Cloves.
Since very early in human history, the garlic has held an esteemed position among common herbs due to its healing powers and its use as a spice. The garlic was used to treat all kinds of infections, ranging from diseases like tuberculosis to typhoid fever before the development of anti-biotic drugs. In fact, the garlic was used as a remedy for wounds till quite recent times and the herb was often employed to dress the wounds sustained by soldiers fighting during the World War I. All kinds of infections affecting the chest can be treating using the garlic as the primary herbal remedy. The remedy made from the garlic is good for the treatment of common colds and flu, as well as in treating ear infections, and as an herbal aid in reducing the amount of mucus produced in the nasal passages. The garlic remedy is also effective in treating infections of the digestive system. This herbal remedy is also the treatment of choice to rid the body of all kinds of intestinal parasites and pathogens. As human blood is thinned by the garlic, it actively helps in preventing the onset of many dangerous circulatory problems and keeps the chance of strokes at bay. Elevated cholesterol levels and high blood pressure affecting a person is also lowered on treatment with garlic remedy.
Many dishes contain garlic as an essential seasoning. Garlic used in the preparation of food may be fresh, dried, or freshly ground. Garlic helps in increasing the flavor of all kinds of dishes including seafood, poultry preparations, various pasta items, all kinds of meat dishes, vegetables and meat stews. It can be added to casseroles, vegetables, and soups; it brings zest to salads and salad dressings. Many cuisines cannot exist without using some garlic in the preparation of the meal. The dish known as ailloli, which is a hearty and thick French mayonnaise prepared using eggs, olive oil, and crushed garlic is one dish that cannot exist without the use of garlic. Indian, Mediterranean, Chinese and many other cuisines will not be what they are if it weren't for the garlic. Fresh cloves of garlic can be ground in a press or mortar and pestle, the alternate method is to hit the cloves sharply using the flat end of a chopping knife. There is a lot of debate in culinary circles about the appropriate amount of garlic needed to be used in any dish. The tolerance of the diner should probably be the factor that decides the issues, it may be best to use garlic sparingly till what is required by the diners. One interesting points found through research is that the huge consumption of garlic and red wine in Mediterranean countries may be responsible for the low incidence of some types of cancers in these regions. The whole cloves of the garlic can be steamed or bake and consumed with the daily meal. Cooking tends to make the strong acrid flavor of the garlic milder. At the same time, burnt garlic always ends up tasting bitter and this should be avoided. If garlic is to be fried, the oil being cooked must not be too hot, as the garlic will then develop an acrid taste and become tasteless. The skin of freshly peeled garlic cloves must be prevented from sticking to the fingers when it is being peeled. A way to avoid this stickiness is to immerse all the garlic cloves in boiling water for thirty seconds before peeling. The cloves can then be removed from the water, dried and cool, and then peeled. Salt flavored using garlic is widely employed on a commercial basis to flavor different kinds of foods sold in the market. Garlic salt is also quite a popular standby in some home kitchens; however, the high sodium content of this product may not be the best choice for flavoring dishes if the intent is to cook with the health of the heart in mind.
The garlic is probably native to central Asia and is believed to have originated from there. However, it has been extensively cultivated on a worldwide basis for many centuries and is one of the most familiar kitchen herb in the world. The garlic plant grows optimally in rich and well drained soils, possessing high amounts of organic compounds. At the same time, it is also possible to successfully grow the garlic in a wide range of soil varieties and climatic conditions. The garlic tolerates a pH range from slightly acidic 5.5 to an alkaline 8.5 - growing optimally within these extremes. The garlic grows optimally in sites that have good exposure to sunlight; however, it can also grow successfully at sites with a partial shade. The growing garlic plants must not be given excess water or the bulbs will rot and the crop will be ruined. Garlic can be grown from the cloves or the bulbils as most garden grown garlic will not produce seeds. Many nurseries and garden catalogs have the cloves and bulbils on sale. Garlic cloves are usually planted in seedbeds early in the spring or late in the fall. Garlic planted in the fall tends to result in the best yields. This is mainly due to the fact, that the garlic plant requires a rather long growing season of a minimum of four months to grow to an optimal size. Garlic plants planted in the soil late in the month of September or in October can be expect to show their growing tops emerging from the soil by the month of November - by winter, all the plants will have rooted well at the site. Tender garlic plants have cloves that remain dormant over the winter; these will only resume growth in the spring when the snow melts. For optimum growth later and to successfully form new bulbs, the dormant cloves or young plants require some exposure to cold temperatures ranging from 0�C to 10�C - 32�F to 50�F - for a period of four to eight weeks. The dormancy of garlic plants is broken by the increasing daylight hours during the spring. This also leads to the stimulation of the plants and encourages bulb formation in the plants. Garlic cloves must be planted into the soil with the pointed end up towards the surface. A planting depth of five cm - two inches - below the soil's surface is ideal for optimum growth. Each individual clove must be planted a minimum of eight cm -three inches - deep in the soil. Garlic plants require some space from neighboring plants to grow well, plant the cloves leaving a space of fifteen cm - six inches - around each clove to give the seedling some room. It is important to tend growing garlic plants with care, as strong movement of the soil around the shallow rooted garlic plants will result in damage to the roots and hence retard the development of such plants. In mid-summer, it becomes necessary to cut back the flowering stalks on the plants, this helps in channeling all the plant's energy into the development of storage bulbs resulting in a good yield. The garlic is normally free of pests and common plant diseases - it is a hardy herb compared to many other cultivated plants. When growing garlic, in the northernmost range, it becomes necessary to mulch the cloves or young plants over the winter particularly if the snow cover in the area is limited. Containers can be used to grow garlic plants, this is a good way of cultivation particularly when a suitable cold storage area for such containers is available during the months of winter. This storage area can include an unheated garage or garden shed. The soil must be moist when during freeze up; the soil must again be checked for moisture content during the thaws in mid-winter. In late March, the containers can be brought out of storage and if everything has gone as planned - green spears will soon poke up from the soil. This method of growing in container is redundant for regions with warmer climates and the cold storage arrangement isn't necessary. All the garlic containers can be kept outside over the winter without fear of losing the crop.
Extensive laboratory based studies on the garlic has been conducted from the 1980s onwards in places like Germany, Japan, and the United States. However, till date, most clinical authorities still have a lot of disagreement over the exact nature and benefits of the remarkable anti-biotic action seen in the garlic. The compound called alliin present in the garlic is released when the fresh clove is crushed; it is broken down instantly by alliinase into allicin - the main active compound in garlic. A potent anti-septic and anti-biotic action is evident in the compound allicin and in the other chemical constituents of the volatile oil found in the garlic. The presence of these compounds is an explanation for the effectiveness of garlic in relieving even severe infections like chronic dysentery and related digestive disorders. The ability of garlic to lower elevated blood pressure was also confirmed by clinical trials carried out in the 1980s. In fact, garlic reduces blood lipid - fats - levels, resulting in better control of hypertensive disorders.
Garlic contains volatile oil with sulphur containing compounds (notably allicin, alliin and ajoene); enzymes, B vitamins, minerals, flavonoids.
Different people use garlic in different ways, and there are individuals who actually chew one whole clove of raw garlic daily to boost their health. The best way to take garlic for those who prefer it over other herbs, is in an odor controlled, enteric coated tablet or capsule form that is made with a standardized allicin potential. These tablets or capsules can be taken at doses of 400-500 mg one or two times daily - for a total intake of 5,000 mcg of allicin a day. The tincture can also be taken instead, at doses of 2-4 ml thrice a day. Taking garlic in this way boosts health and reduces the chances of many diseases.
Garlic is enjoyed as a food by most people and garlic remedies are also well tolerated by and large. However, some individuals can experience dermatitis on being exposed to garlic dust and these people need to take care when using garlic for any purpose. Some of the side effects of consuming garlic include a reduction in the clotting time of blood; this effect of the herb can lead to the development of medical problems in individuals already on aspirin or those using anticoagulant medications on a routine basis. Diabetics should be aware that consuming large doses of garlic, in pill form, as capsules, etc, even in standard medicinal quantities can interfere with insulin therapy in the long term. All individuals interested in consuming garlic extracts must consult with a physician; this is especially true of people who already suffer from any type of medical problem which requires the regular use of some prescription medication. Consulting a doctor before beginning garlic supplements is the recommended to avoid side effects. While the consumption of garlic consumption is generally safe, some medical authorities speak against the consumption of large amounts of garlic by pregnant or breast feeding women. The Mediterranean diet is rich in garlic, the regular consumption of the garlic in many culinary dishes by the people in this region, has been connected to the lowered risk for certain cancers in the people living here.
Garlic's distinctive smell is due to the presence of the volatile oil. The oil contains the compound called allicin that has been proven to induce an antibiotic action over the Staphylococcus aureus strain of bacteria. It is also effective over other bacterial strains and in general, it can be used to treat all bacterial infections in the human body. Infection caused by Candida albicans has also been successfully alleviated using allicin as the primary remedy. The allicin also possesses a potent hypoglycemic effect and helps in reducing blood sugar levels when they are elevated - mainly in diabetics. Allicin in addition, has a demonstrated anti-thrombotic effect, helping in reducing the rate of blood clot formation. This compound also has the ability to lower blood pressure and helps in reducing elevated cholesterol levels in the blood.
Garlic is harvested when the tops of the plant dry up and starts bending; the bulbs are pulled up at this stage. The mature plants possessing the large and multi-clove bulbs are pulled out straight from the ground and then dried in the sun for about a week's time. After this initial airing, each one is trimmed down or a braid is made from the stalks - this is then hung as garlic "ropes" in the shade for an additional period of drying in the open air. Once the bulbs are completely dry, they are stored in a cool, dry and dark place - this space should have good circulation of air. The bulbs must not be kept in the kitchen as cooking heat often dries out the bulbs and the garlic becomes inedible. People who may require a lot of garlic lying within easy reach during cooking can store garlic bulbs inside a closed jar - this prevents the pungent odor of the garlic from penetrating other food items kept nearby. Regarded as an easily stored herb, garlic bulbs can be kept up to six months if stored in a dry and dark location, the ambient temperature in the storage space must not exceed 0�C - 32�F - to ensure the preservation of the distinct taste and other characteristics such as the tangy smell.
This is an extremely easy way to transform an ordinary creamy cheese into a gourmet item, at a fraction of the price of the ready-made product. You can use full-fat cream cheese, curd cheese, or sieved cottage cheese but, if you opt for the latter, you will need to add 3 tablespoons of double cream to achieve the right consistency. As with herb butter, delicately flavoured herbs with fairly soft leaves, such as chives, chervil or parsley, are best for herb cheese.
Our products
