Music Hardneck Garlic - (Allium sativum)

Music Garlic - A Symphony of Flavor for Your Garden

Grow a symphony of flavor in your garden with Music garlic, a cherished heirloom porcelain hardneck variety renowned for its complex taste and extended storage life. Its large, easy-to-peel cloves offer rich, complex, yet nuanced tastes, starting with a subtle sweetness that gives way to a lingering warmth and hints of black pepper and roasted nuts. This unique balance makes Music garlic adaptable to a range of dishes, its complex flavors mellowing beautifully with cooking.

The large, visually striking bulbs, typically 2-3 inches in diameter, contain 4-7 plump, creamy, easy-to-peel white cloves encased in a bright white outer skin adorned with delicate purple stripes. Beyond its captivating taste, Music garlic is celebrated for its beautiful, symmetrical bulbs and its ability to maintain its complex flavor even after months of storage, it remains a perennial favorite among chefs and home cooks.

What is Hardneck Garlic?

Hardneck garlic varieties are prized by gardeners for their robust flavors, generously sized cloves, and unique ability to produce edible scapes. These flower stalks emerge in the springtime and are harvested young and tender, adding a fresh, delicate garlic essence to various dishes. While scapes are steadily gaining popularity, their removal also serves a practical purpose: encouraging the garlic bulb to develop larger, more robust cloves.

Garlic is broadly divided into two main categories: hardneck and softneck. This distinction hinges on several factors, including flower stalks (scapes), cold hardiness, clove formation pattern, and flavor characteristics. The 'neck' refers to the sturdy, woody central stem that extends upwards from the bulb, a defining feature of hardneck garlic.

While softneck varieties like Artichoke and Silverskin garlic are commonly found in supermarkets, hardneck garlic offers a more intricate and complex flavor profile. It is often described as richer, spicier, and possessing a more pronounced "garlicky" essence with subtle nuances that reflect its growing environment. The intensity and character of these flavors vary across different hardneck subtypes, ranging from the mild sweetness of Purple Stripes to the musky depth of Porcelains and the fiery heat of Rocamboles. 

Your gardening climate is a crucial factor when selecting the right hardneck garlic for your garden. Purple Stripe and Rocambole varieties are known for their exceptional cold hardiness, making them well-suited for northern U.S. gardeners. Those gardening in milder climates can still successfully grow hardneck garlic using a technique called vernalization or pre-chilling. This involves exposing the garlic cloves to cold temperatures for at least 4-6 weeks before planting. A simple solution is to store your whole garlic heads in a paper bag in the refrigerator, which effectively prepares the cloves for planting.

History

In the heart of Southwestern Ontario, Canada, during a shifting agricultural landscape, a remarkable garlic variety emerged - Music. In the early 1980s, Al Music, a tobacco grower near the village of Boston, Ontario, sought alternative crops as tobacco's profitability dwindled. With garlic gaining popularity in North America, Al experimented with its cultivation, developing a Continental variety (now known as Porcelain) perfectly suited to his soil and climate. The transition to garlic required minimal capital investment, as existing tobacco infrastructure proved suitable for garlic cultivation.

This hardneck garlic variety offered numerous advantages. The large cloves were easy to peel; they possessed a robust garlic flavor with a pleasant bite; they were easy to grow and produced large bulbs with substantial cloves, and restaurant chefs found them easy to work with. Its appearance, notably different from the imported softneck garlic dominating supermarket shelves, provided a clear market differentiation.

In 1985, Al and 12 other growers, united by a shared vision, formed the Ontario Garlic Growers Association (OGGA) to standardize and promote this unique strain. They christened the garlic 'Music' in honor of Al's pioneering spirit. Subsequently, planting stock was offered to other growers to expand production.

Effective marketing and the memorable name 'Music' solidified its place as 'Ontario Garlic,' writing another remarkable chapter in Canada's agricultural heritage.

Uses

Music's versatile flavor lends itself to a variety of kitchen creations, from blending into sauces and dips to infusing olive oils, vinaigrettes, and relishes. Try chopping it into salsa for a zesty kick or mincing it into herb-based spreads for a flavorful sandwich experience.

Roasted 

Beyond its fresh uses, Music garlic reveals a depth of flavors when roasted. Roasting the bulbs whole caramelizes their natural sugars, intensifying their inherent sweetness. This roasted garlic can be tossed into pasta, spread on crusty bread for a simple yet satisfying appetizer, or blended into mashed potatoes and purees for an extra layer of flavor.

In the Kitchen 

Music garlic seamlessly integrates into a myriad of dishes. Add it to stir-fries for a quick flavor boost, simmer it in soups, curries, and chili for richness, or melt it into grilled cheese for a savory pop. It beautifully complements meats like sausage and shrimp and harmonizes with roasted root vegetables.

Unexpected Pairings

Though unconventional, garlic's subtle warmth can surprisingly enhance desserts like chocolate and ice cream. Caramel sauces also benefit from the unique touch of garlic cloves.

Scapes: A Bonus Harvest

Music garlic plants yield flavorful scapes in the late spring to early summer. These scapes are perfect for quick spring pasta dishes or pickling.

Complementary Flavors

Music garlic harmonizes beautifully with diverse herbs, including parsley, cilantro, basil, and rosemary. It also complements meats like pork, poultry, and beef, as well as vegetables such as tomatoes, bell peppers, onions, eggplants, and broccoli. 

Planting and Growing Tips

Our article, "Grow Great Hardneck Garlic at Home," walks you through the details of growing the best and most delicious garlic you've ever had!

Learn More

• Grow Great Hardneck Garlic at Home
• Peel Garlic in 10 Seconds
• Korean Pickled Garlic
• Honey Pickled Jalapenos with Garlic

Shipping Restrictions

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