2.17 Garlic

Latin name: Allium sativum.

2.17.1 Growing garlic

From TKSJOHN.ubvm.cc.buffalo.edu (John Pedlow):
Plant a clove every place you'd like a garlic plant to grow next year.
"Regular" garlic does not get "seed" heads. Rocambole garlic does. The "seed" heads are not really seeds but are "bulblets" which may be planted and will develop into garlic in a couple of years. These bulblets do have a garlic flavor but I find them a bit bitter compared with garlic cloves.
Btw, my rocambole is just slightly smaller (head size) than my "regular" garlic. and, I am unable to taste a difference between the two varieties.

From sallee.aol.com (Sallee):
The little bulblettes which are formed after the flower are the seeds for the garlic plant, but they must be planted in the FALL to make big beautiful garlic bulbs the following fall. Actually, the garlic knows the best time to plant itself -- when that head dries, it drops it's seeds at just the correct planting time.
The garlic also tells you the best harvesting time for the bulbs for keeping and eating -- when that gooseneck flower stem unwinds fully, the bulbs are fully formed, but have not yet started to petal outward. The bulbs are still tightly closed and keep well.
I've grown award winning garlic in Nebraska for years by letting the plants tell me when to pick this way.

2.17.2 Harvesting garlic

In news:rec.gardens.edible in May 2001

From Setzler <christie.psknet.com>:
> the garlic plants will start to wilt and die back when the photo period is correct, let the energy drain back to the bulb and the tops wilt completely.

If you wait until the tops are completely brown, it may be too long. As they start to brown, pull one up to see the shape of the head. If it is completely covered with the papery covering and you can see the cloves inside it is probably right. It you wait too long the cloves start to separate, and will not keep as well. If you pick one too soon, that is fine to eat.

2.17.3 Using / preserving garlic

From: NDooley.president-po.president.uiowa.edu

Garlic Jelly

2 T. butter or margarine
1 head garlic, cloves separated and peeled and minced
3 C. granulated sugar
½ C. apple cider vinegar
6 oz. liquid pectin

In a large saucepan, combine butter and garlic over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until garlic is light golden brown (3 to 4 minutes). Add sugar and vinegar. Cook, stirring constantly, until sugar dissolves and mixture comes to a boil. Stir in pectin. Boil 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Skim foam from top of jelly. Pour into sterilized jars and seal. Yield: about 3 C. jelly.

From Schaller_Barb.htc.honeywell.com (Barb Schaller):
Here's a recipe from the Fall 1995 Kerr Kitchen Pantry publication:
"This unusual jelly can be used as a condiment: Simply add it to a meat marinade or brush it on a roast while cooking. The combination of ingredients results in an attractive light green color -- no food coloring needed!"

Garlic Jelly

4 oz. peeled garlic cloves
2 cups white vinegar (labeled 5 percent acidity)
5 cups sugar
3 oz. package liquid pectin (Certo brand)

In a food processor or blender, blend garlic and ½ cup vinegar until smooth. In 6- to 8-quart saucepan, combine garlic mixture, remaining 1-½ cups vinegar and sugar. Over high heat, bring mixture to a boil, stirring constantly. Quickly add pectin, return to a boil and boil hard for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Immediately fill hot, sterilized half-pint jars with jelly, leaving ¼ inch headspace. Wipe jar tops and threads clean. Place hot lids on jars and apply screw bands firmly. Process in boiling water bath for 5 minutes. Yield: 5 half-pint jars.

Garlic jam

From: Sam Waring <waring.ima.infomail.com>

4 Garlic head, whole (~14 oz)
1 T Olive oil, extra-virgin
1 md Onion; unpeeled & halved lengthwise
Salt (opt)

Preheat the oven to 350F. Using a large sharp knife, cut off ½- inch from the top of each head of garlic to expose some of the flesh.
Drizzle 1 tablespoon of the oil over the bottom of a gratin or glass pie dish. Place the garlic and the onion halves cut sides down in the dish, cover tightly with foil and bake for 45 minutes, until very soft to the touch. Uncover and let cool for 20 minutes. Peel the onion halves and finely chop them. Place in a medium bowl.
Squeeze the garlic pulp from the skins into the bowl; discard the skins. Using a fork, stir in the remaining 2 teaspoons oil and mash with the onion and garlic until thoroughly incorporated. Season with salt if desired. (The garlic jam will keep refrigerated in a glass jar for up to 2 weeks.)
Makes 1-⅓ cups.
Use this condiment with roasted meats or as a spread for toasted croutons or cold meat sandwiches, or try a spoonful of it mixed into homemade salad dressings and sauces.
Source: Food & Wine - December, 1993

From hattie.netcom.com (Susan Hattie Steinsapir):
Garlic bulbs - intact - keep well if given enough air about them. I keep a pound or so on hand, ordinarily, in a bowl on the counter. If it starts to go bad, usually you'll notice that it's sprouting much as an onion or potato would.
It's great baked - then squeeze the paste out onto toasted baguettes. Absolutely *DO NOT* store it in oil. Doing this can lead to death by bacterial contamination.
I don't know about freezing it. I usually use it up before I really have to consider such a course.

From ness.tc.fluke.COM (Jerry Ness):
I break up the garlic bulb and peel each clove of garlic. I put all the cloves of garlic in one of those pint jars with the glass lid, wire bale and red rubber gasket. I fill the jar with Gallo cocktail sherry and put it in the 'fridge.
I tried the oil method with the same kind of jar in the 'fridge but after a couple of weeks the hiss of exhausting gasses when I opened the jar made me more than a little suspect that something wasn't right with this method.
I have had no spoilage problems with the sherry/garlic method. An extra bonus is the garlic flavored sherry for stir fry, Yum!

From hattie.netcom.com (Susan Hattie Steinsapir):
The best part of a pickle is the pickled garlic. It's the safest thing for me to eat - I can eat about 3 of them and not salt out. I've seen pickled garlic in the stores. It costs 3 USD to 4 USD for a half-pint. Garlic is cheap, this stuff is way overpriced! So, I wanted to pickle it myself but needed a recipe. Voila! Here's a recipe for pickled garlic from the Kerr Kitchen *Pantry*.

Pickled garlic

3 cups peeled garlic cloves (this was the tough part!)
1.5 cups white vinegar (5 percent acidity)
½ cup sugar
½ t pickling salt

Add garlic cloves to pan of boiling water. When water returns to a boil, boil for one minute. Drain and pack into hot half-pint jars, leaving ½ inch headspace. Heat vinegar, sugar, and salt to boiling. Pour boiling pickling liquid over garlic, leaving ½ inch headspace. Carefully run a nonmetallic utensil down inside of jars to remove trapped air bubbles. Wipe jar tops and threads clean. Place hot lids on jars and apply screw bands firmly. Process in Boiling Water Bath Canner for 10 minutes.
Yield: 3 ½ pints.
I'll probably use less sugar, more salt. I know that I'll add hot pepper flakes for some extra kick.
As an addendum, from Susan Hattie Steinsapir:
When I pickled the garlic, I soaked it overnight in the fridge in vinegar. I poked holes in it so the vinegar could penetrate it better and then I boiled it in the vinegar. I didn't use sugar at all but used more salt. I haven't opened a jar yet but gave one to my sister. She was thrilled.

From jouet.aol.com (JOUET):

Garlic Soup 1

1 clove garlic
2 tbs. olive oil
3 tbs. butter
1 large onion, finely chopped
3 Cups chicken stock
4 slices white bread, crusts removed
⅔ Cup light cream
1 ounce blanched almonds, finely chopped
Garnish: fresh parsley or chives, chopped

Separate the garlic cloves, removing the papery skins. Heat the oil in a pan, add the garlic, and cook for 10-15 minutes until tender. Remove from the heat. Cook, then skin. Roughly chop the flesh.
Melt the butter in a large saucepan, add the garlic and onion, cover, and cook over low heat for 10-15 minutes until the onion is soft. Pour in the stock, add the bread, and simmer for 30 minutes.
Transfer the soup to a blender or food processor. Add the cream and almonds and blend until smooth. Garnish and serve
NOTES: Garlic that has been smoked over oak chips adds a great flavor but regular garlic will work quite well.

Garlic Soup 2

1 whole garlic bulbs
2 quarts water
2 teaspoons salt
a pinch of pepper
¼ teaspoon sage
¼ teaspoon thyme
½ teaspoon bay leaf
4 sprigs parsley
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 whole egg yolks
4 tablespoons olive oil
some grated Parmesan cheese

Separate the garlic cloves, drop into boiling water for 30 seconds. Drain, plunge into cold water, and peel. Put the garlic with the 2 quarts of water, salt, pepper, sage, thyme, bay leaf, parsley, and olive oil into a large saucepan and boil slowly for 30 minutes. Adjust seasoning.
Beat the egg yolks in a soup tureen until they are thick. Beat in the oil very slowly, as if making mayonnaise. Just before serving, beat a cup of the hot soup into the egg mixture slowly, so that the eggs heat gradually.
Strain in the rest of the soup through a sieve, beating constantly; keeping back the garlic and seasonings. Press the garlic against the sieve to get the juice out. Serve at once with fresh French bread or croutons and cheese.
Alternative: instead of the oil and egg mix in the tureen, strain the soup and return it to the pot. Add 3 cups potatoes, diced, and a pinch of saffron; simmer for about 20 minutes until the potatoes are tender.

Garlic Soup 3

½ cup oil
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
8 oz stale white bread, crusts removed, crumbled
1 teaspoon paprika
pinch salt
pinch cayenne pepper
4 cups water
3 whole tomatoes, peeled and coarsely
2 whole eggs, lightly beaten
Garnish: 2 sprigs parsley, finely chopped

Heat the oil in a saucepan, add the garlic and saute until soft but not brown. Add the bread and cook over moderate heat until light golden but do not brown. Add the paprika, salt, cayenne, water, and tomatoes, then simmer for 30 minutes over low heat.
With a wooden spoon, beat the soup until the bread disintegrates. While beating, add the eggs. Simmer for a few moments but do not boil. The soup should be highly seasoned. If necessary, add more cayenne and salt.
Garnish with parsley and serve.

From Susan Hattie Steinsapir hattie.netcom.com:
Here's yet another garlic soup recipe. This one from Elizabeth David's *French Country Cooking*.

Soupe A L'Ail

This version is from Languedoc.
Put 2 tablespoons of goose or other good dripping into a deep earthenware casserole. In this, gently melt 24 cloves of garlic without letting them brown. (Note, most of us don't have goose fat or an earthenware casserole. I usually have some schmaltz - rendered chicken fat - on hand, or use a mixture of butter and olive oil. Use an enameled soup pot.)
Over this pour 3 to 4 pints of warmed stock or water. Season with salt, black pepper, nutmeg and mace. Cook for 15 minutes. Put the soup through a sieve. (By this, I think you mush the garlic cloves through.) Return the soup to the pot to reheat it.
In a bowl, beat the yolks of three to four eggs with three tablespoons of olive oil. Stir some of the soup into the eggs, then pour the egg mixture back into the soup without letting it boil again.
Have some slices of stale bread, toasted in the oven with the egg whites (not beaten) spread over them. Put these bread slices into a soup dish and pour the soup over them.
Should serve 4 to 6 easily. Enjoy.