A Guide to Garlic
Our helpful garlic guide is packed full of information about how pick, store and cook with this delicious and versatile member of the (surprise!) lily family.
How to Buy Garlic
When shopping for garlic, buy unblemished bulbs with dry skins and firm cloves. Skip the peeled stuff in the refrigerated section. Store bulbs in a cool, dry place (not in the fridge). Unbroken bulbs should last several months; use individual cloves within 10 days.
How to Chop Garlic
Learn how to peel and chop garlic from our test kitchen pros!
Garlic Varieties
Elephant garlic (top) is a jumbo variety with juicy cloves, loose skins and mellow flavor. Hardneck garlic (middle) is a farmers' market fave with a stiff stalk, purple, red or blue skin and easy-to-peel cloves that range in flavor from mild to sharp. Softneck garlic (bottom) is the kind you're most likely to find at the supermarket, with pungent bulbs, papery, pale skins and a long shelf life.
Use Roasted Garlic
Garlic goes from firm and sharp to creamy and sweet when roasted. Cut 1/4 inch off the top of a whole bulb, place the bulb on foil, drizzle with EVOO and wrap tightly. Bake at 400 degrees for 45 minutes until tender, squeeze the garlic "paste" out and use it in all sorts of recipes (click on to see how we use it!).
Roasted Garlic Flatbread
Adding roasted garlic to this flatbread gives it a rich, sweet flavor. We also love a good smear of garlic on a halved, toasted baguette, topped with parsley-EVOO mash and shredded Parmesan.
Roasted Broccoli with Garlic
It's so simple! Just a toss here and stir there. Tip: Whisk garlic with EVOO, fresh lemon juice and salt and toss with potatoes.
Blackened Shrimp with Roasted Garlic Aioli
Aioli is similar to mayonnaise and is magical when homemade. Another one of our favorite ways to eat garlic is by stirring it into Greek yogurt with sea salt, cumin and EVOO, then served with pita chips!
A Clove a Day ...
It may not get you a date, but eating one fresh clove of raw garlic a day does guarantee a healthy dose of allicin, a potent immune-boosting compound. At the onset of a cold, Dr. Andrew Weil suggests chopping or crushing two cloves (to release more of the allicin), then sprinkling them on a salad, adding them to a sandwich or mixing them into yogurt. Find out how we like to use fresh garlic next!
Garlic Shrimp
Adding garlic at the very last 30 seconds releases more of the natural flavors while still keeping the health benefits of the raw stuff.
Roasted Vegetable Salad with Garlic Vinaigrette
Fresh chopped garlic makes for a tangy and flavorful salad dressing.
How to Prepare Garlic
Do as the Italians do and grate, slice and paste your garlic into just about everything!
Venetian-Style Spaghetti allArrabbiata
Test your garlic prepping skills on this delicious Italian comfort food recipe.
