a no-go for planting. Opt for healthy bulbs for replanting because garlic propagates asexually, meaning selecting the right bulbs ensures they maintain their ideal characteristics year after year.