Whether or not you love garlic’s unmistakably pungent fragrance, there’s no denying that it can add a lot of flavour to your meals. To demystify all things garlic, Frankie Flowers stopped by Cityline to show us how you can use this healthy relative of the onion more often:
Garlic can be planted in your garden to ward off pests: Not only can you eat it, but it can also ward off aphids if you plant them in your rose garden.
There is a wide variety of garlic out there: 90 per cent of the garlic we see in stores is imported from China. Frank recommends purchasing Ontario- or Canadian-grown garlic as we control what (or what doesn’t) go into it (ie. pesticides).
Garlic is easy to grow at home: During the fall season, plant it in a sunny location, spacing the plants four inches apart, two inches deep. You will be able to harvest them next season. During the growing season, the sprouts can be eaten – they provide a milder and less “potent” taste.
Garlic contains a lot of medicinal benefits but can be a little smelly: A great way to reap the benefits of garlic without the stink would be an aloe vera plant, which offers similar health benefits. It can be eaten, rubbed onto your skin, and even consumed as a liquid.
Lastly if you can’t be bothered with growing garlic, you can buy it pre-peeled, pureed, and even minced in a jar, so you’ll never have an excuse to not use garlic in your next meal!