Title: Garlic 1
Categories: Info
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BUYING, STORING, AND USING GARLIC

There are several varieties of garlic, but those found in most American markets are the purplish-red and the white. Choose fresh garlic carefully. Try to avoid garlic packaged in boxes; you need to be able to lift the bulbs in your hand and squeeze them. Buy large, heavy bulbs that have not begun to sprout and have no shriveled or bruised cloves. (Remember a clove is one section and a bulb or head is the whole thing). If only small heads are available, increase the amount of garlic used in each recipe. Keep the garlic heads in a basket in a cool, well-ventilated part of the kitchen. Do not refrigerate them.

Don't buy too much garlic at a time. As it loses its freshness, it begins to shrivel and sprout. Never use shriveled cloves or those that develop bad spots. If the cloves are frim but have begun to sprout, do not use them whole in long-cooked, mild dishes. They may still be crushed or minced, however, and used as a seasoning. Split each sprouting clove, remove and discard the green sprout, and proceed.

Fresh garlic kept in a dry, well-ventilated place will last about a month. If necessary to store garlic longer, peel the cloves, cover them with olive oil, and store them in the refrigerator, where they will keep for three months.

To store garlic conveniently for any length of time without the use of oil, Madelene Hill from Hilltop Herb Farm in Texas suggests using the freezer. Her advice: "buy only the freshest head. Separate the heads into cloves (no need to peel) and place in plastic bags. Tie the bags closed and freeze. The garlic will keep indefinitely in the freezer, and your freezer will NOT smell like garlic. To use, simply remove as many cloves as you need, peel while still frozen and use as you would unfrozen garlic."

Braids of garlic are very attractive and an ornament to any kitchen, but in many parts of the country they may be far from fresh. If the heads contain some shriveled cloves, use the braids for decoration and buy your cooking garlic loose. If you live in a garlic growing area and can purchase fresh braids, use the bulbs quickly.

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