7 Facts About The Little Yet Nutritious Purple Garlic

About Garlic and Purple Garlic:

Garlic (Allium sativum) is a species of bulbous flowering plant in the genus Allium. Its close relatives include the onion, shallot, leek, chive, Welsh onion and Chinese onion. It is native to Central Asia and northeastern Iran and has long been a common seasoning worldwide, with a history of several thousand years of human consumption and use. It was known to ancient Egyptians and has been used as both a food flavoring and a traditional medicine. China produces 76% of the world’s supply of garlic.

Etymology

The word garlic derives from Old English, garlēac, meaning gar (spear) and leek, as a ‘spear-shaped leek’.

Description

Allium sativum is a perennial flowering plant growing from a bulb. It has a tall, erect flowering stem that grows up to 1 m (3 ft). The leaf blade is flat, linear, solid, and approximately 1.25–2.5 cm (0.5–1.0 in) wide, with an acute apex. The plant may produce pink to purple flowers from July to September in the Northern Hemisphere.

The bulb is odoriferous and contains outer layers of thin sheathing leaves surrounding an inner sheath that encloses the clove. Often the bulb contains 10 to 20 cloves that are asymmetric in shape, except for those closest to the center. If garlic is planted at the proper time and depth, it can be grown as far north as Alaska. It produces hermaphrodite flowers. It is pollinated by bees, butterflies, moths, and other insects.

Same event or what, foodstuffs with the word purple are of higher quality than their counterparts.

Like purple tea, purple cabbage, purple carrots, and the list goes on.

What all these purple products have in common is that they are rich in anthocyanins: a powerful antioxidant that boosts immunity and prevents cancer.

Shouldn’t we open another purple food item that is very common in our kitchen?

PURPLE GARLIC.

1. Purple Garlic is Different Than The White Garlic

But before that, let’s find out what it really is.

What Is Purple Garlic?

Purple garlic, or purple stripe garlic, is one of the hard-necked varieties of garlic that has purple stripes on the outer shell.

It has less easily peeled cloves with an intense aroma, spicy taste and higher allicin content. The small round stalk in the middle of the cloves is another sign of purple garlic.

It is botanically classified as Allium Sativum var. ophioscorodon is in the same genus and family as the onion.

Many countries produce purple garlic, which is better known than others, Italian, Spanish, Australian, Mexican, Tasmanina, Chinese and Russian.

Purple vs. White Garlic

Purple garlic is smaller than the white one and contains fewer cloves.

If we talk about the taste, purple striped garlic has a milder odor and taste and lasts longer than white.

However, white garlic has a much longer shelf life than purple garlic.

The table below can help you differentiate purple and white garlic in detail:

2. Purple Garlic Is Highly Nutritious

Garlic is a rich source of minerals and other nutrients.

The table below shows the nutrients, their amount per unit and the percentage of daily requirement.

3. Italian Purple Garlic Is The Best Type

Italian garlic is most famous for its mild flavor, longer shelf life and early harvest.

The average size of Italian purple garlic is larger, that is, it has a radius of about 2.5 cm, its shape is round, with a thick central scape, 8-10 cloves have a cream color.

The outer layers have non-uniform purple streaks.

They are very spicy, but they also have a slight sweetness. It is harvested in summer.

Italian purple garlic is famous because it’s ready to be harvested much earlier than soft-necked garlic.

It also has a longer shelf life, unlike other purple garlics, which have a lower shelf life.

Italian purple garlic is not very strong in taste. In fact, the flavor and smell are between the strongest and weakest garlic.

4. Purple Garlic Sold in the US Comes From Mexico

Most purple garlic sold in Texas comes from San Jose de Magdalena, Mexico, and is available from mid-March to early June. As usual, there are fewer cloves in a larger bulb.

Its stronger taste owes to the high content of Allicin compounds in it.

The reason why we do not see it often in the products section of our markets is that it has a shorter shelf life. As such, they are not a desirable choice for retailers.

But there are specialty markets in Houston, Dallas, and South Texas where purple garlic is readily available.

Tips for Removing Garlic Smell from Your Fingers: When washing your hands, rub your fingers against the rim of your kitchen’s stainless steel sink or faucet. Because the smelly Sulfur molecules in your hand are attached to the stainless steel molecules and the smell becomes natural.

5. Purple Garlic Can Be Best Used in the Following Ways

Purple garlic or red-purple garlic is consumed raw as well as used in cooking.

Chop or crush garlic is much better than simply peeling it.

Why is it better to crush?

Because as soon as the clove is cut or crushed, it is exposed to the oxygen in the air and as a result, sulfur compounds are released.

For this reason, it is often recommended by chefs to wait for a while after crushing garlic before using it.

Purple garlic can be used as traditional garlic for sautéing, baking or cooking as usual.

6. Purple Garlic Can be Easily Grown At Home

The best time to grow garlic is between November and December before the first frost. Because in this case the cloves have time to sprout and take root.

Purple garlic seeds are cloves and there is no specific method for planting purple garlic in a pot or garden.

It is recommended to always wear garden protective gloves before mixing the soil.

So, simply put, remove the outer husk of the garlic that covers the entire bulb and separate the cloves.

You don’t need to peel the skin of the cloves. Select a few large cloves and plant them 2 inches deep, spaced 5-6 inches apart using the spiral drill.

Keep it moist because it needs it to grow better and faster.

Finally, the right time to harvest is when the lower leaves begin to dry out, dig up, brush the soil and let it dry for two weeks, then store.

Purple Garlic Plant & Wild Garlic Purple Flower Looks Elegant

7. Purple Garlic Recipe: Roasted Chicken with Purple Garlic

Several recipes involve purple garlic as the main ingredient, the famous among which is Roasted Chicken with Purple Garlic. So, let’s learn how to make this.

Course: Main course

Cuisine: American

Time Required: 15 min.

Cook time: 1 ½ hour

Serving: 6-8 persons

Ingredients

1 whole chicken with giblets removed

5 whole bulbs of purple garlic (Don’t slice or crush the garlic)

2 lemon sliced in wedges

1 bunch of fresh marjoram (marjoram substitutes like thyme is also preferred)

3 tbs Olive oil

1 tsp Salt and ½ tsp black pepper

A few tbs of butter for basting

Precaution

If you are a beginner in knife skills, always use cut-resistant kitchen gloves.

Directions

Step 1

Set the oven heat to 430°F.

Step 2

Slice off the tip of each garlic bulb from both ends. Also, don’t throw the loose ends, they’ll be used later.

Step 3

Now place these garlic bulbs upside down in a bigger pan evenly and brush their exposed tops with oil.

Step 4

If chicken is frozen, defrost for at least 2 hours or use a defrost tray that can defrost in less time.

Stuff the hollow part of the chicken with the previously chopped loose garlic cloves and the lemon wedges of 1 lemon. Tie chicken legs to prevent any of the stuffing from falling out.

Step 5

Brush the chicken with olive oil and sprinkle salt plus black pepper on the chicken. Now place the chicken on the top of the garlic in the pan.

Step 6

Place the pan in the oven and roast it for 20-40 minutes depending upon the size of the chicken. Keep basting the chicken every 10 minutes or when you see the chicken dry.Don’t forget to baste the garlic bulbs as well when you baste the chicken

Step 7

Check by cutting between the leg and the wing. If the juices start to run here as well, the chicken is ready.

Conclusion

The word purple in garlic means that it is rich in anthocyanin, a powerful antioxidant. So when we say purple garlic, it means that it has much more antioxidants than white garlic.

Would you prefer purple garlic in your meals? If yes, why? Share your views on this garlic variety in the comments section below.

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