×
  • Home
  • Daily
    • Composting
    • Container Gardening
    • Easy Healthy Recipes
    • Food Preservation
    • Garden Design
    • Garden Tools
    • Growing Fruits & Berries
    • Indoor Gardening
    • Pests & Diseases
    • Seeds & Seedlings
    • Soil & Fertilizer
    • Spice & Herb Gardening
    • Vegetable Gardening
    • Watering & Irrigation
  • Freebies
  • Videos
  • Magazines
    • Food Gardening Magazine
    • RecipeLion Magazine
  • Guides
  • Cookbooks
    • Beverages
    • Bakery
    • Breakfast
    • Appetizers
    • Salads & Dressings
    • Soups
    • Entrées
    • Side Dishes & Sauces
    • Desserts
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Affiliate Program
  • Sponsor Program
  • Give a Gift
  • Privacy Policy & Terms of Use
  • Manage Account
  • Authors
  • Keyword Index
  • Join

Food Gardening Network

Growing Good Food at Home

Join
Mequoda Publishing Network
  • Daily
    • Composting
    • Container Gardening
    • Easy Healthy Recipes
    • Food Preservation
    • Garden Design
    • Garden Tools
    • Growing Fruits & Berries
    • Indoor Gardening
    • Pests & Diseases
    • Seeds & Seedlings
    • Soil & Fertilizer
    • Spice & Herb Gardening
    • Vegetable Gardening
    • Watering & Irrigation
  • Freebies
  • Videos
  • Magazines
    • Food Gardening Magazine
    • RecipeLion Magazine
  • Guides
  • Cookbooks
    • Beverages
    • Bakery
    • Breakfast
    • Appetizers
    • Salads & Dressings
    • Soups
    • Entrées
    • Side Dishes & Sauces
    • Desserts
  • Sign In
  • Search

Types of Garlic

Gardening Guide: Glorious Garlic: From Garden to Table

arrow-left Previous
Next arrow-right

Types of Garlic

By Bill Dugan, Editor and Publisher

Garlic is part of the onion family of plants, and there are two types: softneck (Allium sativum) and hardneck (Allium ophioscorodon).

Softneck garlic

Softneck Garlic

Softneck garlic has a long shelf life and it is the variety most often seen in grocery stores. The two common types of softneck garlic are artichoke and silverskin.

Artichoke garlic is so named because it resembles an artichoke, with its multiple layers—one bulb can contain up to 20 cloves. This type of garlic has thicker skin and is harder to peel than silverskin garlic.

Silverskin garlic is usually what you find in grocery stores, because it has a long shelf life—it’s been known to keep for up to a year. This type of garlic is easy to use in your kitchen, as it has thinner skin than artichoke garlic, which makes it easier to peel.

Silverskin garlic is also easy to grow; it does well in a wide variety of climates, from hot to cool and dry to humid. Seeds for silverskin garlic are widely available from garden centers and by mail-order.

Cross-section of hardneck garlic variety

Hardneck Garlic

One of the most common hardneck varieties of garlic is Rocambole, which produce large cloves that are easier to peel than other hardneck varieties. Rocamboles are popular with cooks worldwide. Rocambole garlic cloves have relatively loose skin, which is what makes them relatively easy to peel, but it also makes Rocambole varieties less shelf stable than their softneck silverskin cousins.

The other two types of hardneck garlic are porcelain garlic, which chefs recommend for baking; and purple stripe garlic, which is often mistaken for elephant garlic because its cloves are so large. Hardneck garlic is thought to have a richer flavor, but not everyone agrees; as with everything, it’s a matter of taste.

Elephant garlic next to standard garlic for scale

What About Elephant Garlic?

Some consider elephant garlic (Allium ampeloprasum) to be a third type of garlic, but it is actually related more closely to the leek. The flavor is very mild, tasting more onion-like than garlic-like.

Garlic Scapes

Garlic Scapes

Hardneck garlic produces scapes from its central stalk. Scapes are green extensions of the stalk that have a tight curl and a bulbil (swelling at the end of the stalk). The bulbils will produce flowers if left to mature, but most gardeners cut off the scapes to encourage the plant to focus its energy on creating a bigger garlic bulb.

Garlic scapes are a delicious ingredient on their own, so don’t throw them in the compost bin! See the recipe section for a yummy garlic scape stir fry.

What types of garlic have you tried growing? Why did you choose certain types to grow? Please share about your garlic growing experiences.

arrow-left Previous
Next arrow-right

Tags

garlic, hardneck garlic, softneck garlic, the compost, types of hardneck garlic

Comments
  • Bob P. December 12, 2022

    My Korean wife turns garlic stems into a delicious vegetable side dish. Much like a kimchi, the dish is less liquid and less salty preserving the stems natural firmness and flavor.

    Reply

Click here to cancel reply.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

TABLE OF CONTENTS

  • Curator’s Corner
  • Introduction
  • Feature Articles

  • Types of Garlic
  • Growing Garlic from Cloves
  • Sun and Soil Requirements for Growing Garlic
  • Planting Garlic in the Ground, Raised Beds, or Containers
  • Storing and Preserving Garlic
  • Fertilizing, Watering, and Harvesting Your Garlic Plants
  • Choosing a Variety of Garlic to Plant
  • Dealing with Garlic Diseases
  • Dealing with Garlic Pests
  • Tips for Avoiding Diseases and Pests in Your Garlic Crop
  • Essential Tools and Equipment for Growing and Enjoying Garlic
  • Plant Profiles

  • California Late Garlic
  • Inchelium Red Garlic
  • Spanish Roja Garlic
  • Dujanski Garlic
  • Chesnok Red Garlic
  • Recipes

  • Garlic Gremolata
  • Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic
  • Garlic Scape Stir-Fry
  • Garlic Aioli
  • Garlic Balsamic Vinaigrette
  • Roasted Garlic
  • Additional Articles

  • Nutrition Facts about Garlic
  • Home Remedies and Health Benefits of Garlic
  • Resources about Garlic
  • Garlic Glossary
  • Related Articles

  • The Easiest Fruits and Vegetables to Grow
  • How to Make Black Garlic
  • Growing Garlic from Cloves
  • Glorious Garlic—From Garden to Table

Enter Your Log In Credentials

This setting should only be used on your home or work computer.

  • Lost your password? Create New Password
  • No account? Sign up

Need Assistance?

Call Food Gardening Network Customer Service at
(800) 777-2658

Food Gardening Network is an active member of the following industry associations:

  • American Horticultural Society
  • GardenComm Logo
  • MCMA logo
  • Renewd logo
  • Manage Account
  • Join
  • About Food Gardening Network
  • Contact Us
  • Affiliate Program
  • Sponsor Program
  • Give a Gift
  • Privacy Policy & Terms of Use

Food Gardening Network
99 Derby Street, Suite 200
Hingham, MA 02043
support@foodgardening.mequoda.com

FREE E-Newsletter for You!

Discover how to grow, harvest, and eat good food from your own garden—with our FREE e-newsletter, delivered directly to your email inbox.

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest

Powered by
Mequoda Publishing Network
copyright © 2023 Mequoda Systems, LLC

Food Gardening Network® and Food Gardening Magazine® are registered trademarks of Mequoda Systems, LLC.