# normal vs small garlic



## millionsknives (Apr 25, 2014)

Farmers markets over here have smaller garlic bulbs that sell for a lot more than normal sized garlic.

I've seen it anywhere from $8 to $20/lb!  What world do they live in...

Anyway do these small bulbs taste stronger?  Or is it just a gimmick for cute little garlic?


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## gonefishin (Nov 6, 2004)

Hi there!

   I suppose the first question should be is what you thought of the flavors?  Don't always be scared away from items that carry a heft per pound price tag...one small bulb of garlic can easily weigh just a few ounces.

   If you've never grown garlic...do it!  This is the time to start looking and prepare the soil where you plan to plant them.  Do some reading to find how to treat the soil for the garlic you're going to plant this fall.  Treating the soil won't be difficult, or extensive...but you'll want to do it.  Next is finding a good source to buy some QUALITY garlic that will grow well in your area.  You can do so much better than trying to plant supermarket varieties.

   Freshness of the garlic is key for flavor.  From the point you pick it...it's losing flavor as time goes by.  Grow your own...but by all means by a single bulb of one of the boutique bulbs...the final price shouldn't be too bad.

  Dan


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## millionsknives (Apr 25, 2014)

It was sold in pints (the little green ones they sell berries in). This is 7.6 oz for $4 or $8.42 /lb. To me the flavor isn't different than this same purple-ish garlic in the full size.

Gardening is not a thing I'm doing here in the city unfortunately.





  








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millionsknives


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Aug 19, 2015


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## phatch (Mar 29, 2002)

Those look like a hard neck variety which is often considered superior to the common grocery soft neck variety. In my experience growing hardnecks, I think they do have more pungency but also more included nuances. They tend to keep better too than the soft  neck. My soil is pretty heavy for growing garlic so I don't do it much anymore. My friend grows garlic much more successfully than me. 

Garlic is usually cured and aged a bit before use. It's fine to use fresh, but I don't see the decline Dan seems to.


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## millionsknives (Apr 25, 2014)

Thanks, @phatch ! I never knew what they were called. I am aware there are many different varieties. My question is within the exact same variety, some people try to grow big or small garlic, maybe by crowding or growing from a small clove on purpose. Are smaller ones more potent?


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## phatch (Mar 29, 2002)

Elephant garlic is large and mild. But in the more regular varieties i don't see size impacting flavor so much


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## millionsknives (Apr 25, 2014)

Hmm now I used the smallest from this batch and the largest and I'm convinced that smaller cloves are more potent, pungent, and spicy than bigger ones.  I might be crazy...  Next time I win a monthly challenge, we are getting garlic month


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## mikefun34 (Aug 20, 2015)

I find the smaller ones taste stronger.  Also depends on the variety.  The Red Russians I've found have been pretty strong compared to some of the others.

Anyone tried black garlic?  What is it?


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## cerise (Jul 5, 2013)

I have only seen the fat ones. One Summer I had one of these wreaths(?) in the kitchen in my old house.

http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-149...-wreath-at-a-farmers-market-pula-croatia.html

I came home one day, and it smelled like something died. I finally figured out it was the garlic. The kitchen had no A/C. /img/vbsmilies/smilies/eek.gif P.U. lol.


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## mike9 (Jul 13, 2012)

I just cleaned my garlic over the weekend and harvested a mix of large and small bulbs.  You never know what they'll produce once in the ground.  I planted 100 hard neck and got 88, tied in bundle of 5 and hung in the garage for three weeks.  Very tasty - I'm using my B-stocks up first.  I can't really taste any difference between a large clove and a small one.


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## kingnothing (Mar 15, 2013)

Here is my hard neck variety called Russian Red. Grew these in my garden, cured them and then cleaned them up for storing. Slowly every year I'm getting more and more.





  








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kingnothing


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Aug 23, 2015


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## mike9 (Jul 13, 2012)

Thing I love about fresh garlic is it's so oily and sticky and full of flavor.


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## millionsknives (Apr 25, 2014)

What is sold at market is already cured right? Not like they dig it up and sell it to you immediately.


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## french fries (Sep 5, 2008)

MillionsKnives said:


> What is sold at market is already cured right? Not like they dig it up and sell it to you immediately.


If you're lucky you can sometimes find fresh, young garlic:





  








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french fries


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Aug 24, 2015


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## mike9 (Jul 13, 2012)

It has to dry after coming out of the ground.  I tie mine in bundles of 5 and hang them in the garage for three weeks then clean and store in the coolest place I have (this time of year my shop).  I'll cull through for another 100 - 150 good looking cloves and replant around Halloween.  I like a mix of large and small bulbs because frankly I don't always need a big honkin' clove of garlic and it doesn't keep well after being cut.


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