Growing your own garlic is an act of patience. In the fall, plant one clove for each head of garlic you wish to harvest. Right about the time the snow melts and the tulips are beginning to pop out of the ground, you’ll see your garlic shoots come to life. Then you have to wait until late summer, when the tops turn brown and start to fall over. It is worth the wait; you’ll see.
If you can’t grow your own garlic, here are a few guidelines for buying it. You’ll notice two colors of skin-some are white and some are a pink or light purple color. They are interchangeable. Some people say that the colored garlic is a bit milder or sweeter, but I’ve never noticed a difference.
The paper-like skin should be intact and the flesh should be firm when pressed with your thumb. Soft or spongy garlic is old and is losing its flavor and potency.
Don’t buy more garlic than you can use in 10 days to 2 weeks.
If I’m buying garlic, I like to buy heads with larger cloves only because they are easier for me to peel and handle during cutting. A normal head of garlic will have about a dozen cloves. This does not apply to Elephant Garlic, which has huge, but has fewer cloves. I grow some of these each year and use them for roasting or special presentations. To me, the flavor of these huge cloves is milder.
Sometimes you’ll see strands of garlic for sale, but only buy them if you use a LOT of garlic, or if you just want to use it for decorative purposes.
Handling Garlic:
Peeling garlic can be a nuisance, but there are a few tricks. You can press the garlic into a cutting board with the flat edge of a chef knife, then remove the loosened skin with a small paring knife. This is okay if you are planning on mincing, dicing or pureeing the garlic, but it’s not good if you want to slice it.
If you pour hot water over garlic cloves for a few moments, it will loosen the skins, or you can soak them in cold water for about a half hour and then peel them. I’ve heard that if you put a clove in the microwave for about 5 seconds it will peel easier, but have never tried it.
Garlic’s flavor comes from sulfur compounds that are exposed when the membranes of the individual cells are severed or broken and come in contact with the air. So…understanding this, we can assume that a clove of garlic that is run through a garlic press or smashed under your chefs knife will offer your dish a stronger flavor then will garlic that has been sliced or quartered. A roasted or simmered bulb will be even milder.
Storing Garlic:
First, a Warning: Never allow garlic to sit in oil at room temperature. It is a high risk for botulism and that can lead to death. Garlic is a low-acid vegetable. The pH of a clove of garlic typically ranges from 5.3 to 6.3. Low-acid vegetables will support the growth and subsequent toxin production of the bacterium Clostridium botulinum when given the right conditions. Garlic in oil mixtures is one of these conditions. Lack of oxygen, plenty of moisture and room temperatures all promote the possibility of botulism.
The commercially prepared garlic in oil you see on the shelves has been prepared using strict government guidelines and contain citric or phosphoric acid to increase the acidity levels. Unfortunately, there are no reliable methods to acidify garlic in the home or workplace.
You can, however, store garlic cloves in white or red wine, or even white, rice or wine vinegar.
The best way to increase the shelf life of your garlic is to buy good garlic in the first place. Firm cloves, tight heads and plenty of papery skin on the outside are what to look for. Store your dry garlic is in a cool, dark, well ventilated area.
Refrigerating garlic is not recommended. It will go soft and sprout. The sprout is considered bitter by many. If you must refrigerate, peel the cloves and store them in a tightly sealable container. Garlic stored like this can last 10 – 14 days.