Perhaps it is just me, but I really don't see much difference between one variety and another in terms of culinary use.

I imagine those that eat garlic raw might notice some differences, but I generally use it in cooking things and it all gives the characteristic garlic flavor.

I generally grow Musik and Siberian as they do well in my area.

For me I choose varieties based upon how they grow. If one rots in the spring, it isn't for me. If one produces tons of tiny cloves that I have to peel, it isn't for me. I grow varieties that reliably survive the winter and the wet spring and produce fewer, but large cloves worth peeling.

I agree with Justaguy; while I have been experimenting with quite a few varieties, in prepared dishes, I find little difference. I will be trying them all raw & baked this year, so maybe the differences will be more pronounced.

Your choice of garlic varieties may be governed more by the factors Justaguy mentioned; hardiness, bulb size, clove size, and ease of peeling.

"Hardneck" garlics are hardier, have larger cloves (in a single layer), and are often easier to peel than "softnecks" - so they make good choices for the home gardener. They are called hardnecks because the central stem is rigid when harvested. They are also seldom sold in stores. Their one drawback is that as a rule, they have a fairly short storage life at room temperature, only a few months (much longer if frozen).

"Softnecks" are less hardy; in my Wisconsin climate I usually lose some to winter-kill. They tend to have more (but smaller) cloves than hardnecks, in multiple layers. Some can be a real pain to peel. However, some varieties can store for 6 months or more with no special care... and if you want to braid your garlic, you will probably want to grow softnecks.

I share the recommendation for Siberian, although Music has not performed well for me. My other favorites so far are Georgian Cristal, Georgian Fire (both reliably large bulbs), Samarkand (or Persian Star), and Bogatyr for hardnecks. Chet's Italian Red is a very high-yielding softneck, with good winter hardiness.

This is only my 2nd year growing garlic. It is hard to tell the difference once you cook it up, mixed with everything else. Try roasting/baking whole heads. I like to dip Italian bread in garlic oil, there you can really tell the difference in taste. Just chop up some garlic, cover with EVO and refrigerate overnight. Thats how I do my taste tests. IÂve grown Korean Red, Music, mixed Italian hardnecks. So far Spanish Rojo is my favorite. Don't tell my Italian Mom.

Thanks for the responses everyone! I sort of feel the same way about the "differences" in garlic, but it's still nice to hear about your favorites.

What's EVO? And how long can you keep the oil in the refrigerator?

>>>hat's EVO? And how long can you keep the oil in the refrigerator?

Extra virgin olive oil. I really donât know how long you can keep it, doesnât last very long in our house. It does cloud up in a day or 2, guess it depends how cold your fridge is but becomes clear again when it warms up.