Organic Garlic

Garlic is a delicious vegetable on its own. The white or silver skinned garlic at the market is usually soft-neck garlic. Hard-neck garlic are those with darker red- or purple-striped skins. Hard-nect garlic is more pungent than soft-nect garlic.

Commercial farmers use agricultural chemicals to kill nematodes, a type of root-destroying warm, in the soil in which garlic grows. Garlic is easy to grow. You get organic garlic easily from the market becuase many organic farmers grow them.

What to Look For:

1. Avoid gralic with green sprouts.
2. Cloves that are plump in shape.
3. Heavy weight for size and head should feel firm when it is squeezed gently.

Garlic Storage and Preparation Tips:

1. Store garlic dry, at room temperature or in dry area of refrigerator, in paper bag.
2. Pull cloves from bulb as needed; peel to use.
3. Unused peeled cloves can be stored in refrigerator in water or vinegar.
4. Do not store cloves in oil for prolonged periods; done improperly, this can produce botulism.
5. Discard cloves that sprout; they are past their prime.

Cooking with Garlic:

Garlic is often used to enhance savory dishes. Crushed garlic combine very well with meats, poultry, fish and vegetables. Garlic goes well with basil, cheese, chiles, cumin, ginger, lemongrass, lime juice, mayonnaise, olive oil, parsley, soy sauce and vinegar. It is a base ingredient in many sauces and dips. Garlic can be roasted until soft enough to be spread on bread or mashed into potatoes in the place of butter.

Garlic Nutrition Facts:

Garlic is a good source of vitamin C, selenium, and magnesium, all of which impact on healthy cell metabolism. Garlic is a vasodilator (blood-vessel expander) that has been studied, with mixed results, for its effects on hypertension, atherosclerotic plaque accumulation, and blood-flow in diabetics. Garlic also appears to take a role in preventing blood clots. Garlic's phytochemicals may provide protection against some kinds of cancer; again, results are not conclusive.