Growing GarlicI have always grown garlic. I plant it in the fall and cover it with straw and wait. In the spring you can see the first shoots of the growing garlic coming up through the straw. In early July you watch for the garlic scapes to appear and then you pull them out of the plant to let the energy go to the bulb that is growing in the soil. The scapes are the flower heads of the garlic. 
In late July or early august you pull all the garlic and put it on a screen in a warm,dark place to dry. They need to dry atleast a week or two. Then I cut the stems down and cut off the roots and rub them clean. It is easier if you use gloves.This cleaning is what makes the garlic bulbs look pearly white. As you can see they certainly do not start out that way.There are over 300 varieties of garlic grown world wide. They are divided into two kinds….soft neck and hard neck. I prefer the hard neck because they keep better. My favorite kind is German Hard neck and right behind that is Russian Red which is also a hard neck variety. After the heads are cleaned they can be stored in a dry place in netting for use during the year. 
History shows that garlic dates back to 4000 BC and is native to central Asia. The word garlic comes from the Old English garleac, meaning “spear leek” and is part of the lily family. Egyptians worshiped garlic and placed clay models of garlic bulbs in the tomb of Tutankhamen. Garlic was so highly regarded that it was even used as currency. Last, but not least, garlic is also known for its aphrodisiac properties, which have been extolled through the ages in literature, cooking recipes, and medical journals.It was socially frowned upon in the United States until about 1940. At one time it was known as the “stinking rose”. Garlic has long been considered an herbal wonder drug. And it was used by monks of the middle ages to treat the cold and common flue. Garlic poultices were placed on wounds during World War II as an inexpensive and effective replacement for antibiotics. The allicin in raw, crushed garlic has been shown to kill 23 types of bacteria, including salmonella and staphylococcus. It has also been shown to lower cholesterol by preventing clotting in the arteries. There are A,B,and C. vitamins in garlic and they stimulate the body to fight carcinogens. To top the after effects of eating fresh garlic, herbalists recommend chewing on fresh parsley or fennel seed. When garlic in storage begins to go soft, you can make your own garlic powder. First peel the cloves and cut them into thin slices and put in a dry pan. Put the pan in a 150 degree oven and turn the slices often. You could also use a dehydrator. Grind the dried slices in a blender and then sift through a strainer to separate chunks from finer powder. The chunks can be used on pizza. Store in airtight jars in a cool place or freeze for long term storage.
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