You've found the famous Dave's Garden website! Join this friendly global community that shares tips and ideas for home and gardens, along with seeds and plants!
Check out the DG homepage for a brief overview of what you'll find in this gardening mega-site.
Login
If you don't have an account yet, visit the registration page to sign up.
With a name like Creole, one would naturally assume these garlics originated in Louisiana, but they really were cultivated in Spain and initially spread by the Conquistadors. Creole garlics were classified as silverskins although they don't resemble other silverskins in any way. Botanists assured us, however, that they were genetically silverskins… but it turns out not to be so. [1] They are in a class all their own, and gaining popularity with Creole (and other!) cooks.
Creoles are among the rarest and most expensive of all garlics, and a little difficult to find.
These garlics are superb for eating fresh with an initial sweetness that builds in heat. They typically have 8-12 red to purple cloves per head beneath a white skin, and are tolerant of adverse growing (weather) conditions especially in hot climates. Not all garlic cultivars are well suited to growing in mild winter and warm to hot spring climates but the Creole group do very well in warmer climates. Creoles are also longer storing garlics than most. Some Creole Garlic varieties Ajo Rojo - A stronger Creole Garlic. Harvests mid-late season - stores 7-8 months. Ajo Rojo is almost red, whereas Burgundy is almost purple. Ajo Rojo is usually more more pungent than Burgundy although some years it can be milder, depending on weather.
Burgundy - A mild Creole garlic. Harvests mid-late season, stores 7-8 months. Burgundy has a mild, yet full flavor with only moderate heat.
Creole Red - Harvests mid-late season, stores 7-8 months. Creole Red has a robust, rich flavor that seems very deep and earthy and yet with enough pungency to let you know you're eating a real garlic (but not so hot as to be painful).
Cuban Purple - Harvests mid-late season, stores 7-8 months. Cuban Purple is the darkest of the Creole garlics, with a very rich, earthy garlicky flavor with very little pungency (hotness when raw) and makes an excellent pesto, salsa, etc. A hardy garlic that is great for growing in Florida and all along the Gulf Coast.
Germinador - A mild Creole from the South of France. Harvests mid-late season, stores 7-8 months. Nicely flavored, little or no pungency, a delightful garlic for eating raw.
Rose du Lautrec --A Unique and Robust French Creole.-- Harvests mid-late season - stores 7-8 months. Rose du Lautrec is a beautiful Creole that is almost as long storing as its fellow French Creole, Germinador but has a much more robust flavor. It has a modest amount of pungency. It has a deep sort of muskiness but with an influence of dijon mustard or a hint of horseradish.
Some Other Creole Garlics are Labera Purple, Pescadero Red, Spanish Benitee, Spanish Morado and Morado Gigante.
Garlic for planting should be pre-ordered now (or before late summer) to assure availability. By the time I think of planting garlic very few varieties are still available.
Footnotes [1] Genetic Diversity among U.S. Garlic Clones, Gayle M. York, Adam D. Henk, and Christopher M. Richards, J. Amer. Soc. Hort. Sci. 129(4): 559-569. 2004
1/2 cup garlic cloves, peeled (about 1 whole bulb) 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil 3 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and quartered Kosher salt 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1/4 cup heavy cream, half-and-half, or creme fraiche
In a small saucepan, bring the garlic and oil to a boil, then turn the heat to low and cook uncovered for 5 minutes, or until the garlic is lightly browned. Turn off the heat and set aside. The garlic will continue to cook in the oil.
Meanwhile, place the potatoes in a large pot of salted water, bring to a boil, and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, until the potatoes are very tender. With a slotted spoon, remove the potatoes from the water, reserving the cooking water, and remove the garlic from the oil, reserving the oil.
Process the potatoes and garlic through a food mill fitted with the medium disk. Add the reserved olive oil, 2 teaspoons of salt, the pepper, cream, and 3/4 cup of the cooking water to the potatoes and mix with a wooden spoon. Add more cooking water, if necessary, until the potatoes are creamy but still firm. Season to taste, and serve hot.
About Darius Van d'Rhys
I have a 'growing my own food' obsession that comes from my overlapping interests in cooking, nutrition and gardening. I am also a "teacher", a writer, a builder… and a craftsperson and... and… and many other things, LOL. In fact, I guess I am a generalist, and a Seeker.
I live in the southern Appalachian Mountains on a hillside with a creek in front, and drive a 15 year old truck I lovingly call “My Farmer’s Ferrari.”
Some Creole Garlic varieties
Garlic for planting should be pre-ordered now (or before late summer) to assure availability. By the time I think of planting garlic very few varieties
are still available. 
