Garlic is ubiquitous. We mince it into our favorite cooking recipes–its assertive aroma fills our kitchens and its complex odor lingers on our breath, its pungent flavor keeps us coming back for more. It’s a staple for those who love to cook and for those who enjoy its gastronomic rewards.
Garlic is steeped in legends that lend an air of mystery to its long list of desirable attributes. Ancient peoples believed that many diseases were the result of evil spells cast upon “wrongdoers”. Garlic was thought to possess magical powers that fought against evils, thus it was used in charms and incantations. In the Middle Ages, garlic was considered strong enough to counter the powers of the evil eye and demonic forces.
For centuries garlic’s medicinal properties have been highly valued, and today its health related transformative qualities remain an effective resource. It is hailed by contemporary herbalists for its internal and external antiseptic, antibacterial and antimicrobial properties. It has been used to treat intestinal worms in both animals and in humans. And it is effective for maintaining healthy blood cholesterol levels.
One of my favorite things to do in autumn is to plant garlic. It is a reliable harbinger of spring as its green shoots reach up through the cool soil. I plant individual cloves with the pointed ends up, submerged in only two inches of soil. The never ending, remarkable surprise is that one individual clove yields a full head of garlic–it’s exponential. I harvest it in midsummer and then cure it through a simple drying process. I prefer to hang each individual garlic stalk from the ceiling in a cool dry location in my home until I am ready to use it. There is the additional option of cutting the lengthy flowering stalk on each plant, called a garlic scape. This removal of the stalk gives the garlic plant the opportunity to redirect its full energy back to the plant, instead of to the flower, for an increase in bulb size.
I would like to invite you to fully enjoy the robust flavor, herbal health benefits and gardening pleasure of garlic.