Garlic is known to originate from the central part of Asia where it gets naturally long and harsh winters, followed by a shot spring and a long dry summer. Currently, garlic is grown everywhere in the world, solo garlic being one of them in the family known as allium. Here are what you need to know before growing solo garlic.
What is solo garlic?
Solo garlic is also known as single bulb garlic, pearl garlic, monobulb garlic, or single clove garlic. The solo garlic has the same flavor as the garlic but it is somehow perfumed and tastes milder. The size of a single clove is space with approximately 25 to 50 mm in diameter. The appearance of the solo garlic looks like that of a pickling onion with white skin and often purple stripes. Solo garlic has an advantage over ordinary garlic because it is easy to peel the outer layer.
Health benefits of solo garlic
Solo garlic is counted as an herb because it has a lot of impact in fighting the foreign organism in your body. Here are some of the health benefits of solo garlic
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Cure cold and cough
When you regularly consume solo garlic, it helps in reducing the risk of getting a cold and cough by over 50%. Solo garlic has a chemical compound called Alliinase and Alliin that helps in creating a superior compound called Allicin when the garlic bulbs are crushed. The powerful compounds help in fighting the virus that causes cold and cough. When you crush 2 bulbs of solo garlic and add glass water, it will help you to prevent the effects of a cold cough.
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Reduces the level of cholesterol
Did you know that solo garlic can lower about 20mg/dl cholesterol and triglyceride level in your body? Solo garlic is known to be effective in reducing the levels of cholesterols in the body. Solo garlic has a less fat content and special compounds that help in breaking down the cholesterol level. The popular recipe to reduce cholesterol is to peel 3 or 4 cloves of garlic and have it on an empty stomach.
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Helps in boosting the immunity of diabetics
Solo garlic helps in decreasing and controlling the levels of blood levels in your body. The presence of Allicin when combined together with vitamin B and Thiamine triggers the pancreas to generate insulin in the body. This helps the body in fighting diabetes effectively. Diabetics often have a high rate of inflammatory factors such as interleukin-6 which may lead to more complications and prolonged inflammation. Solo garlic has special immunomodulatory effects due to the high presence of flavonoids, phenols, and minerals. It helps in reducing the inflammation, product the kidney cells, and eventually helps in managing the glucose levels.
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Reduce the risk of metabolic diseases.
The high consumption of meals that are highly rich in fats is known to be the cause of many metabolic diseases such as fatty liver disease, obesity, heart disease, and diabetes. Solo garlic has a high level of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory that help in breaking down fats hence reducing the risk of getting metabolic diseases. You need to consume solo garlic as often as possible to avoid getting the risk of metabolic diseases.
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Lowers the risk of heart disease
The highly responsible causes of heart diseases such as high blood pressure, stroke, and atherosclerosis include high cholesterol, oxidative stress, and inflammation. Solo garlic contains high compounds called allicin that help in reducing body lipids and inflammation. This help in reducing the risk of getting heart disease and improve its functions well. Solo garlic prevents the formation of blood clots and allows a good flow of blood. Solo garlic has a chemical compound known as Hydrogen Sulfide that reduces the systolic and diastolic blood pressure hence allowing the heart to function well and function very well.
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Helps to fight cancer in the body
The diallyl trisulfide which is an organosulphur compound found in solo garlic helps in fighting cancer by killing the cells that form cancer. If you often consume solo garlic then you are at a lesser risk of getting cancer.
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Helps to detoxify heavy metals in the body
The sulfur compounds in solo garlic have the capability to protect your body organs against heavy metal toxicity. The consumption of solo garlic detoxifies the body by reducing the symptoms and the toxicity levels. The solo garlic act a key role in protecting the body organs such as kidneys and liver against the damages caused by the germs from metals. Make sure you take three cloves of garlic each day.
Uses of Solo Garlic
- Solo garlic can be crushed and be used in preparing different dishes, soups, and seasoning. It has a tasty flavor that can be used in a variety of meals.
- Solo garlic helps in reducing the level of cholesterol and is healthy to be used by patients with a heart problems. It is recommended that the solo garlic is good to be consumed on an empty stomach in the morning.
- Solo garlic has been used since ancient times to treat diseases such as asthma, leprosy, deafness, arteriosclerosis, liver, gall bladder, and bronchial congestion.
- Solo garlic is used to boost the level of immunity in your body. It is one of the natural methods you need to boost your immunity.
Can you grow solo garlic?
You have been curious to know if you can grow solo garlic. The answer is yes you can easily grow solo garlic. You can use bulbils from any variety of garlic to grow solo garlic. When you plant the garlic do not remove the head that is the flower instead allow it to grow fully and fully develop. The fully developed flowers will be made with some tiny cloves also known as bulbils. At this stage, you can cut the flower heads and store Bulbils in a dry place. Leaves some other bulb in the ground where it will produce grass to be planted again. It will take up to 8 to 9 months for a small planted garlic clove to develop into a ready-harvested head of garlic. Do not stop because of the timeline though the end results are usually sweeter. Always save the bigger cloves so that you can use them to grow solo garlic, and you can use the smaller ones in the kitchen.
The best time you need to start growing solo garlic is during the first frost. This will enable the clove to have enough water that will assist in growing the fully developed garlic. During planting split the head of garlic into its individual cloves by cracking it apart. Do not shy off when doing the process because your wound hurt the garlic.
Sink each clove into the soil, making sure that it points end up. The base side of the clove should sit approximately 3 inches beneath the soil surface. You can use a trowel or finger to insert the clove into the soil. The space of your cloves should be between 3 to 4 inches apart. Do not make the mistake of cramping them together. It needs free space for good air circulation between the cloves. You can then cover your cloves with a thick layer approximately 1 to 2 inches thick, you can use a straw, finely shredded leaves, or any layer of your choice that allows ventilation. The layer helps to insulate the bulbs throughout the winter season. Ensure you water the crop throughout the formation cycle. This means that you are required to have a watering plan for 9 months to make sure that the crop has enough water for growth.
When to harvest solo garlic
During summer, the leaves of the solo garlic will start turning yellow then it is the right time to harvest the product. You can harvest solo garlic using various methods including pulling it out, using a pitchfork, or a spade. You choose the method depending and how you find the strength of the soil that holds the solo garlic. You need to be careful during harvesting not to bruise or break the bulb of the soil because it will affect the storage life. Make sure that you remove excess soil on the solo garlic bulb for it to remain clean for easy storage.
How to store solo garlic
After harvesting your solo garlic, you need to dry them out. You need to put them in a place that has a good flow of air and should be cool to make the curing to be faster. It is good for you to make a drying rack that will assist you to dry the solo garlic well. Upon realizing that the bulb has dried out then you gently clean the solo garlic by removing the dirt debris, trimming off the long stalks, and making sure that it is clean enough for the grocery store. Place the solo garlic on the flat-bottomed bowl or the empty egg cartons.
Also, learn about raw garlic at keeswan.com.
