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Marbled Purple Striped Garlic, Metechi – 4 oz

Of all the types of garlic available today, the Purple Stripes are genetically closest to the original species, and they are the ancestors of all of the garlic cultivars grown today.  Purple Stripes and Glazed Purple Stripes need a vigorous winter to produce well. They will not thrive in the warmer climates.  Marbled Purple Stripes do well in areas with mild winters and early warm springs.

We have found Metechi to be, consistently, one of the hottest garlics that we grow, but Ted Jordan Meredith in his landmark book, The Complete Book of Garlic has a very different opinion. He states:

“Views on the culinary merit of ‘Metechi’ vary widely. In my experience it is not particularly notable when raw, and I find its cooked texture mealy and its flavor lacking. Others, however, regard ‘Metechi’ very highly (that would be me among others) extolling the virtues of its hot, strong flavor…”

Later Meredith makes this very interesting statement in which he references The Fort Collins Study. The Fort Collins Study is a rigorous scientific study, completed and published in 2004 at The National Center for Genetic Resources Preservation in Fort Collins, Colorado, which looked at the genetic differences between garlic clones being cultivated in North America. Meredith is referring to the vastly different taste and flavor qualities experienced in supposedly the same cultivar :

“The Fort Collins Study (Volk et al.2004 )included ‘Metechi’ from two different commercial sources. ‘Metechi’ from one of the sources clustered with Purple Stripes, not the Marbled Purple Stripes. This could suggest that more than one cultivar carries the name.”

Metechi is a late-maturing cultivar that is highly productive in a wide range of climates and growing conditions. In southern and northern growing environments, Metechi produces large bulbs, but each bulb consists of, at most, 4-5 very large cloves, as you can see in the photo below.

Metechi is a good storer, and it is among the better hardnecks for regions with warm winters and early springs.

Garlic is best when planted in the fall, but can be planted in the spring as soon as the ground can be worked. If planting in the fall, plant 30 days before the ground freezes and mulch with straw or alfalfa hay if possible. Garlic must have some exposure to cold for several weeks or it will not bulb. Amend the soil with potash and phosphate before planting. Plant the cloves 1-2 in. deep and 4-6 in. apart in rows separated by 12-18 in.

Harvest in mid-summer when 2/3 of the stalk has turned brown or yellow. Dig the bulbs from the soil with stalks attached. Cure in a dry, shaded area with lots of air circulation for 4-6 weeks. Stalks can then be removed from the bulbs.

Type Spacing Planting Depth HZ Maturation
Marbled Purple Stripe 6-8 in. 3-4 in. 1-6 240-270 Days
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Artichoke Garlic, Thermadrone – 4 oz

Artichoke Garlic, a softneck variety, is so named because the overlapping clove configuration around the bulb resembles an artichoke.  The plants are vigorous and the bulbs are large.  These garlics usually do not produce a seedhead, but may produce bulbils which will protrude from the lower part of the stem.  Generally, Artichoke Garlics have 12-20 mildly flavored cloves.  The mild flavor makes them a favorite of individuals who enjoy eating raw garlic. With some strains, the flavor may be intensified by cold winter growing.  One pound of bulbs averages 80 plants.

Thermadrone is a very unusual garlic.  It was developed by the French for commercial cultivation, but its intense flavor which many describe as (don’t laugh) Dijon mustardy has limited its widespread public appeal. However, in our typically contrarian, American way, we like that unusual Dijon flavor and so Thermadrone has been growing in popularity in the US.

The outer cloves are fairly large, but not as large as Red Toch.  The bulbs can be large, usually 12-18 cloves, but not as large as Inchie’s bulbs. If you are into garlic bread, one clove is enough for one large slice of garlic bread. The bulb wrappers are creamy white and the clove wrappers are tan, sometimes with a blush of pink.

Most artichoke varieties produce an outside layer of good-sized cloves, but the interior layer is usually a series of much smaller, thin cloves – hard to skin and too tiny to make the effort. Thermadrone produces one large, elongated clove, usually the largest clove in the bulb. This clove is easy to skin and large enough.

If you like to eat garlic raw, Thermadrone is an excellent choice. It has strong flavor and a little heat.

Type Spacing Planting Depth HZ Maturation
Artichokes 6-8 in. 3-4 in. 4-9 180-240 Days
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Asiatic Garlic, Pyongyang – 4 oz

The Asiatics, a hardneck subvariety of the Artichoke Garlics, are not well known in the US.  The plants are vigorous.  The bulbs are smaller than other artichokes, but the flavor is intense.  The bulbs are streaked and tend to mature very rapidly.  They should be harvested as soon as their leaves begin to turn brown.  One pound of bulbs averages 60 plants.

Some consider Pyongyang to be one of the best Asiatics grown. I would take this statement one step farther. I think it is among the top five garlics grown. Pyongyang originated in a region near the North Korean capital of Pyongyang. This area experiences short cold winters and wet summers – not ideal for most garlic, but evidently ideal for Pyongyang.

Visually, Pyongyang is one of the most beautiful garlics grown today. The bulb skins are often striped with colorful purple stripes, but it is the clove skins that are truly stunning. They range in color from deep red to vivid purple and sometimes with hints of gold. These striking skins protect creamy to glistening white cloves.

From a culinary perspective, there are few garlic cultivars that can compete with Pyongyang. Eaten raw, Pyongyang has considerable, but not uncomfortable heat. The garlic flavor gathers strength as it is cooked becoming nutty and intensely garlicky. In addition to having exceptional flavor, Pyongyang is an outstanding storer. We have had Pyongyang last 12 months. Its storage capability is truly remarkable.

Type Spacing Planting Depth HZ Maturation
Asiatics 6-8 in. 3-4 in. 5-9 180-240 Days
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Asiatic Garlic, Asian Tempest – 4 oz

The Asiatics, a hardneck subvariety of the Artichoke Garlics, are not well known in the US.  The plants are vigorous.  The bulbs are smaller than other artichokes, but the flavor is intense.  The bulbs are streaked and tend to mature very rapidly.  They should be harvested as soon as their leaves begin to turn brown.  One pound of bulbs averages 60 plants.

Asian Tempest was originally from South Korea and was introduced into the US by Horace Shaw of Oregon’s Sweetwater Farm in Oregon. It is the best-known Asiatic garlic cultivar grown today. Asian Tempest is very productive and reliable garlic, producing relatively few, but large cloves with good garlic flavor. The cloves are hot when raw, but the heat becomes milder and the flavor is greatly enhanced when cooked.

Asian Tempest has excellent depth of character that may approximate the best of the Purple Stripes. If harvested somewhat early, it stores exceptionally well.

Type Spacing Planting Depth HZ Maturation
Asiatics 6-8 in. 3-4 in. 5-9 180-240 Days
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Artichoke Garlic, Red Toch – 4 oz

Artichoke Garlic, a softneck variety, is so named because the overlapping clove configuration around the bulb resembles an artichoke.  The plants are vigorous and the bulbs are large.  These garlics usually do not produce a seedhead, but may produce bulbils which will protrude from the lower part of the stem.  Generally, Artichoke Garlics have 12-20 mildly flavored cloves.  The mild flavor makes them a favorite of individuals who enjoy eating raw garlic. With some strains, the flavor may be intensified by cold winter growing.  One pound of bulbs averages 80 plants.

Red Toch is also known as Tochliavri because in 1988, Peter Hanelt, from the Gatersleben Seed Bank in eastern Germany collected the garlic from a village in the Republic of Georgia named Tochliavri.

This garlic is a standout among the Artichoke Garlics. It has some heat, but not a lot and excellent, but not overpowering flavor and fragrance.

The outer cloves can be very large, and even the inner cloves have good size. I grow this garlic every year.  The bulbs are consistently huge and healthy.  I love the large cloves.  They are easy to cook with. My Red Toch usually produces 10-12 cloves per bulb, but most growers will tell you that 12-18 cloves per bulb is standard.

The bulb wrappers are glistening white, but the clove wrappers are tan with only the subtlest shades of pink or purple.  They are beautiful.

Type Spacing Planting Depth HZ Maturation
Artichoke 6-8 in. 3-4 in. 4-9 180-240 Days
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Artichoke Garlic, Inchelium Red – 4 oz

Artichoke Garlic, a softneck variety, is so named because the overlapping clove configuration around the bulb resembles an artichoke.  The plants are vigorous and the bulbs are large.  These garlics usually do not produce a seedhead, but may produce bulbils which will protrude from the lower part of the stem.  Generally, Artichoke Garlics have 12-20 mildly flavored cloves.  The mild flavor makes them a favorite of individuals who enjoy eating raw garlic. With some strains, the flavor may be intensified by cold winter growing.  One pound of bulbs averages 80 plants.

Inchelium Red, perhaps the best known of the Artichoke garlic cultivars, was originally collected from a garden on the Colville Indian Reservation, near the Canadian Border in Washington State. It was introduced to the American public by the Rodale Kitchens in the late 1980s and early 1990s. It is often, belovedly, referred to as “Inchee”.

The plants produce huge bulbs often with as many as 20 cloves. The flavor is very mild and pleasant when eaten raw.  When cooked the flavor maintains its subtlety.

Of all the garlic varieties that we sell, Inchelium Red or ‘Inchee’ as it is affectionately known, is, by far and away, the most popular. It is also the largest garlic we sell, sometimes rivaling in size the elephant garlic bulbs.

Inchee is best grown in Zones 5-7, but can be grown successfully in Zone 4.  The bulbs and cloves will be smaller, but the flavor will be the same.

When eaten raw, Inchee has a mild, good flavor.  It is nowhere near as strong as many other garlics which is why it performs so well in taste tests.  It is a great garlic for marinades and dressings because of its mild raw flavor. When cooked, Inchee becomes very mild and this is frequently a deterrent.  If you want the benefits of garlic, but not the strong flavor, then Inchee is recommended  for cooking.

This huge, beautiful garlic is well worth trying, and we highly recommend it for those of you who love to eat raw garlic.  YUM!!

Type Spacing Planting Depth HZ Maturation
Artichoke 6-8 in. 3-4 in. 4-9 180-240 Days
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Elephant Garlic – 6 cloves per bag

Garlic, which is a member of the same group of plants as the onion, has been cultivated for millennia. As a cultivated plant, it is so old that it is difficult to credit a country of origin for this vegetable.. Elephant garlic is not a true garlic. It is a leek that produces very large cloves, 3-4 per bulb. When allowed to, it produces a large seedstalk that can be sold to florists. The tender, fleshy lower portion of the seedstalk is prized for Oriental dishes. The cloves of the elephant garlic are very mild when compared to real garlic. The vegetable, when baked, makes an excellent side dish.

Type Spacing Planting Depth HZ  Maturity
Elephant Garlic 6 in. 3-4 “ 3-10 180 Days
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The Garlic

The Garlic – A Little History and Some Growing Instructions GARLIC, which is a member of the same group of plants as the ONION, has been cultivated for millennia. As a cultivated plant, it is so old that it is difficult to credit a country of origin for this vegetable. Some historians believe that the onion was indigenous to the southwest…

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How to grow Garlic

How to grow Garlic Garlic, which is a member of the same family of plants as the onion, has been cultivated for millennia. As a cultivated plant, it is so old that it is difficult to credit a country of origin for this vegetable. Some historians believe that the onion was indigenous to southwest Siberia and spread to southern Europe,…

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