April 19th is National Garlic Day. Garlic has become such a popular food that it has had its own holiday for many years.
Garlic has natural antibiotic properties and is considered a very healthy food.
Greeks and Egyptians considered it to be healthy and valuable. It is also said to ward off vampires.
There are now many garlic festivals throughout the U.S. The most famous Garlic Festival has been held annually in Gilroy, California since 1979. There are several in this general areal including Sussex county fairgrounds (2nd Saturday in October), Poconos (Labor Day weekend) and Easton, PA (2ndnd Saturday in October).
There are an amazing number of varieties of garlic. Each has a unique undertone to garlic’s traditional bite.
It’s also fairly easy to grow. Just save some large cloves from a head of your favorite variety and plant them about an inch underground just before a hard frost in the fall.
Garlic needs rich soils and loose soil so there’s plenty of room to expand.
There are two types – hard-neck and soft-neck. You can tell which is which by whether or not there’s a thick rigid “stick” in the center of the garlic head. Stiff neck garlic doesn’t last as long in storage but has a stronger flavor. It also does better in colder climates.
This is one plant that’s definitely worth the hype.