Re: Understanding Garlic

[AlleyGator]

maxine in ri <[email protected]> wrote:

>From Science News:
>Week of June 4, 2005; Vol. 167, No. 23 , p. 357
>Decoding Garlic's Pizzazz: Extract stimulates taste, temperature
>receptors

Very interesting stuff. What baffles me the most is why I have such a
hard time finding any that is not half-dried and sprouting these days.
Haven't seen any good garlic for a long time.

--
The Doc says my brain waves closely match those of a crazed ferret.
At least now I have an excuse.

 

[Andy]

[email protected] (AlleyGator) wrote in
news:[email protected]:

> maxine in ri <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>>From Science News:
>>Week of June 4, 2005; Vol. 167, No. 23 , p. 357
>>Decoding Garlic's Pizzazz: Extract stimulates taste, temperature
>>receptors
>
> Very interesting stuff. What baffles me the most is why I have such a
> hard time finding any that is not half-dried and sprouting these days.
> Haven't seen any good garlic for a long time.


At Trader Joe's this a.m., I found this huge head of garlic about the
size of a baseball with giant cloves, called "Elephant garlic." I'd seen
something smaller called elephant garlic, but not like what I saw this
a.m. It's supposed to be sweeter so I was told.

Andy

 

[Bubba]

Andy wrote:

>[email protected] (AlleyGator) wrote in
>news:[email protected]:
>
>
>
>>maxine in ri <[email protected]> wrote:
>>
>>>From Science News:
>>
>>
>>>Week of June 4, 2005; Vol. 167, No. 23 , p. 357
>>>Decoding Garlic's Pizzazz: Extract stimulates taste, temperature
>>>receptors
>>>
>>>
>>Very interesting stuff. What baffles me the most is why I have such a
>>hard time finding any that is not half-dried and sprouting these days.
>>Haven't seen any good garlic for a long time.
>>
>>
>
>
>At Trader Joe's this a.m., I found this huge head of garlic about the
>size of a baseball with giant cloves, called "Elephant garlic." I'd seen
>something smaller called elephant garlic, but not like what I saw this
>a.m. It's supposed to be sweeter so I was told.
>
>Andy
>
>
And milder.

--
You wanna measure, or you wanna cook?

 

[itsjoannotjoann]

Andy wrote:

>
> At Trader Joe's this a.m., I found this huge head of garlic about the
> size of a baseball with giant cloves, called "Elephant garlic." I'd seen
> something smaller called elephant garlic, but not like what I saw this
> a.m. It's supposed to be sweeter so I was told.
>
> Andy




Ok, don't scream at me, but didn't I see a show where Alton Brown
("Good Eats)said elephant garlic is really not garlic, but an onion? I
may be wrong, correct me if I am.

 

[Andy]

"itsjoannotjoann" <[email protected]> wrote in
news:[email protected]:

>
>
> Andy wrote:
>
>>
>> At Trader Joe's this a.m., I found this huge head of garlic about the
>> size of a baseball with giant cloves, called "Elephant garlic." I'd
seen
>> something smaller called elephant garlic, but not like what I saw this
>> a.m. It's supposed to be sweeter so I was told.
>>
>> Andy
>
>
>
>
> Ok, don't scream at me, but didn't I see a show where Alton Brown
> ("Good Eats)said elephant garlic is really not garlic, but an onion? I
> may be wrong, correct me if I am.


I dunno. Perhaps you're right. I held that puppy in my hand and thought
I'd shrunk!



Andy

--
"Ladies and gentlemen, The Beatles!"
- Ed Sullivan (1964)

 

[maxine in ri]

On Sun, 05 Jun 2005 13:33:30 -0700, Lou <[email protected]>
connected the dots and wrote:

~On Sun, 5 Jun 2005 11:10:21 -0400, Tony P.
~<[email protected]> wrote:
~
~>In article <[email protected]>,
~>[email protected] says...
~>> maxine in ri <[email protected]> wrote:
~>>
~>> >From Science News:
~>> >Week of June 4, 2005; Vol. 167, No. 23 , p. 357
~>> >Decoding Garlic's Pizzazz: Extract stimulates taste, temperature
~>> >receptors
~>>
~>> Very interesting stuff. What baffles me the most is why I have
such a
~>> hard time finding any that is not half-dried and sprouting these
days.
~>> Haven't seen any good garlic for a long time.
~>
~>I've noticed that recently. The overall quality of produce in
general
~>has been going downhill in recent years. For example, the local
~>supermarket will put oranges that look like they've been through
hell
~>out for $1.00 each. Out of curiosity I bought one, dry and
tasteless.
~>
~>I have yet to see the produce manager show his smiling face. I
wonder
~>why.
~
~Most of the supermarkets here in Socal are selling Garlic heads
packed
~in the plastic netting sleeves, 5 or 6 heads together. Reading the
~label I'm finding it is a product of China. California being the No.
1
~Garlic producing state in the country, importing Chinese Garlic just
~doesn't compute. Although Garlic seems to be Garlic, I'd rather buy
~the domestic stuff and so, have to find a market where they sell
~loose heads and only then, if grown in California. Strange !!!

There are many sorts of garlic. Some friends made me a braid from
their garden, with 7 different cultivars<?>. Some were almost sweet,
others so hot I could barely cook with them. Some only had 4
good-sized cloves, others had dozens it seemed.

I've tried the ones from the Asian market, and they're sort of bland.
The ones I get in the Italian greengrocers around here are the best.

maxine in ri

 

[Ken Davey]

maxine in ri wrote:
> On Sun, 05 Jun 2005 13:33:30 -0700, Lou <[email protected]>
> connected the dots and wrote:
>
> ~On Sun, 5 Jun 2005 11:10:21 -0400, Tony P.
> ~<[email protected]> wrote:
> ~
> ~>In article <[email protected]>,
> ~>[email protected] says...
> ~>> maxine in ri <[email protected]> wrote:
> ~>>
> ~>> >From Science News:
> ~>> >Week of June 4, 2005; Vol. 167, No. 23 , p. 357
> ~>> >Decoding Garlic's Pizzazz: Extract stimulates taste, temperature
> ~>> >receptors
> ~>>
> ~>> Very interesting stuff. What baffles me the most is why I have
> such a
> ~>> hard time finding any that is not half-dried and sprouting these
> days.
> ~>> Haven't seen any good garlic for a long time.
> ~>
> ~>I've noticed that recently. The overall quality of produce in
> general
> ~>has been going downhill in recent years. For example, the local
> ~>supermarket will put oranges that look like they've been through
> hell
> ~>out for $1.00 each. Out of curiosity I bought one, dry and
> tasteless.
> ~>
> ~>I have yet to see the produce manager show his smiling face. I
> wonder
> ~>why.
> ~
> ~Most of the supermarkets here in Socal are selling Garlic heads
> packed
> ~in the plastic netting sleeves, 5 or 6 heads together. Reading the
> ~label I'm finding it is a product of China. California being the No.
> 1
> ~Garlic producing state in the country, importing Chinese Garlic just
> ~doesn't compute. Although Garlic seems to be Garlic, I'd rather buy
> ~the domestic stuff and so, have to find a market where they sell
> ~loose heads and only then, if grown in California. Strange !!!
>
> There are many sorts of garlic. Some friends made me a braid from
> their garden, with 7 different cultivars<?>. Some were almost sweet,
> others so hot I could barely cook with them. Some only had 4
> good-sized cloves, others had dozens it seemed.
>
> I've tried the ones from the Asian market, and they're sort of bland.
> The ones I get in the Italian greengrocers around here are the best.
>
> maxine in ri

I have a neighbour who grows a 'heritage' cultivar of garlic. This garlic
blows all the 'store-bought' stuff out of the water!
In Honduras, where I spend my Winters, I look ( in the mercado central) for
garlic with the roots on. This is a sign that this garlic is locally grown
and not imported from China or the USA. The flavour of the locally grown
product is intense! The imported garlic is, in four words, "not worth the
space".
Commerce has decided to sell us an inferior product.
Don't buy (into) it!

Ken.

 

[Dwayne]

I agree with Ken. Find one you like, break it apart and plant it. I have
been raising my own for about 7 years and this year I will be giving away a
lot more than I will eat. I know mine is organic, fresh and one I enjoy
eating.

Dwayne

"Ken Davey" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> maxine in ri wrote:
>> On Sun, 05 Jun 2005 13:33:30 -0700, Lou <[email protected]>
>> connected the dots and wrote:
>>
>> ~On Sun, 5 Jun 2005 11:10:21 -0400, Tony P.
>> ~<[email protected]> wrote:
>> ~
>> ~>In article <[email protected]>,
>> ~>[email protected] says...
>> ~>> maxine in ri <[email protected]> wrote:
>> ~>>
>> ~>> >From Science News:
>> ~>> >Week of June 4, 2005; Vol. 167, No. 23 , p. 357
>> ~>> >Decoding Garlic's Pizzazz: Extract stimulates taste, temperature
>> ~>> >receptors
>> ~>>
>> ~>> Very interesting stuff. What baffles me the most is why I have
>> such a
>> ~>> hard time finding any that is not half-dried and sprouting these
>> days.
>> ~>> Haven't seen any good garlic for a long time.
>> ~>
>> ~>I've noticed that recently. The overall quality of produce in
>> general
>> ~>has been going downhill in recent years. For example, the local
>> ~>supermarket will put oranges that look like they've been through
>> hell
>> ~>out for $1.00 each. Out of curiosity I bought one, dry and
>> tasteless.
>> ~>
>> ~>I have yet to see the produce manager show his smiling face. I
>> wonder
>> ~>why.
>> ~
>> ~Most of the supermarkets here in Socal are selling Garlic heads
>> packed
>> ~in the plastic netting sleeves, 5 or 6 heads together. Reading the
>> ~label I'm finding it is a product of China. California being the No.
>> 1
>> ~Garlic producing state in the country, importing Chinese Garlic just
>> ~doesn't compute. Although Garlic seems to be Garlic, I'd rather buy
>> ~the domestic stuff and so, have to find a market where they sell
>> ~loose heads and only then, if grown in California. Strange !!!
>>
>> There are many sorts of garlic. Some friends made me a braid from
>> their garden, with 7 different cultivars<?>. Some were almost sweet,
>> others so hot I could barely cook with them. Some only had 4
>> good-sized cloves, others had dozens it seemed.
>>
>> I've tried the ones from the Asian market, and they're sort of bland.
>> The ones I get in the Italian greengrocers around here are the best.
>>
>> maxine in ri
>
> I have a neighbour who grows a 'heritage' cultivar of garlic. This garlic
> blows all the 'store-bought' stuff out of the water!
> In Honduras, where I spend my Winters, I look ( in the mercado central)
> for garlic with the roots on. This is a sign that this garlic is locally
> grown and not imported from China or the USA. The flavour of the locally
> grown product is intense! The imported garlic is, in four words, "not
> worth the space".
> Commerce has decided to sell us an inferior product.
> Don't buy (into) it!
>
> Ken.
>

 

[Richard Kaszeta]

"Dwayne" <[email protected]> writes:
> I agree with Ken. Find one you like, break it apart and plant it. I have
> been raising my own for about 7 years and this year I will be giving away a
> lot more than I will eat. I know mine is organic, fresh and one I enjoy
> eating.

As a regular garlic grower myself (9 different cultivars this year) I
heartily agree. Especially since it's one of the easiest things you
can grow (good weather tolerance, pest-resistant, the deer don't eat
it, and I can just plant it and more or less forget it). That, and
you can also learn the joys of cooking with garlic scapes.


--
Richard W Kaszeta
[email protected]
http://www.kaszeta.org/rich

 

[SBarbour]

Gilroy, California, claims to be the garlic capital of the world, and
Christopher Ranch is the largest garlic grower in Gilroy. A couple of years
ago, they moved a large percentage of their garlic growing and packing
operation to China... seems it's cheaper there.

Living in Gilroy, I can still get locally grown garlic from the smaller
growers. It's definitely fresher and, of course, tastes better too.

Sharon


"Lou" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> On Sun, 5 Jun 2005 11:10:21 -0400, Tony P.
> <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> >In article <[email protected]>,
> >[email protected] says...
> >> maxine in ri <[email protected]> wrote:
> >>
> >> >From Science News:
> >> >Week of June 4, 2005; Vol. 167, No. 23 , p. 357
> >> >Decoding Garlic's Pizzazz: Extract stimulates taste, temperature
> >> >receptors
> >>
> >> Very interesting stuff. What baffles me the most is why I have such a
> >> hard time finding any that is not half-dried and sprouting these days.
> >> Haven't seen any good garlic for a long time.
> >
> >I've noticed that recently. The overall quality of produce in general
> >has been going downhill in recent years. For example, the local
> >supermarket will put oranges that look like they've been through hell
> >out for $1.00 each. Out of curiosity I bought one, dry and tasteless.
> >
> >I have yet to see the produce manager show his smiling face. I wonder
> >why.
>
> Most of the supermarkets here in Socal are selling Garlic heads packed
> in the plastic netting sleeves, 5 or 6 heads together. Reading the
> label I'm finding it is a product of China. California being the No. 1
> Garlic producing state in the country, importing Chinese Garlic just
> doesn't compute. Although Garlic seems to be Garlic, I'd rather buy
> the domestic stuff and so, have to find a market where they sell
> loose heads and only then, if grown in California. Strange !!!