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?