LONDON, April 11 /PRNewswire/ --
Whether you are already an addict or are waiting to be converted, the dynamic
taste and health benefits of garlic are universally hailed. Used across the
world for millennia, both for culinary and medicinal purposes, garlic has been
successful in treating wounds, infections and intestinal parasites. It's even
mentioned in Egyptian hieroglyphs.
Today many scientists have concluded
from the results of numerous clinical trials, that garlic has anti-bacterial
properties and helps lower cholesterol and blood pressure.
It also contains allyl sulfur
compounds and these are currently being studied by the National Cancer Institute
for their ability to slow or prevent the growth of tumor cells, which may prove
effective in fighting certain cancers.
Cooking wise, it's worth noting that
the smaller you chop garlic, the more pungent it becomes. Garlic which has been
through a garlic press is 10 times stronger than garlic which has been chopped
with a knife. So, if you want a milder tasting dish, either add whole of halved
cloves.
If that's not enough to convince you
to eat garlic, some other reasons for which it has been recognised throughout
the ages, though not all have been conclusively proven include repelling
vampires, curing warts and protecting against the plague!
Whether you're green-fingered or
not, why not try growing just a few plants in containers. It's really simple and
there's still time start them before the end of April.
Buy a bulb from your supermarket,
divide it into cloves (leaving the skins on) and plant one clove per 13cm/5-inch
pot filled with ordinary potting compost, 5cm/2-inches deep, pointy end up.
Place in a sunny position and keep watered.
From early June, feed with a general
plant food every two weeks until mid-August. Stop watering altogether in late
August and by mid/late September you should have a fully formed bulb waiting to
be eaten!
Whilst National Garlic Day seems to
be an American invention, this awesome little bulb merits being celebrated the
world over. If you're stuck for ideas, you can find hundreds of recipes using
garlic at www.recipes4us.co.uk.
Written by Florence Sandeman, Editor
Recipes4us.co.uk
Note to Editors: Recipes4us.co.uk
was launched in 2000 and is an independent UK recipe and food information site.
A recipe and photograph is also available.
Sources: National Centre for Biotechnology www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
National Cancer Institute www.cancer.gov
Contact: Florence Sandeman
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.recipes4us.co.uk
Distributed by PR Newswire on behalf of Recipes4us.co.uk
