March/April 2006 Backwoods Home Magazine
By Alice Brantley Yeager nized garlic as an important health
Photos by James O. Yeager
G
arlic is one of our oldest
herbs on record. Anyone
can grow garlic without
having to hover over it,
hoping that it produces. That’s far
more than I can say about some other
seasoning plants I have tried.
Gardeners who can’t raise garlic can’t
raise dust. There are many varieties
of garlic and some grow better in a
cool climate than a warm one, but
you can bet there’s one or more
suited for every area. In addition
to cultivated garlic, Nature has
provided us with a number of
wild varieties free for the
gathering. There’s no excuse
for being unfamiliar with
garlic.
Not all herbs are as uni-
versally well known as gar-
lic. It is often mentioned in
old writings, and its usage
has widened over the cen-
turies thanks to people who
carried the herb from one
place to another as they
roamed Planet Earth.
However, from way back, folks
have had mixed feelings about
garlic. Some have hated it with a
purple passion, whereas others
have declared it a cure-all. Ancient
Egyptians regarded it highly—a pres-
ent from the gods—and Egyptian
slaves refused to work if their por-
tions of garlic were withheld.
No one is sure where garlic origi-
nated. The Chinese have benefited
from it for centuries, and the
Babylonians were using garlic as far
back as 3,000 B.C. No matter where
it came from, ancient folks recog-
46
so on. Eaten raw, even though its
ally and a tasty addition to their food.
Due to garlic being easy to grow
and widely distributed, it is generally
known as the common man’s herb. It
has great value for seasoning meats,
soups, cooked vegetables, salads, and
Garlic’s flower stalks tower over the
plants themselves. When flowers die
back and plant goes into dormancy
during summer, it’s time to dig bulbs.
Flowers are often dried and used in
dried flower arrangements.
onion-like flavor is delicious, garlic is
a turn off in polite society. Sadly, a
raw garlic breath will not depart
overnight. It takes all of two days to
fade away, and that’s not guaranteed.
Ironically, the offending person may
take comfort in the fact that garlic is
loaded with health benefits.
In contrast to its obnoxious side,
garlic has a valuable side. it carries a
goodly amount of B and C vitamins,
protein, phosphorus, and smaller
amounts of other health boosters
such as calcium, iron, and potassi-
um. Garlic has long been recog-
nized for its medicinal values,
among which is the lowering of
high blood pressure.
For those who take folk
remedies seriously, garlic is
well known as a remedy for
sore throats, colds, coughs,
and related illnesses. A
soothing syrup is made by
pouring a quart of boiling
water over a pound of
cleaned, sliced garlic cloves
and allowing mixture to stand
covered overnight. (Use stain-
less steel, porcelain or glass—
no aluminum.) It is then strained
through fine gauze or a fine stain-
less wire strainer to remove cloves
or pieces thereof. Enough sugar,
honey, or both are added to the
strained liquid to make a thin syrup.
This can be administered by table-
spoonful as needed.
To add further to garlic’s acclaimed
benefits, history records that during
the 17th century, when England was
caught up in the Great Plague, many
people who used garlic were the only
ones who could minister to plague

victims without contracting the dis-
ease themselves. Coming a little clos-
er to modern times, it is said Russia
once relied so heavily on the use of
garlic for its soldiers that garlic
became known as Russian penicillin.
There are now odorless capsules on
the market for those who prefer a
simple way to ingest garlic. To bol-
ster one’s confidence about no after-
effects, however, I’d ask the pharma-
cist for the best thing to use “just in
case.” Chewing fresh mint, parsley, or
orange peelings is often recommend-
ed after eating salads or something
that contains raw garlic.
Garlic is a perennial that, in the
South, comes up in the fall from
cloves left in the ground when the
crop was harvested. The plant pro-
duces green strap-like leaves that
remain green all winter. Extreme cold
will cause mature leaves to toughen,
but there always seems to be a supply
of fresh tender leaves coming on to
use as seasoning in case one’s supply
of cloves runs low. Try cooking a few
chopped leaves in with potato soup.
This not only has eye appeal but it
enhances the flavor of the soup.
Early spring is the best overall time
to plant garlic, and if there are odd
spots in the garden that aren’t needed
to grow something else, try utilizing
them to grow garlic. Such places may
be next to fences or in corners. Like
many other plants, garlic needs sun-
light, good soil, and reasonable
drainage. A dressing of well rotted
compost will help, too. In other
words, garlic isn’t fussy about its
location as long as a few simple rules
are followed.
I plant garlic cloves about 2 inches
deep and 6 to 7 inches apart in well-
worked soil that is free of weeds. We
have raised beds 4x8 feet in size, and
about a half bed of garlic produces
plenty of cloves for our own use.
Plants will start their life cycle in
early spring and, as summer
approaches, will put up tall flower
stalks. Foliage will die down in hot
weather, and cloves are ready to be
March/April 2006 Backwoods Home Magazine
Elephant garlic has been washed of dirt and is now ready to have thin skin
removed along with blemishes and tough root portions. Sliced into
thin slices, it will be dehydrated until slices are crisp. Also shown
are trays of sweet basil leaves ready for the drying.
dug when plants are completely dor- and process in an electric dehydrator
mant. Don’t wait to harvest until fall at 100° to 120° F. Time required to
showers begin as new growth is likely dry garlic slices may vary according
to occur. to humidity, altitude, etc. In our area,
A garden fork is best for digging garlic slices require several hours or
garlic bulbs. Spades have a tendency overnight to dry. Pieces will be crisp
to slice into the bulbs, damaging and break easily when ready to
some of them. Letting the newly dug remove from the dehydrator. Let
cloves lie in a cool shady place for 2 them cool off and immediately put
to 3 days will let the clinging dirt dry them in clean, dry jars. Store in a
out, and it will be easier to brush convenient place such as a kitchen
away than fresh dirt. pantry.
We prefer to raise Elephant Garlic. Dried garlic does not have to be
It is a type of garlic that produces an reconstituted before use. Crumble the
exceptional crop in our Zone 8 area desired amount of garlic into your
(southwestern Arkansas). Elephant casserole, stew, etc., and let it cook
has large bulbs and cloves and is mild with the rest of the ingredients.
tasting. We like to clean the dirt from If you have a tried-and-true method
a quantity of the cloves, put them in of dehydrating, by all means stick
mesh bags, and hang them near the with it. However, if you are not expe-
kitchen where they are easily accessi- rienced in drying produce from your
ble. They will keep for months in any garden, I’d highly recommend buying
dry, cool room. an electric dehydrator. This method
Another way of keeping garlic for of drying cuts out a lot of guesswork
culinary use is to dehydrate it. I like and, if taken care of, an electric dehy-
this method of preserving garlic as a drator will give years of service. Be
lot of garlic can be easily stored in sure it has a thermostat so that you do
jars in a small amount of space. not have to be constantly checking on
Simply clean fresh cloves thoroughly whatever you are drying. A good
and remove thin skins, root ends, and dehydrator must have a fan to aid in
any blemishes. Slice cloves into thin ventilation. Those without fans may
slices, place on mesh drying racks,
47
March/April 2006 Backwoods Home Magazine
have hot spots in them, which can
lead to unevenly dried food.
Timers are okay, but they’re not
necessary, as you’re going to check
on your items from time to time any-
how, and drying times will vary.
Check out several models of dehy-
drators and select one that meets your
needs. Let common sense be your
guide as to overall size needed and
cost. Frankly, I’d recommend placing
a dehydrator somewhere other than
the kitchen when in use. Some items,
such as garlic, being dried can pro-
duce heavy odors that tend to invade
the entire house. Also, there’s usually
some noise attached to using an elec-
tric dehydrator.
Garlic’s benefits are not confined to
the many delicious dishes coming out
of the kitchen. It is also used in
organic sprays to control insects in
the garden and to discourage deer and
other animals from munching on cer-
tain shrubs. We cat and dog owners
often put some minced garlic in our
pets’ wet food to kill intestinal
worms.
The many facets of garlic go on and
on. If you don’t have garlic growing
in your garden, what are you waiting
for?
Roasted garlic:
Select large garlic bulbs or clusters
of attached garlic cloves. Clean and
prepare as many as needed for guests,
but at least one per person. Handle
clusters of cloves gently to avoid too
much separation.
Cut tops off of bulbs or clusters and
discard or use for something else.
Brush with olive oil. Sprinkle with
freshly minced sweet basil leaves,
rosemary or herb of your choice.
(Dried herbs may be substituted if
fresh ones are not available.)
Wrap each bulb or cluster in alu-
minum foil, and place on a cookie
sheet or shallow baking pan. Bake at
350° F, for about 35-40 minutes or
until soft.
Serve alongside cooked meats or
vegetable dishes.
48
Crusty garlic bread:
Companies offering several
1-pound loaf French bread types of garlic, including
½ cup butter or good grade oleo, Elephant Garlic:
melted
3-4 small garlic cloves, minced R. H. Shumway’s
2 Tbsp. fresh parsley, finely 334 W. Stroud St.
chopped Randolph,WI 53956-1274
French bread seems to be the pre-
ferred bread for this recipe, although J.W. Jung Seed Co.
other breads are good, too. Select a 335 S. High St.
crusty type bread rather than a soft, Randolph,WI 53957-0001
sandwich type bread.
Slice French loaf lengthwise and Henry Field’s Seed & Nursery Co.
place both halves cut-side up on a P.O. Box 397
baking sheet. Combine butter and Aurora, IN 47001-0397
garlic and brush over cut sides of
bread. Sprinkle with minced parsley. Boil potatoes until tender in just
Bake in 350° F oven about 7-8 min- enough water to cover. Saute bell
utes and then move bread to broil 4-6 pepper and garlic in margarine until
inches beneath heat until golden tender crisp and add pepper and pars-
brown, usually about 2 minutes. Keep ley. Combine thoroughly with hot
a close watch so as not to burn. potatoes. This is a good side dish to
Cut into 2 inch slices and serve be served with meat. ∆
warm.
Guacamole dip:
1 ripe avocado, peeled, mashed,
seed discarded
1 Tbsp. onion, minced
½ tsp. chili powder
1 small clove garlic, cleaned and
minced
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 medium ripe tomato, peeled and
chopped in small pieces. (Dip
tomato in boiling water just
long enough to slip off skin.)
Combine all ingredients and chill in
covered container (no aluminum).
Serve with corn chips or veggie sticks Matthew Hiscock, of Dorset, England,
(carrot, bell pepper, cucumber, etc.) in his family’s strawberry patch.
New potatoes with garlic:
Send your country moment photos to:
16-18 New potatoes, cleaned and
Backwoods Home Magazine
quartered (do not peel)
PO Box 712
¼ cup melted margarine
Gold Beach, OR 97444
¼ tsp. ground black pepper
Please send a return envelope if
1 small bell pepper, chopped
you’d like your photo returned.
2 medium cloves garlic, peeled and
Please include your phone number along
minced
with information about the photo.
2 Tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped fine