Posted on 04/19/2013 1:07:02 PM PDT by greeneyes
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KEWL!
This is a new one for me; not familiar with the controversy regarding the Chinese garlic. Could you enlighten my ignorance?
I’d be tempted to use that to make cockie-garlcie, instead of cockie-leekie, soup. ;-’)
Is there a recipe available?
[pretty please?]
Don't expect anything the first year...
(obviously biased source) https://www.christopherranch.com/archives/89
Risks Associated With Widespread Chinese Garlic Use
The influx of Chinese garlic into the U.S. has brought with it an array of safety, health and environmental problems for consumers, customers and the globe.
Considering Chinese garlic represents nearly 60% of fresh garlic distributed in the U.S., it is a legitimate reason for concern.
Retailers and foodservice providers are now required to place a Country of Origin Label on all produce items, so it’s important to recognize where your garlic is coming from, as there are major safety, health, flavor, freshness and environmental discrepancies between California-grown and Chinese garlic:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/06/19/AR2007061900423.html
Some California growers and processors say that even though they don’t like Chinese garlic, they buy some because it’s cheaper than what it costs them to grow it — even in Gilroy, the “Garlic Capital of the World,” which in July will hold its 29th annual festival celebrating the vegetable.
Bill Christopher of the 50-year-old Christopher Ranch there, one of the largest U.S. growers, explained why: “A 30-pound box of Chinese garlic is $14, but our cost [to produce it] here is $26.27.” Although he claims California garlic tastes better — independent lab tests show it’s denser in texture than Chinese — his company uses imports in some prepared products, such as sauces.
http://curezone.com/forums/am.asp?i=1129725
The bulk of the world’s garlic is produced in China where the cost of labour significantly reduces the cost of manual processing that garlic requires. For this reason, in those countries that accept imported garlic (including USA, Australia but not Europe), buying imported garlic is cheaper.
Despite this, Chinese garlic does not meet with food safety protocols (at least those in Australia). According to Henry Bell of the Australian Garlic Industry Association, garlic from China is doused in chemicals to stop sprouting, to whiten garlic, and to kill insects and plant matter. He also reports that garlic is grown in untreated sewage ((http://www.theage.com.au/news/epicure/f...) .
Garlic can be whitened by using chlorine or with a mixture of sulphur and wood ash. Whitening garlic helps to make it look healthier and more attractive to consumers. In fact this obsession with white foods has lead to the bleaching of many food products (flour, salt, sugar) using chlorine dioxide or benzoyl peroxide.
Growth inhibitors are used to stop garlic from sprouting and can be made from hormones or chemicals. When garlic begins to sprout, the garlic clove loses much of its potency. Growth inhibitors together with gamma irradiation extend the shelf life of garlic.
I was being cockie-cheekie, as the garlic stalk looked somewhat like a leek, and I love garlic.
OTOH, I would use a cockie-leekie recipe, simply substituting the immature garlic for most or all of the leeks.
China flooded the US market with their inferior garlic for less then it cost to grow it over there and I think the FTC called them on it.
Good Work AR!!!
I often tell the Mrs that we should have built a greenhouse and moved in there instead of a house. Sometimes, I think she takes me seriously. ;)
Thanks!
Thanks, AR! This definitely got my attention!
“...Despite this, Chinese garlic does not meet with food safety protocols (at least those in Australia). According to Henry Bell of the Australian Garlic Industry Association, garlic from China is doused in chemicals to stop sprouting, to whiten garlic, and to kill insects and plant matter. He also reports that garlic is grown in untreated sewage”
((http://www.theage.com.au/news/epicure/f...)
I had NO idea there were any problems at all.
What should I do about garlic now? Is it possible to find the 40% that isn’t China grown? Is garlic powder from the spice racks in the grocery stores the china garlic?
Oh boy. Another thing to worry about. But oh well. I do appreciate the enlightenment.
LOL! I have to confess, I guess I don’t get out much...I had never heard of cockie-leekie !
I looked it up and found this one:
http://romancingthebee.com/2013/03/14/scottish-cockie-leekie/
Seems it was on the menu the day the Titanic sunk!
Sounds yummy!...Though I would not have thought of using prunes with those other ingredients. I guess I have some experimenting to do! I like your idea of substituting the garlic.
Thanks for the succinct summary of what has happened to garlic. I was telling Applegate Ranch that I had had no idea at all there was any kind of problem with it.
Well, that’s interesting. That’s enough time to make a big difference.
That’s one big bush!
This is my first year for starting seedlings. I have always before just waited till the weather was warm enough to plant directly in the ground.
However, since we had such a horrible dry and hot summer last year, I wanted to jump start so as to get some things harvested before July and August dog days.
So I am just a learnin’ about it. When you plant stuff outdoors and the weather is great it seems to me they just magically grow like the dickens.LOL
Thanks. Looks like we have one about 40 miles away too. Not an area we have occasion to visit, so it will mean a special trip, or maybe a side trip on the way to ST. Louis someday.
I don’t know much about Asparagus. It doesn’t have a crop every year, and it takes 3 years before the first one. I probably would wait till all danger of frost is past before planting.
Lots of things are hardy once established, but kinda tender till then. We have a little asparagus in our backyard. We aren’t sure exactly how it happened, cause we don’t remember planting it.LOL
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