Garlic (Allium sativam) has two sub-species softnecks and hardnecks. We grow only hardneck garlic.

Hardnecks:
The hardneck refers to the scape that later produces a flower. They are favored by chefs for having exceptional flavor and large easy to peel cloves.

Garlic Seed & Culinary/Table Garlic – The only difference between seed and culinary/table garlic is that the larger bulbs are used for seed and the smaller for culinary or table garlic. All the bulbs have the same flavor, taste and have large cloves. However, the smaller bulbs have a longer shelf life.

Gourmet Varieties
Hardneck varieties of garlic are the more dramatic with fewer but larger cloves. They have less of an outer bulb wrapper. As they grow, they produce a stalk that coils from the top called a “scape” or garlic flower. Scapes can be harvested and used for creative cooking before the garlic itself is actually harvested.

We grow 20 varieties from 7 groups of hardneck garlic. They are:

Porcelain Group- May be the most beautiful garlic’s of all. Their bulb wrappers tend to be very thick, luxuriant and parchment-like and tightly cover their few, but large cloves. They are the densest of all garlic’s. Named for their white skin wrappers, but can have, depending on environmental conditions, have light hues of pink, purple or tan. Porcelains are known for their high content of allicin. The allicin attributes to their hot sulfurous flavor. Allicin helps lower cholesterol, increases circulation and boosts the immune system. They are characterized by a scape with loose and somewhat random coils before straightening out. Plants are vibrant and sturdy in the garden. Bulbs are generally large with smooth white skins and contain 4 to 6 cloves. This characteristic is great for cooks. Double cloves are rare. Bulbs store for about 5 – 7 months. Generally performs well in cold climates.

Music– Brought from Italy by Al Music. One of the most popular hardnecks. Easy to grow in cold temp and very hardy. Music garlic has a very high content of allicin. The plants are tall, finish late and produce large bulbs containing 4 to 5 huge cloves. Clove wrappers have an attractive purple color. Dense, full and rich with medium heat. Spicy raw but mellows to a balanced garlicky flavor when cooked.

German White– Originally from Canada. A rich strong bright white late porcelain with a bit of heat but not too hot with a strong robust flavor. Uniform in appearance and taste. Hardy and productive plants that average 4 to 6 very large cloves. Cloves are fat and hard. Great for roasting. Stores well. A favorite and called the “workhorse porcelain”.

Romanian Red– Originally from Romania. Romanian adds a long lasting hot and spicy bite to any dish. Yields a high amount of Allicin. Although pungent, it has an excellent flavor. Great secret ingredient for barbecue sauce. A hot strong porcelain that stores well. Beautiful large bulbs vary in color from all white to streaked red and white. Bulbs contain 2-6 round cloves. Matures late with a strong garlic smell.

Georgia Fire– Originally from Russia, Georgia Fire organic hardneck garlic has an exceptionally hot flavor when eaten raw – which makes it a great choice for salsa. Like most porcelains, it is large and beautiful garlic with rich, robust flavor that is strong and has a lingering aftertaste. Averages 4-6 large cloves per bulb.

Georgia Crystal– Clean, fresh, tasking garlic with a vastly superior flavor. Georgia Crystal adds the perfect crisp taste to stir-fries, vegetables, chicken and fish. The light flavors combine well with root vegetables, cabbage, chicken, seafood and fish. The mellow, raw flavor is great in uncooked dips and salsa. Their bulbs contain on average 4-7 very large cloves.  This garlic has a very pure flavor with no earthiness.

Yugoslavian Red– This garlic has a pungent garlic aroma and a strong, hot spicy taste that fades to sweet in the mouth. It holds up well with long cooking times. It’s thick tough reddish wrapper makes it excellent for storing. Bulbs harvest midseason.

Italian Red– Originated in Italy, 10-12 cloves per bulb. A very attractive white think bulb with a lot of purples, browns and red layered across a white background. Bulbs are usually quite uniform and very large in size. Grows well in wet conditions. Flavor is mild but richly complex with a bit of hat which is long lasting but seldom harsh tasting. This garlic lends itself well to being used either raw or uncooked. It provides a not overly hot flavor with a pleasant non-sulfurous aftertaste. Due to its high sugar content, it caramelizes well.

Creole Group– Creole garlics have 8 to 12 cloves per bulb, arranged perfectly symmetrical around the center stem. They are unique in appearance, clove configuration and color. They are gorgeous to look at with a taste that is full, but pleasantly warm. Creole garlics have a  lovely deep rose color that becomes prettier the more layers you peel off, revealing clove covers that are almost red with delicate, burgundy vertical streaks. Creoles are easily grown in southern climates and anywhere in he USDA hardiness zones 7-10. They are much more tolerant of adverse weather conditions. They can be large hardy garlics and grow where other kinds can’t.

Aglio Rosso– A delicious rare garlic from southern Italy. It gets hotter the longer it is stored. It is milder in the fall, medium in the winter and strong/hot in the spring. It has a rather rich, musky, earthy flavor and a noticeable bite, but it is still on the light side most of the year. It stores lie a rock and grows well over most of the country.

Marbled Purple Stripes Group– The sweetest baking garlic’s of all. Bulbs actually look more similar to Rocamboles than Purple Stripes, but genetic analysis places them closer to Purple Stripes. A typical bulb has 4 to 7 cloves. These plants are very vigorous in cold climates.

Bogatyr– Originated in the former East Germany. An exciting purple stripe that lasts longer than some of the other hardnecks. Best described as true garlic flavor without the heat. It is another cooking favorite. An excellent flavor perfect for Italian dishes and garlic bread. Gorgeous dark purple brown bulbs that are vigorous and easy to grow. Grows very well in cool wet weather. Approximately 6 to 8 cloves per. Stores well.

Metechi – Said to originate from the Republic of Georgia. Not the largest bulbs but beautiful purple and white striped. Very uniform bulbs are squat and plump in appearance with purple streaked wrappers averaging 5 to 7 cloves that are easy to peel. Plants are short statured with narrow, almost horizontal leaves at maturity.  It has been described as Great Bulbs of Fire. Deliciously sharp at first and quite fiery when eaten raw, but it has a nice finish. The flavor holds up in cooking and stores well.

Siberian– Superb for cooking, holding its flavor and offering a distinctive, lingering taste. The bulbs are large with purple striped wrappers and contain 8 to 10 large cloves.

Asiatic Group– Asiatic garlic bulbs are generally large with 6-9 very firm and plump cloves per bulb. The bulb wrappers are firm and very strongly colored: broad purple striped merge into areas of solid purple. The cloves are thick, semi-glossy, and have rosy aura with tiny pink veins.

Korean Red– Korean Red is generally a vigorous grower wioth large foliage that is dark green and results in a good sized bulb. Its flavor is very strong, o and spicy and sticks around for a long tine. Their bulbs contain

Rocambole Group– Well known for their wonderful , robust, well-rounded true-garlic flavor. Renowned to be the best tasting varietal of all garlic groups. They are sweeter and less sulfurous than other garlic groups. Generally thrives in cold winter climates with rich loamy soil and are not a good choice for southern climates. Fantastic raw. Moderately sized plant (3 to 4 ft tall with scape uncurled), characterized by a scape that coils 2-3 times before straightening out. Bulbils are numerous and generally a purple color. Bulbs are off-white with purple streaks. Clove skins are brownish and easy to peel. Bulbs store for about 4-5 months. Prone to double cloves. Bulbils can be planted in the fall for garlic greens in the spring. Bulbs can contain 7 to 12 cloves.

German Red– An old world variety with a full flavored velvety taste. This golden garlic adds deep aromatic flavor to stews, winter vegetables, roasts and wild game. German Red has a complex and unique flavor that sands out in a dish without overwhelming other flavors.

Russian Red– Originally from Doukhobor, Russia. The standard of excellent flavor in Racombole garlic’s. The raw flavor is intense and big up front. The heat is long lasting like a hot pepper. The aftertaste is pleasant and non-sulfurous. Many claim it to be the perfect garlic flavor. Huge purple blotched bulbs average 3 inches in diameter and have 6 -8 cloves.  Russian Red is one of the more thrifty bulb producers on a wide range of soils and is reliably hardy anywhere in the Northern U.S. The short broad leafs finish before most porcelain types. 8-13 cloves in a bulb. Doubles are common with this variety. Medium long storage length.of 6-7 months.

German Giant– This garlic is a bit milder and earthier in flavor, but still very rich and complex. It works well in any dish. Has an exceptionally great garlic taste without the harshness of stronger flavored garlic.

Spanish Roja– Brought to the U.S. before 1900. Good enough to eat raw! It starts with some heat but it fades to a pleasant aftertaste. When roasted it is mild and sweet with little aroma and perfect texture. This has become a favorite for garlic connoisseurs and chefs. Medium sized bulbs however the bulbs can be huge when cultivated in the garden. Bulbs contain 5 to 6 easy to peel cloves. Stores 4 -6 months.

Purple Strip Group– We; known for womdrful, ropbost, well-round rue -garlic flavor. Renowned to b the best tasting varietal of all garlic groups. They are sweeterand less sulfurous han ohr garlic groups. Generally rives in cold winer climates with rich loamy soil and are not a good choice for southern climates. Fantastic raw. Moderately sized plant, characterized by a scape that coils 2-3 times before straightening out. Bulbuils are numerous and generally a purple color. Bulbs are off-white with purple streaks. Clove skins are brownish and easy to peel. Bulbs store for about 4-5 months. Prone to double loves. Bulbils can be planted in the fall for garlic greens in the spring. Bulbs can contain 7 to 12 cloves.

Chesnok Red – May be among one of the oldest of all garlics. It is full flavored with a mellow aftertaste that lingers nicely. Superb for cooking, holding its flavor and offering a distinctive, lingering taste. The bulbs are large with purple striped wrappers and contain 8 to 10 large easy peel cloves.

Persian Star– Purple stripes, such as the Persian Star garlic are very flavorful, with a robust garlic taste that isn’t as sulfurous and overpowering as some varieties can be. They are a full flavored garlic with only a small bite to them and are more mellow than hot as are most other standard Purple Stripes.  This garlic averages 7-10 pointed cloves per bulb. They’re pretty enough to be used as a centerpiece.

Turban Group– Turban garlics are the earliest to harvest, often several weeks before other varieties. Their cloves are succulent and hot. They originate from Southeast Asia. They are impressive with their flattened shape and striking purple blotching. Turbans are weak bolting hardnecks and may not produce a scape.

Chinese Pink– A very early variety that will produce nice compact bulbs at least a month earlier than other varieties. It has a delicious mild flavor for many culinary uses and one that everyone can enjoy. Bulbs have 6-8 cloves that store for 4 to 5 months.

Thai Fire– Their flavors are bold, pungent and aromas equally strong. Their fiery flavor will mellow with cooking. It has a complex full flavor with rising heat level. Originating from a market in Bangkok, then made its way into the US via British Columbian ships. Thai Fire grows well in North, as well as the south and can handle diverse climates. The outer skin is white with purple strips. 6-8 cloves per bulb. 38-48 cloves per pound. Early harvest, stores 6-7 months. Extremely hot.

Note: Contact us for availability before ordering quantities over the maximum amount.