Post on 31-Jan-2020
Growing Garlic in Minnesota
Larry Cipolla
Life Long Learner, Life Long Gardener
www.ccigardeningconnections.com
cci1@visi.com
Primary Types of Garlic
• Porcelain: pearly white, stiff neck, 4-5 cloves, stronger in taste, tighter skin, e.g., Music, German Extra Hardy
• Rocambole: purple streaked, loose skinned, good flavor, not a long keeper, hot, high in sulfenic acid (chilli-like burning taste, which dissipates quickly, e.g., Killarney Red, Spanish Roja
• Artichoke (aka softneck): some have many cloves, e.g., Inchelium Red, Lorz Italian (20 cloves)
• Red or Spanish: purple, fig-like, some are mild, higher in sugars, e.g., Chesnok Red, Persian Star
Softneck Garlics
• Sold in most supermarkets • Easier to grow
• Easier to plant mechanically
• Long keeper
• Create garlic braids (plaits)
• Imported or Domestically Grown Garlic? • Roots clipped, base is indented (e.g., China, Mexico “innies”)
• Some roots remain, base looks pushed out (e.g., California (“outies”)
Porcelains – Hard neck, stronger taste, 4-6 cloves, long storage, thick scapes
• Music: Italy, sweet, pungent, hot when eaten raw, 4-5 cloves
• Armenian: Armenia, mild, large 4-5 cloves
• German Extra Hardy: Germany, strong raw flavor, high sugar content, not too hot, good roaster, 4-5 cloves
• Georgian Crystal: Republic of Georgia, mild, high allicin content, 4-6 cloves, salsas, pesto
• Romanian Red: Romania, strong, hot with a tingle, roaster, 4-5 cloves easy peel, good storage (aka Red Elephant)
• Vostani: Canada, good flavor, very hot raw, pungent
• Killarney Red: Idaho, very strong, hot, spicy, wet soil conditions
• Spanish Roja: Spain, “true garlic, hot, spicy,” roasts well
• German Red: Germany, hot, spicy, full flavor
• Purple Italian: Italy, rich taste, strong, not overly hot, 8-9 cloves
• Ontario Purple Trillium: Canada, early maturity, rip your lips off, ferocious, 8-12 cloves
Rocamboles – Hardneck, hot, dissipates quickly, complex flavors, 6-11 cloves, easy peel
Artichoke – Softneck, 12-20 cloves, good storage, generally milder • Inchelium Red: Colville Indian Reservation, mild, w/tingle, top rated
softneck in taste, 20 cloves
• Applegate: mild, rich flavor, hint of garlic, pesto, 12-18 cloves
• Lorz Italian: Italy, bold flavor, stores 6-8 months, easy peel
• Italian Late: Italy, pleasing rich flavor, keeps for 6-9 months, braiding, 8-12 cloves
• Kettle River Giant: rich flavor, medium heat, 6-7 months, 10-14 cloves
Red/Purple Stripe or Spanish – hard neck some are milder, others not so much • Chesnok Red: Republic of Georgia, medium hot even when cooked, 7-
10 cloves, best baking garlic, good storage
• Purple Glazer: Republic of Georgia, hot, good baker, 9-12 cloves
• Bogatyr: Russia, one of the spiciest, heat dissipates, 5-7 cloves, 7-8 months
• Metechi: Republic of Georgia, very strong, hot
• Brown Tempest: initially hot, great roasting garlic, 6 cloves
Asian Garlic Varieties
• Asian Rose: strong, very early harvest, stores 5-6 months
• Japanese: hot, early harvest, 4-8 cloves, stores 5 months
• Korean Red: rich, yet mellow, very early harvest, 5-6 months
• Gregory’s China Rose: harvest early, rich, earthy flavor, 6 months
• Thai Fire: rip your lips off hot
• Chinese varieties to really rip you lips off: • Shandong-very hot
• Shantung Purple-hot
• Tzan-very hot
Selected Rip-your-Lips-off Garlic
• Bavarian Purple: hot, strong flavor even when cooked, 6 cloves, medium keeper
• Brown Saxon: eye watering, hot pepper hot, 7-9 cloves
• Czechland Face: hot, sharp taste that lingers, 9 cloves
• Lotus: hot that keeps on giving, 7 cloves
• Ontario Purple Trillium: hot, nasty inferno punch, 9 cloves
• Osage: strong, robust flavor, 8 cloves
• Pennsylvania Dutch: spicy, fire-breathing, eye watering hot, 5-6 cloves
• Wildfire: hot and fiery, 6 cloves
Selected Mild-Moderate Garlic
• Amish Rocambole: medium heat, mild after taste, 9 cloves
• Chinese Purple: great flavor, not too hot, no long aftertaste, 10 cloves
• Early Portugese: sweet taste, full bodied flavor, aftertaste, 7 cloves
• Germandor: very mild, good flavor, French, smaller cloves
• Marie’s Special: good flavor, not too hot, 6-11 cloves
• Penasco Blue: mild rocambole, 8 cloves
• Sicilian Silver: mild, not too hot, 15 cloves
Resources, References
• MN Garlic Festival, Hutchinson, August, one stop for answers, purchases, sample tastings, vendors, fun, food speakers
• www.garlicfarm.ca/garlic-varieties
• www.gourmetgarlicgardens.com
• www.seedsavers.org
• www.johnnyseeds.com
• www.sandhillpreservation.com
• www.seedsofchange.com
• www.territorialseed.com
• www.thedyerfamilyorganicfarm.com
• www.wegrowgarlic.com
cci1@visi.com
Thank you very much for your attention!
• Questions? Concerns?