Barbolian Garlic Varieties

Garlic Availability Update (12 February 2012):

Sorry – we are sold out of garlic bulbs at this time, although, if you are truly desperate, you might be able to bribe me out of my personal stash (I have a few Polish White & German Extra Hardy left, along with a few small rejects).

I DO, however, have lots of BULBILS – those small seedlets in the flower-like capsule at the end of scapes! They might take an extra year to get them up to size, but they are a very versatile (and cheap!) way to grow garlic. Only the hardneck varieties produce scapes. Contact me if you’d like to try them!

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Ah, so many garlics, so little time! If we could only grow (consume, compare, savor) the hundreds of garlic varieties that are available! It makes me want to travel to faraway lands and search the public markets for little-known treasures. Fair warning: It truly does become an obsession, and the only solution may be to grow your own! (That’s how we got started.) We’ve made some adjustments over the years to figure out what grows best on our back acre – you can read about our foibles in our blog posts – there have been some high successes and some rather low failures in that learning process.

So – without further ado…

Barbolian Garlic Varieties – 2011 Crop:

	HARDNECK VARIETIES: best for cooler climates; very flavorful; shorter shelf-life
Variety	PORCELAINS: Store longer than Rocamboles; great flavor. 4-6 cloves/bulb	Heat Index	Shelf Life (Months)
German Extra Hardy	An exceptional porcelain variety with an average of 4-5 large, plump cloves. Strong raw flavor and a high sugar content make it one of the best for roasting. One of our best in the field and easy to grow. Its strong root system helps it to better withstand alternating freezes and thaws. We only recently started growing this variety, passed on to us from a friend in Pennsylvania where it is widely successful; we have been very pleased with the results in our neck of the woods – it made our “Top 3 Best Growing Garlics” list (along with Polish White and Siberian).	**	6-7
Romanian Red SOLD OUT	Came to British Columbia from Romania. Large cloves; tougher skin; long storing; hot and pungent; long-lasting bite; tastes hotter after storage. Good storage. Limited quantities for 2011.	* * *	6-7
RosewoodSOLD OUT	New for 2011! This bulb originated in Muldova, a country located between Romania and Ukraine. After tasting this bulb, I want to go there! It’s a beautiful porcelain variety (are not all porcelains beautiful?) with an average of 4 good-sized cloves. The flavor is rather mild but still very garlicky. It is reported to have long storage capabilities – up to 10 mos. – which is outstanding. Limited quantities for 2011; I will definitely be saving some for seed stock for next year.	*	8-10
Susan D. SOLD OUT	Beautiful, big porcelain from Canadian grower, Flora Baartz. Mild in heat but high in garlic flavor. This one has been one of my strongest plants in the field for the past 3 years AND it managed to survive last year’s neck rot ordeal. Limited quantities for 2011.	*	6-7
Variety	PURPLE STRIPES, MARBLED PURPLE STRIPES, and GLAZED PURPLE STRIPES: Retains flavor when cooked; good for baking. 6-10 cloves/bulb.	Heat Index	Shelf Life (Months)
Brown Tempest SOLD OUT	Brown cloves with a hint of rose blush and no stripes. Averages 4 to 6 cloves per bulb with nice shape and size. Raw garlic has initial taste that mellows to a pleasing garlicky finish. This one has often been my best performing bulb out of the Purple Stripe varieties.	* *	4-5
Chesnok Red SOLD OUT	From Shvelisi, Georgia; high performing; easy to peel. Mild with a bite! Superb for roasting and cooking; holds shape and flavor. Has won numereous “best baking garlic” contests. (small bulbs store longest) Limited quantities for 2011.	* *	4-6
Metechi SOLD OUT	This fiery little bulb gives high powered garlic flavor. Probably originated in the Republic of Georgia. Raw taste is hot but with a nice finish. This one has grown well for me. Limited quantities for 2011.	* * *	4-6
Persian Star SOLD OUT	From a Samarkand, Uzbekistan bazaar in the late 1980s. This bulb starts out weird – it grows in a kind of whorl – and then the spiral straightens into one of the strongest in the field. Vivid clove colors: the outer bulb wrapper is sometimes smooth white; inner wrappers are purple streaked with red tips. The cloves have sharp points that come together in a kind of star-shape. Very beautiful. Flavor has a nice spicy zing to it.	*	4-6
Russian Giant SOLD OUT	These big bulbs have 6-8 giant, easy-to-peel cloves and have spiced up many a Cossack’s dinner on the windy steppes. That’s the standard description you see about this bulb, but believe me, these Russian Giants are truly outstanding bulbs and one of my top performers. I grow a lot of them and always will.	***	4-6
Siberian SOLD OUT	An outstanding strain, originally secured by fishermen trading green leafy vegetables with locals who grew only root crops. The clove skins are dark brown; creamy white inside; mild heat. Very high allicin content. This one has consistently done so well for me, I planted more of it than any other variety for several years in a row now – PLUS it survived the terrible year of 2009 – 2010, so that says something.	*	5-6
Vekak SOLD OUT	From Czechoslovakia; beautiful, deep purple bulbs! Varied sizes. Fiery taste that improves with cooking. I like this bulb and would hate to see it disappear, so I was greatly relieved when it survived last year’s wind and rain. Limited quantities for 2011.	* * *	4-6
Variety	ROCAMBOLES: Very flavorful! Very hardy, easy to peel, but short storage. 4-8 cloves/bulb.	Heat Index	Shelf Life (Months)
Carpathian SOLD OUT	From Carpathian Mountains, southwest Poland. Large, uniform bulbs; bulb wrappers have thin copper veins and varying purple blotching. Classic garlic flavors, nice overall tang, hot and spicy, strong and garlicky. Limited quantities for 2011.	* * *	4-6
Juan de Fuca Wonder SOLD OUT	Our own! Adapted to Sequim Valley conditions over 20 years; rich and spicy. One of my personal favorites! This is the bulb I have carried around with me and grown since 1976. It can survive just about anything – including last year’s wet season. We are very happy to be able to offer it again in 2011, but quantities will be limited while we build back up our stock. The bulblets on the scapes on this plant are quite large and easy to plant. We planted a bunch, and they are all coming up fine.	* *	4-6
Killarney Red SOLD OUT	Easy to peel; outstanding raw; retains flavor when cooked; rich, garlicky-butter aftertaste. I wouldn’t have thought this one would be such a strong surviving bulb – but it is.  We are happy to offer it again in 2011. But one question: who comes up with a name like “Killarney” for a garlic bulb??!	* * *	4-5
	SOFTNECK VARIETIES: Grow well in milder climates, make beautiful braids, long storage
Variety	ARTICHOKES: Extra large, long storing, mild flavor. 12-20 cloves/bulb	Heat Index	Shelf Life (Months)
Inchelium Red SOLD OUT	The best softneck for roasting; large, cream-colored bulbs, tinges of purple/rust; mild, lingering buttery taste. High soluble solids give this variety a denser, heavier feel and more edible portion than other garlics. Mild but lingering buttery taste. This one has also done extremely well for me. I usually plant a lot.	* *	6-9
Polish White	From New York. Largest of the softnecks. Initially hot, but tones down quickly with a “sticks around” buttery sensation on the lips. This has rated “Top 3 Best Growing Varieties,” along with the Siberian and German Extra Hardy bulbs. Artichoke varieties have lots of cloves for bulbs – so if you’re looking for something with just a few, plump, easy-to-peel cloves, this is probably not it. However (and this is a big however) – a tighter skin might mean harder to peel, but it also means less air in contact with the clove and, therefore, longer storage capability and fresher taste. These bulbs are huge, lumpy, braid-able, and perfect for when you want to add a few cloves but not overpower everything with the garlic.	* *	6-9
Siciliano SOLD OUT	Large bulbs, symmetrical and firm; milder flavor. Perfect for pasta, tomato sauces, olive oil. Long storing. I am Sicilian. I cannot NOT grow this! Barely survived 2010. Limited quantities for 2011.	* *	6-9
Transylvanian SOLD OUT	Discovered in a Romanian farmer’s market in the mid-1990s. This is one gnarly looking bulb! BIG, cream colored, lumpy looking – with up to 16 cloves that contain an excellent flavor with more than a bit of a bite. Twilight fans beware! Unfortunately, quantities are limited for 2011.	* *	6-9
Variety	SILVERSKINS: Long-storing, rich flavor. 12-15 cloves/bulb	Heat Index	Shelf Life  (Months)
Western RoseSOLD OUT	This is a Silverskin variety, and relatively new here at Barbolian Fields. Rich garlicky flavor without being too hot. This variety is late to harvest, but also has one of the longest shelf lives of any of the garlics. Having garlic 10 months after harvest is a treat indeed! Plus, they make beautiful braids.	* *	8-10
Heat Index:  * = smooth & mild;   ** = medium;   *** = grab the fire extinguisher!

Information on Barbolian Garlic packaging, promotions, prices, and options can be found here.

Ready to order?

Just click on the links – or Contact Us! (We don’t have all the varieties set up with shopping cart links yet – so if you don’t see the link, shoot us an email. )

And Thanks from Blythe & the Gang at Barbolian Fields!