Artichoke Garlic, Inchelium Red – 4 oz

$20.00

Artichoke Garlic, a softneck variety, is so named because the overlapping clove configuration around the bulb resembles an artichoke.  The plants are vigorous and the bulbs are large.  These garlics usually do not produce a seedhead, but may produce bulbils which will protrude from the lower part of the stem.  Generally, Artichoke Garlics have 12-20 mildly flavored cloves.  The mild flavor makes them a favorite of individuals who enjoy eating raw garlic. With some strains, the flavor may be intensified by cold winter growing.  One pound of bulbs averages 80 plants.

Inchelium Red, perhaps the best known of the Artichoke garlic cultivars, was originally collected from a garden on the Colville Indian Reservation, near the Canadian Border in Washington State. It was introduced to the American public by the Rodale Kitchens in the late 1980s and early 1990s. It is often, belovedly, referred to as “Inchee”.

The plants produce huge bulbs often with as many as 20 cloves. The flavor is very mild and pleasant when eaten raw.  When cooked the flavor maintains its subtlety.

Of all the garlic varieties that we sell, Inchelium Red or ‘Inchee’ as it is affectionately known, is, by far and away, the most popular. It is also the largest garlic we sell, sometimes rivaling in size the elephant garlic bulbs.

Inchee is best grown in Zones 5-7, but can be grown successfully in Zone 4.  The bulbs and cloves will be smaller, but the flavor will be the same.

When eaten raw, Inchee has a mild, good flavor.  It is nowhere near as strong as many other garlics which is why it performs so well in taste tests.  It is a great garlic for marinades and dressings because of its mild raw flavor. When cooked, Inchee becomes very mild and this is frequently a deterrent.  If you want the benefits of garlic, but not the strong flavor, then Inchee is recommended  for cooking.

This huge, beautiful garlic is well worth trying, and we highly recommend it for those of you who love to eat raw garlic.  YUM!!

Type Spacing Planting Depth HZ Maturation
Artichoke 6-8 in. 3-4 in. 4-9 180-240 Days

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Description

Artichoke Garlic, Inchelium Red

GARLIC, which is a member of the same group of plants as the ONION, has been cultivated for millennia.  As a cultivated plant, it is so old that it is difficult to credit a country of origin for this vegetable.  Some historians believe that onions and garlic was indigenous to the southwest of Siberia and spread to southern Europe where it became naturalized.  It is widely grown in all the Mediterranean countries.

All modern garlic belongs to one of two subspecies:  hardneck (ophioscorodon) or softneck (sativum).  Hardneck subspecies try to produce flower stalks with small aerial cloves called bulbils.  Hardnecks will not produce large bulbs underground unless the flower stalks are removed.  There are seven varieties of hardneck garlic:  Asiatics, Purple Striped, Glazed Purple Stripe, Marbled Purple Stripe, Porcelain, Turban and Rocambole.  Softnecks have lost the ability, for the most part, to produce a flower stalk.  However, under certain climatic situations, the bulbs may try to produce a flower stalk known as bolting.  There are four varieties of softneck garlic:  Artichoke, Turban, Silverskin and Creole.

Ted Jordan Meredith in his landmark book, The Complete Book of Garlic, A Guide for Gardeners, Growers, and Serious Cooks, in my opinion, the best book ever written on garlic, perhaps offered the most succinctly put and accurately and comprehensively organized summary of the nature and value of the Artichoke Group when he wrote,

“Artichoke cultivars are among the most productive and least problematic. They are ready for harvesting earlier, readily develop very large bulbs, and adapt to a wide range of growing conditions and soils.”

Artichoke garlic is named for its overlapping cloves that resemble an artichoke.  Artichoke garlic bulbs can have as many as 3-5 overlapping clove layers.  The plants are very vigorous and large bulbed.  The flavor is mild, and this is often the garlic chosen for eating raw.  Artichoke garlic is an excellent storer.  The bulbs contain 12-20 cloves.  One pound of seed garlic will produce approximately 80 plants.

Artichoke garlic cultivars are among the most productive and least problematic of all garlic cultivars. They mature earlier than other garlic cultivars and produce huge bulbs. Best of all, they adapt to a wide range of growing environments, so they can be grown throughout most of the US.  Only in Hardiness Zones 1-2 and 8-10 will they have a hard time.

Planting Garlic, Shallots, Onions and Elephant Garlic

Additional information

Weight 4 oz
Dimensions 6 × 3.5 × 3.5 in
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4 oz, 8 oz

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