Garlic: Nature’s Unconventional Candy

If you’re looking for a wonder food that is an antioxidant, an antibiotic, and a zesty flavor addition to that bland tasting dish, garlic can be considered an illustrious way to go. In honor of the Gilroy Garlic Festival happening this weekend in Gilroy, CA, here are a few guidelines on how to select, store, and care for your garlic.

Though it may seem intimidating, using garlic in your home is fairly simple. In the article “Garlic, from spicy hot to mellow, is in,” Natalie Knight, from the SF Chronicle, offers tips and tools of the cooking trade. She recommends buying plump, healthy bulbs, storing them in a dry place, and chopping garlic fine for a fuller flavor. Another thing to note about your garlic selection? Buy local. Ninety percent of garlic grown in the United States comes from California, and the money you spend guarantees the quality and freshness of your stinking rose. 

Sometimes garlic gets a bad reputation from picky eaters and the fresh-breath patrol. But did you know that garlic’s health benefits go beyond other vegetables as being a super-food? Garlic has heart-healthy B vitamins, calcium, iron, and potassium. That means you can spice up your meal and jump-start your immune system at the same time. So get cooking with garlic; your body will thank you for it!