Description
- Garlic is related to the onion, leek and chive family
- It is arranged in a head called a bulb which consists of numerous cloves
Health Benefits
- Very rich in sulfur containing compounds such as allicin which are great for lowering blood pressure, lowering triglycerides and lowering total cholesterol
- They protect the blood vessel from inflammatory and oxidative stress, therefore decrease risk of clotting
- It has anti-inflammatory properties
- It is antibacterial and anti-viral
- It has important cancer prevention properties
How to Select and Store
- Always use fresh garlic. Powdered or paste garlic does not have the same health benefits
- Store it in an uncovered or a loosely covered container in a cool, dark place away from exposure to heat and sunlight. This will help maintain its maximum freshness and help prevent sprouting, which reduces its flavor
- You do not need to refrigerate garlic. Freezing peeled garlic reduces its flavor profile and changes its texture
- Whole garlic bulbs will keep fresh for about a month if stored properly. Once you break the head of the garlic, it greatly reduces its shelf life to just a few days
How to prepare and cook with garlic
- Peel skin with a knife
- To enhance the health benefits of garlic, let it sit for 5 minutes after crushing it or chopping it. Then you may eat it or cook with it.
- Microwaving garlic or boiling it whole also reduces its health benefits
- Add fresh garlic towards the end of cooking to maintain its health benefits
- Too much heat for too long will reduce the activity of the sulfur compounds
Recipes
- Almost all of our recipes contain garlic. Use our search engine to find recipes with garlic
Content courtesy of whfoods.org
