Planting garlic

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Radio interview source: Sandra Mason, Extension horticulture educator, University of Illinois

I bought some fresh garlic from a grower at the farmers' market a few weeks ago. Fresh garlic is so good with pasta dishes, and it will grow almost anywhere.

Sandra Mason is horticulturist at the University of Illinois. She says most people are familiar with the garlic bulbs at the grocery store. Just as store-bought tomatoes don't have the same ripe flavor as homegrown, garlic from your garden tastes better. And it's fun to experiment with different varieties and distinctive flavors.

"Some of them are hotter, some of them actually have kind of a nuttier flavor to them," Mason says. "After people start trying something they end up with their favorites, and I think a lot of chefs actually have their favorites."

Mason says most chefs like the hardneck type of garlic. It produces better flavor, and has a stem up through the center called a flower scape. They have less of an outer bulb wrapper, which makes them more sensitive and reduces their shelf life.

Softneck varieties have the white papery skin and under the right conditions, can be stored for up to nine months.