Garlic Health Benefits and Uses
Garlic health benefits and medicinal properties have long been
known. Garlic has long been considered a herbal "wonder drug", with
a reputation for preventing everything from the common cold and flu
to the Plague! It has been used extensively in herbal medicine (phytotherapy,
sometimes spelt phitotherapy).
Raw garlic is used by some to treat the symptoms of acne and there
is some evidence that it can assist in managing high cholesterol
levels. It can even be effective as a natural mosquito repellent.
In
general, a stronger tasting clove of garlic has more sulphur content
and hence more medicinal value.
Garlic Facts and Myths
Did you know that one clove of garlic is ten times stronger pushed through a garlic press than one clove minced fine with a sharp knife?
Did you know that the Roman historian, Pliny, lists no less than sixty-one medicinal uses for garlic?
A few are:
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Vampires flee from it.
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Will cure a cold.
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Will cure warts.
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Will stop fainting spells.
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Wards off the evil eye.
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Will grow hair.
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A restorative for failing masculine powers.
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Alleviates high blood pressure.
Linda's Favorite Garlic Recipes:
Cafe Terra Cotta Garlic Custard
Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Garlicky Accordian Potatoes
Hot Garlic-Parmesan Souffle'
Poached Garlic Soup
Roasted Garlic
Roasted Garlic Dipping Sauce with Fresh Ginger & Tamari
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Garlic Sayings:
"Tomatoes and oregano make it Italian; wine and tarragon make it French.
Sour cream makes it Russian; lemon and cinnamon make it Greek. Soy sauce
makes it Chinese; garlic makes it good!"
- Alice May Brock
"A nickel will get you on the subway, but garlic
will get you a seat."
- Old New York
Yiddish Saying
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Garlic (Allium sativum L.), a member of the onion family, has
been cultivated for thousands of years and is widely used for both
its culinary and medicinal attributes. As Americans have become more
accustomed to garlic flavor and knowledgeable about the many health
benefits of eating garlic, popularity of this crop has increased.
Most
garlic in the U.S. is grown in the mild climate of northern
California. Varieties adapted to mild climates and then grown in
cold climates often do not perform well and usually develop a very
"hot" flavor. Garlic is an adaptable species, however, and over
thousands of years, varieties have been selected that grow well in
cold climates, often with better garlic flavor than the varieties
grown in mild climates.
Garlic is available year round, but is freshest between March and
August.
Garlic is available in forms other than fresh,
such as powder, flakes, oil, and puree.
Did you know - the elephant garlic
is not a true garlic and is actually much milder than white garlic.
Selecting Garlic
When selecting garlic, it should be big, plump and firm, tight silky skins with its paper-like covering intact, not spongy, soft, or shriveled. Why buy small ones that are a pain to peel?
As with all ingredients for cooking, buy the best
garlic you can afford.
Also remember that a single bulb of garlic usually
contains between ten and twenty individual cloves of garlic. The
individual cloves are covered with a fine pinkish/purple skin, and the head of
cloves is then covered with white papery outer skin.
When preparing garlic for cooking, remove any green sprouts from
the center of the garlic clove, as the sprouts add an unpleasant bitterness.
Garlic
Equivalents
1
head or bulb of garlic = (about) 10 to 15 cloves.
1 small garlic clove =
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic =
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder =
1/4 teaspoon garlic juice = 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1 medium garlic clove
= 1 teaspoon minced garlic = 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 large garlic clove
= 2 teaspoons minced garlic = 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 extra-large garlic
clove = 1 tablespoon minced garlic
Storing Garlic
Unbroken garlic bulbs will keep for up to 3 to 4 months. Individual cloves will keep from 5 to 10 days. Store in a cool, dark, and dry location (dampness is the
enemy of garlic, so store away from stove and sink). If the cloves sprout, the garlic is still usable and the sprouts can be used for salads.
Cooking With Garlic
Be careful not to overcook or brown garlic when sautéing in oil. If overcooked, it will become bitter and unpleasant tasting. Minced garlic usually cooks in less than 1 minute. Do not have the cooking oil too hot.
When sautéing onions and garlic in a recipe, add the onions first. When the onions are just about done, add the garlic.
Sautéing Garlic - Sautéing is the most common method used for
cooking garlic. It will bring out the nutty but savory flavor of the
garlic. Garlic can be sautéed in oil or butter but be careful is
using butter because is will burn much faster than oil.
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Select a pan or
skillet with a heavy bottom that will provide for even heating.
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Heat the oil or
butter over medium heat and then add the garlic.
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The garlic
should be stirred often to prevent burning.
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If cooking with
other ingredients that take longer to cook, such as onions,
start cooking the other ingredients and allow them to start to
cook before adding the garlic.
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Garlic Turning Blue or Green
Latest Findings:
Journal of
Agricultural and Food Chemistry, Volume 54, Issue 3 (February 08,
2006), p. 843-847,
Identification of Two Novel Pigment Precursors and a
Reddish-Purple Pigment Involved in the Blue-Green Discoloration of
Onion and Garlic, wri tten
by Shinsuke Imai, Kaori Akita, Muneaki Tomotake,
and
Hiroshi Sawada.
Abstract:
By using a model reaction system representing blue-green
discoloration that occurs when purees of onion (Allium cepa
L.) and garlic (Allium sativum L.) are mixed, we isolated two
pigment precursors (PPs) and a reddish-purple pigment (PUR-1) and
determined their chemical structures. PPs were isolated from a
heat-treated solution containing color developer (CD) and either
L-valine or
L-alanine, and their
structures were determined as
2-(3,4-dimethylpyrrolyl)-3-methylbutanoic acid (PP-Val), and
2-(3,4-dimethyl-1H-pyrrolyl) propanoic acid (PP-Ala), respectively.
Next, PUR-1 was isolated from a heat-treated solution containing
PP-Val and allicin, and its structure was determined as (1E)-1-(1-((1S)-1-carboxy-2-methylpropyl)-3,4-dimethyl-1H-pyrrol-2-yl)-prop-1-enylene-3-(1-((1S)-1-carboxy-2-methylpropyl)-3,4-dimethyl-1H-pyrrol-2-ylidenium).
The structure of PUR-1 suggested that PP molecules containing a
3,4-dimethyl pyrrole ring had been cross-linked by an allyl group of
allicin to form conjugated pigments. While PUR-1 is a dipyrrole
compound exhibiting a reddish-purple color, a color shift toward
blue to green can be expected as the cross-linking reaction
continues to form, for example, tri- or tetrapyrrole compounds.
What the above means:
The discoloration is due to pigments
that form between sulfur compounds in garlic and amino acids. When
the garlic tissue is disrupted, as happens in processing, an enzyme
is liberated and reacts with it to form thiosulfinates compounds
that then react with the natural amino acids in the garlic to form
blue pigments. The age of garlic determines how much isoalliin there
is in the first place, and the nature of the processing determines
how much enzyme is liberated.
Original
thoughts and ideas:
Garlic is known to contain sulfur compounds which can react with
minute traces of copper to
form copper sulfate, a blue or blue-green compound. The amount of
copper needed for this reaction is very small and is frequently
found in normal water supplies. Raw garlic contains an enzyme that
if not inactivated by heating reacts with sulfur (in the garlic) and
copper (from water or utensils) to form blue copper sulfate. The
garlic is still safe to eat.
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If fresh garlic is picked before it is fully mature and hasn't been
properly dried, it can turn and iridescent blue or green color when
in the presence of an acid. It may be caused by an allinin
derivative.
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A reaction
between garlic's natural sulfur content and any copper in your water
supply, or in the cooking utensils your are using (such as cast iron, tin,
or aluminum) can
sometimes change the color of garlic.
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The other
sources of copper might be butter, lemon juice, or vinegar.
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Garlic will also turn green (develop chlorophyll) if exposed to
an temperature change or is exposed to sunlight. Some people say it
can be stored for 32 days at or above 70 - 80° F to prevent greening
(but I'm not yet sure that is true).
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Are you using table salt instead of
kosher or canning salt? That can
cause the garlic to turn blue or green. Table salt contains
iodine, which discolors whatever you're pickling. Use kosher or
pickling salt.
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Different varieties or growing conditions can actually
produce garlic with an excess natural bluish/green pigmentation
(anthocyanins*)
made more visible after pickling.
* Any of various water-soluble pigments
that impart to flowers and other plant parts colors ranging from
violet and blue to most shades of red. This pigment is produced
after chlorophyll is destroyed due to environmental changes.
This is a variable phenomenon that is more pronounced for
immature garlic but can differ among cloves within a single head
of garlic. If you grow your own garlic, be sure to mature it at
room temperature for a couple of weeks before using it.
Don't worry, greenish-blue color changes aren't harmful and your
garlic is still safe to eat. (unless you see other signs of
spoilage).
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