Vampire Repellent

Garlic. What would we do without it? Garlic's reputation precedes itself. And a ponderous reputation it is.

Garlic has been alleged to perform everything from curing countless illnesses to warding off evil spirits and vampires. The Egyptians fed garlic to the slaves who built the pyramids believing it increased their physical strength.

Man has harvested garlic for at least 5,000 years. Horticulturists argue about its exact origins but a popular theory places its genesis in, of all places, Siberia.

Modern medicinal claims purport that garlic lowers cholesterol and blood pressure, aids circulation, alleviates coughs and colds, and has anti-oxidant and anti-cancer properties.

Garlic contains vitamins B1, B2, and C, niacin, and a wide variety of minerals including calcium, phosphorous, potassium, selenium, germanium, zinc and manganese. Miracle bulb or not, Americans consume 300 million pounds of garlic each year!

The only bad thing that can be said about garlic is it's odorous side effects. These occur because the essential oils in garlic permeate the lung membranes and are then expelled during exhalation. Garlic's scent also exudes from our skin.

Garlic is a member of the lily family and is related to the onion clan. The most common types of garlic found in the US are the American garlic, (colored white), and the Mexican and Italian garlic which have a purplish or rose colored hue.

The American is the most pungent. Elephant garlic is not real garlic and is exceptionally mild. Choose heads that are firm, heavy for their size, and with all their cloves in tact. Store garlic in a cool dry place but never the refrigerator.

One of my favorite things to do with garlic is to roast it. At what temperature and for how long depends on whom you ask. An Internet site suggests 325 degrees for an hour and a half.

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