Purple Glazer Hardneck Garlic - (Allium sativum)

Purple Glazer Garlic - Sweet Warm Rich Flavor with Gorgeous Color

Purple Glazer garlic introduces itself with its stunning good looks backed by sumptuous flavors.

The outer wrapper of each garlic bulb is almost completely white with a sleek parchment feel. The 'glazed' term comes from succeeding wrappers which are satin glazed shot through with silvery purple striping becoming darker and more pronounced as you peel away layers until they are almost solid royal purple down at the cloves. The clove skins are dark brown with purple streaks and long pointed tips.

The flavors are strong and rich, bringing warmth minus the heat, characterized by noticeable sweet undertones backloaded with spicy highlights. Describing the flavor as "complex" is a massive understatement and disservice to this amazing purple garlic.

Details

Good rich soil grows large bulbs - usually, 2 1/2" to 3" in diameter with 6-10 tightly wrapped elongated cloves that are easy to peel. Will keep around 6 to 8 months in a cool, dry room.

Purple Glazer plants are the tall willowy models of the garden with narrow dark green elongated leaves that have a blue backcast in full sun. Usually the tallest garlic - growing 18" to 24", their leaves are longer and more narrow than any other hardneck variety.

In the spring, each plant produces a slender garlic scape that can form tight pretzel-like coils. These must be removed to produce a good bulb, and are deliciously tender with a mild garlic flavor the excels in cooking.

History

The Purple Stripe garlics are the most famous heirloom hardneck garlics for those who have tasted them and become fans. Their fabulous colors and scrumptious flavors are two indicators of their popularity, but the true reasons are deeper.

Wild garlic originated in the Tien Shan mountains in western China and what is now known as Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, extending as far west as the Republic of Georgia. Their descendants were among the first semi-domesticated garlics, leading to the Purple Stripe, Glazed Purple Stripe, and Marbled Purple Stripe group.

Purple Stripe garlic is the ancestor of all other garlic varieties, meaning they are genetically closest to the origins of the garlic species. Each garlic clove is tightly wrapped and easy to peel. The tightness of the clove wrappers protects them and is why they last longest in storage.

Purple Glazer is native to the Republic of Georgia, between the Black and Caspian Seas in Central Asia. This purple striped garlic was first collected in 1986 from Mcadidzhvari near the town of Dusheti, Mtskhera-Mtianeti in the east-central part of the country.

Uses

Widely known for being the best baking, roasting, and cooking garlic in the Republic of Georgia, Purple Glazer lives up to its reputation.

It holds its texture and flavor when roasted, either alone or with meats of any kind. Mince and knead it into bread dough, it will melt into the bread while baking, making the most memorable and delicious garlic bread you've ever had!

It pairs well with basil, oregano, ginger, soy sauce, and meats such as beef, pork, and poultry.

What is Hardneck Garlic?

Garlic is divided into two main types - hardneck and softneck - based on whether or not each variety develops flower stalks, the hardiness, clove formation pattern, and flavor.

The "neck" in the name refers to the long flowering stem - called a scape - that grows upward from the bulb, only found in hardnecks. Also called garlic spears, stems, or shoots, they are cut while they are still young and tender and used as a vegetable and a seasoning due to their fresh, delicate garlic flavor. Slowly but surely scapes are gaining in popularity. Cutting the scapes also helps the bulb grow larger, better-developed cloves.

The garlic found in supermarkets or grocery stores is usually softneck - Artichoke is the variety for sale as bulbs and Silverskin is braided.

Hardneck garlic has a more complex flavor profile, being richer, spicier, and generally more 'garlicky' with subtle flavors reflecting where it was grown. The strength and character of the flavors vary, from mild purple stripes to musky porcelains to hot and spicy rocamboles.

Purple stripe and rocambole types are the hardiest, best for gardeners who live in the northern U.S. Gardeners living in mild climates should have good luck with porcelain varieties, especially if they vernalize, or pre-chill their garlic for 4-6 weeks before planting.

Growing Tip

Minimize your spring weeding by planting a cover crop of cereal oats in the fall - about a week after planting the garlic - and letting the oats mature until the first frost kills them, creating a thick layer of beneficial mulch. The oat residue crowds out early spring weeds while adding needed nutrients for the maturing garlic.

Because of their short roots, garlic can't compete very well with weeds, so you must either pull the weeds or prevent them from growing in the first place. Oats give the additional benefit of providing additional nutrients to the garlic right as they resume growing after the winter, making for bigger and tastier bulbs.

Our article - Grow Great Hardneck Garlic at Home - walks you through the details of how to grow the best and most delicious garlic you've ever had!

About Our Garlic

The best garlic you've ever tasted is grown in your own home garden, no matter if you live in the coldest reaches of Minnesota, Michigan, or Montana; or the heat of southern Florida, south Texas, or Arizona.

Here's why-

Our garlic grower for this cultivar - Travis in Georgia - is a small-scale grower that takes the time to nurture his crops for the best flavor and quality, both for himself and for the local market.

This garlic is direct from the grower, not from a warehouse or broker who treats them as just another commodity crop!

The common myth is that hardneck garlic just won't grow in warmer climates, but Travis proves that you can! If you've had challenges growing good garlic in a warmer climate, give any of our varieties a try - just make sure to vernalize, or chill, them in your refrigerator for at least 5 weeks before planting.

Learn More

• Peel Garlic in 10 Seconds
• Honey Pickled Jalapenos with Garlic

Shipping Restrictions

U.S. shipping only, Cannot ship to certain counties in Washington or Idaho

From the soil to the seed to the food you eat - we'll help you grow your best garden!