How many plants for average family:
10 - 15 per family

Organic Garlic Collection

Type of plant:
annual

Best Varieties:
French – small size
Italian white – medium size
Elephant or Russian – mild, very large cloves
New Zealand – cold tolerant, large cloves.

Sowing:
Sow whole individual cloves from propagation stock for best results.

Growing Habit:
Day length sensitive plant. Longer days initiate bulb set.

Growing Conditions:
Must not have pH lower than 6.5.
Regular watering until flowering, then reduce water until bulbs harden.
Allow to die back and dry slightly before picking and storing.

Companions:
Apple, apricot, cherry, lavender, mulberry, peach, pear, rosemary, roses, strawberries, parsnip.
Avoid cabbage family plants, peas and beans.

Problems:
Incorrect pH can cause poor bulb formation.
Planting at wrong time of year.
Excessive moisture in final stages of growth
can lead to breakdown of bulbs and poor storage.

Featured Article:

Garlic the ins and outs of Buying, Slicing and Dicing  

by Shauna Hanus

Buying Garlic

* Buy firm, dry bulbs with papery skin.
* Avoid wet, soft bulbs.
* Avoid bulbs with green shoots coming out.

Storing Garlic

* Store in a cool dry location.
* Store in a paper bag.
* Keep away from foods that may pick up the strong flavor.

Peeling Guide

* Peel away the outer papery skin with your fingers before separating the cloves from the bulb.
* Use the flat side of a butcher knife to remove the skin from the individual cloves. Press firmly with the flat side of a butcher knife on a clove to loosen the skin.

Slicing and Dicing

* Diced garlic is in easily accomplished after the skin is peeled away from the individual cloves. Simply lay the peeled clove on a cutting surface and using a rocking motion with a sharp chef's knife cut the clove into pieces. Then turn the clove and cut it into smaller pieces.
* Minced garlic is best accomplished using a garlic press. When using a garlic press do not peel the skin from the garlic. Place several garlic cloves in the press and press down squeezing the minced garlic out the other side of the press.
* Sliced garlic is thin slices of garlic. A garlic mandoline is the easiest way to make garlic slices. Place the peeled garlic cloves in the mandoline holder and push from the top to the bottom.

Uses for Diced, Minced and Sliced Garlic

* Diced: this version is heartier than the other two. It is best used in soups, stews and in sautés.
* Minced: this version is more delicate than diced and burns easily. It is best used in light sauces, vinaigrettes and salad dressings.
* Sliced: this version is light and delicate and gives a wonderful flavor. It is best used in sauces and with meat.

About the Author

Shauna Hanus is a gourmet cook who specializes in creating gourmet meal plans. She has extensive experience cooking with easy to find grocery items to create delightful gourmet meals. She is also the publisher of a no cost bi-monthly gourmet newsletter. Her newsletter is always fun and informational packed with tips and trivia you can use everyday. http://www.gourmayeats.com

For more information:

Wikipedia: Garlic
Wikipedia Free Encyclopedia's article on 'Garlic'
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garlic

Garlic Central
Garlic Central - For All Things Garlic ... All About Garlic. Garlic Central is a free resource all about garlic - the stinking rose. Whatever your interest in garlic - be it garlic cooking, garlic for health or just ...
http://www.garlic-central.com

Garlic Recipes and Cooking Information
Glorious Garlic recipes, history, selection, storage, usage, health benefits, and the ultimate garlic recipe. ... have to be dodging vampires to love garlic! Garlic (allium sativum) has lovingly been dubbed The ... The edible bulb or head of garlic is composed of smaller cloves ...
http://homecooking.about.com/library/weekly/aa081197.htm

growing garlic
4 page fact sheet on growing garlic at home-realistic advise on varieties, soil needs, when to sow, dealing to problems, storeage. ... Common garlic Allium sativum - Soft neck Garlic, Italian Garlic, Silverskin Garlic. There are two main ...
http://www.naturalhub.com/grow_vegetable_type_garlic.htm

The Garlic Store for Garlic Growing Gardeners and Gourmets
Fresh garlic, garlic planting stock and garlic related foods from The Garlic Store ... Grow your own garlic - we'll show you how! ... You can also plant green garlic through July and have a crop of tasty greens in 6 to 8 weeks ...
http://www.thegarlicstore.com

Gourmet Garlic Gardens - A Garlic Information Center and Boutique
A Garlic Information Center where you learn about the 17 different kinds of garlic. Buy rare gourmet garlics and Alliophile apparral and learn all about garlic and how it affects the human body. ... Burgundy - A Creole/Silverskin Garlic. So many garlics. . . So little time. A Garlic Information Center ...
http://www.gourmetgarlicgardens.com

botanical.com - A Modern Herbal | Garlic - Herb Profile and Information
Providing botanical, folk-lore and herbal information, plus organic herbs, and herbal products. ... Garlic. (Allium sativum LINN.) Garlic ... The Common Garlic a member of the same group of plants as the Onion, is of such antiquity as a cultivated ...
http://www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/g/garlic06.html