Is garlic good for you? YES!
I absolutely love Garlic! I hope you do too! There are so many reasons to include this pungent member of the Lily family in your daily meals, anytime but especially now. There is a glossary* to help with herbal terms but, please contact me if the properties below are not clear.
The huge list, below, primarily extols the virtues of raw garlic. I tend to add it at the very end of whatever I am cooking, to enable the maximum healing powers to be present in my food. Sometimes, for added flavour, I will sauté onions and add garlic after the onions are translucent but will make sure to save more garlic to add just before serving to ensure garlic's goodness is present.
- Garlic is a strong cardiac tonic and is used for any conditions of the cardiovascular system.
- It decreases inflammation in the arteries and protects them.
- Garlic decreases blood fats and cholesterol
- It is a strong circulatory stimulant. It improves heart function and circulation in general.
- Garlic is an immune stimulant.
- Excellent expectorant, so can help to expel mucus from a productive cough.
- It's is an excellent 'fighter of infection' of every kind
- It's an anti-parasitic which means it's very effective against 'worms' and 'parasites'
Garlic is an excellent digestive herb. Important ally for infections & inflammation of digestive system.
Garlic (Allium sativum)
Primary Properties: Anthelmintic (pinworms, threadworms), , antibacterial, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antiprotozoal, antispasmodic, antithrombotic, antiviral, blood pressure normalizer, carminative, circulatory stimulant, decongestant, diaphoretic, digestive stimulant, expectorant febrifuge, hepatoprotective, hypocholesterolemic, hypoglycemic, hypolipidemic, immune stimulant, pancreatic
Secondary Properties: Analgesic, adrenal tonic, antiallergenic, antiarrhythmic, , antineoplastic, cardiac, cholagogue, depurative, diuretic, uterine stimulant, vascular tonic.
*Not sure about a term? ~ go to "GLOSSARY"
Here are 3 of my most favourite 'garlic power' annual ritual recipes!
Garlic Syrup
Ingredients
- Garlic bulbs local, organic in season when possible
- Raw local honey
Instructions
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Slice several bulbs of garlic.
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Put the garlic into a clean glass jar.
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Add raw honey to cover the garlic.
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Place tight-fitting lid on the jar.
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In the next 48 hours, the juice from the garlic will mix with the honey.
Recipe Notes
Take 1-2 teaspoonfuls of this syrup every 30 minutes for congestion in the lungs and to relieve cough spasms or a sore throat.
Here's another fall ritual and one that we need to begin early to be ready in time! As I mention below, I have a batch on now using coconut aminos in place of tamari to be able to share a version for folks who avoid soy products. There are some great brands of tamari, made with great quality non GMO soy. I buy them locally.
Pickled Garlic
Easy to make powerful healing condiment. Plan ahead. 4-8 weeks!
They will be either salty-sweet or tart-sweet. The degree of sweetness can also be adjusted, so as with many adventures with herbs, the recipes are more of a guide than a recipe.
Use your imagination!
Ingredients
- garlic bulbs amount will depend on the size of jar
- tamari OR apple cider vinegar*
- raw honey
- glass jar I tend to use a canning jar
Instructions
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Peel several heads of garlic.
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Try not to nick the cloves, as this will make them turn black or brown.
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(This doesn’t affect the result or the taste, but cloves in their original color look more appetizing.)
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Place the cloves in a glass jar.
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Choose the size of jar carefully; the idea is to have the garlic cloves piled in the jar and topped with liquid so that there’s not a lot of air space.
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Cover the garlic cloves with tamari or apple cider vinegar^ and allow to steep in a warm area
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(ideally a warm cupboarfor 4-8 weeks.
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Sometimes air bubbles will form, but this is a part of the process.
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Ensure that the cloves are always covered with liquid.
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After 4 – 8 weeks, strain the liquid into a bowl or another jar.
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Pour ½ to 1 cup of the liquid into a measuring cup.
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Add an equal amount of honey.
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Mix together and pour the sweetened mixture back into the original jar, over the garlic cloves.
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The remaining unused portion of the liquid makes a delicious addition to sauces, stews, salad dressings.
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Put a tight-fitting lid onto the jar with the garlic and allow to sit another 4 -8 weeks.
Recipe Notes
The result yields a tasty, raw garlic condiment with all of the power of garlic’s goodness.
It can be taken daily as a preventative or used with salads or many main dish meals.
*Substitute coconut aminos if not using soy products. This is new for me but I have a batch "on the go" now to see how it works!
^Use tamari, apple cider vinegar, or both! If time permits, I like to make all three.
If not? I make the version with both tamari and apple cider vinegar. Tamari is a fermented Japanese version of the common “soy sauce”. It offers a deeper, richer flavor and is available ‘gluten free’.
easy Garlic-infused Vinegar coming up!
Here's a super easy DIY recipe that needs a little extra time -- so make it soon to be ready for 'that season'. It's a great way to add garlic's power to soups, stews etc.
Easy Garlic Vinegar
Ingredients
- Garlic preferably local
- Vinegar your choice
Instructions
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Peel, chop and crush an entire bulb of garlic.
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Put it in a quart of apple cider vinegar.
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Allow to 'marry' for a week or two.
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Strain through fine cheese cloth or a fine stainless steel strainer.
Recipe Notes
Note: I have used white wine, red wine and rice wine vinegar but prefer apple cider, personally.
Experiment!
Use it cooked in meals. For more complete range of healing constituents, it's best to add it at the end of cooking for best results, as I mentioned above OR you can enjoy it pickled, (still raw, uncooked) OR do what hard-core garlic lovers do .. Cut cloves in half and swallow with a big gulp of H2O, as one might take a pill!!
Here's a link to my favourite local health magazine (now online!) which echoes my ideas re garlic-infused vinegar! Read all about it here.
SO an answer to the question: Is Garlic Good for YOU? A resounding applause and YES!!
Check out my eBook here and learn all about using herbs + spices to keep healthy !
Here's to our health ~ Please try these ideas and let me know all about it!
xo Carol
Robbie-Jayne
Hello:).....I was jus wondering where you keep the garlic syrup when you are done making it and how long will it last for?...I am making it for my daughters and I...we are excited to try it!...thanks for the recipe!
Carol Little
HI there! Garlic syrup should keep indefinitely as long as the garlic is covered. Having said that, I would suggest using it within 6 months but truly the syrup would probably be fine for much longer!
Megan Stevens
I can't wait to make pickled garlic!! My people will love it. :) Thank you Carol for such a helpful post and delicious recipe.
Erin
I so wish I could have garlic! I put it in every savory dish before I found out I was intolerant. :/ Ugh. Maybe one day I can have it again!
Carol Little
Oh dear, Erin, I hope so too.. Have you tried it raw, roasted, pickled etc?
I have a good friend who has started eating some garlic after many years of 'sensitivity'.
Meredith
I have heard about how good garlic syrup is for fighting colds... now I can try it myself! Thanks for the recipe!!
Jenni LeBaron
I've never tried pickled garlic before but I am very intrigued by the idea. I bet that is delicious on top of bruschetta!
paleoglutenfreeguy
I love these ideas! I love garlic but had no idea it could be used in so many helpful ways. I'm definitely saving this post for future reference.
easyketodishes
Garlic is my favorite food...I use at least 3 cloves in every recipe...
RecipesFromTheHomestead
I LOVE pickled garlic!
Tarah
With cold season already in full swing, this provides more than one option to make some homemade remedies! Thank you for sharing!
STACEY CRAWFORD
I'm glad to hear this! I have been hearing the controversy on whether garlic is good to consume daily. I love and eat it everyday and don't seem to be sensitive to it. Thanks for all the recipes & tips :)
ChihYu
Thank you for this excellent detail on the benefits of garlic!
linda spiker
My favorite herb! I really enjoyed reading the comments here. So many of your readers use it for things I never would have thought of!
Kelly @ A Girl Worth Saving
Wow! This post is perfect timing for me. I'm going to make a big batch of garlic syrup as we already are dealing with sniffles.
Carol Little
Kelly.. I hope that you do and keep on hand! Definitely a powerful herbal concoction!!
jennifer
what a super smart idea is that pickled garlic! Thanks for sharing all the health benefits and inspo on incorporating into daily diet!
Tessa Simpson
Such a powerhouse...a totally delish too! I love to use it for ear infections!
Raia Todd
I pretty much live off garlic syrup during the winter months. It's SO helpful!
Carol Little
Glad to hear this Raia! I'm a fan obviously!!
Mary
These are some great ideas for using garlic, especially the syrup. We use a LOT when we are sick. We make a super tonic with garlic, ACV, honey, cayenne, and ginger!
Carol Little
HI Mary. Thanks! Add some horseradish sometime to your concoction and you'll have close to my own concoction!! If you try that, let me know. Just made some this a.m. with fresh horseradish, ginger etc.
Renee D Kohley
Making the garlic syrup today! Thank you!
Carol Little
Great news Renee. Enjoy! xo
رژیم غذایی
I love eating thin slices of raw garlic with sliced sharp cheddar cheese
Carol Little
Thanks for sharing! I must try that! YUM!
Brian Timbs
Your herbal remedies are wonderful ! I take them a step further and only use organically grown heritage varieties that I grow myself. They are reputed to me far more nutricious than just organic grown veggies.
How do you feel about that?
cheers
carollittle
Heritage varieties are a wonderful option if possible. Organic as well. Both together? The best! Good for you!
Lauren
While breastfeeding, I've treated mastitis twice and other breast feeding related problems with raw organic garlic. 2-3 cloves every 2 hours for about a day or as long as you can stomach it. Chopping or crushing the cloves and letting them sit for 5-10 minutes is important for medicinal/antibiotic properties. Something with the chemical allicin being activated & 5-10 minutes is when its at its peak strength...? Either way, using garlic as an antibiotic has been extemely successful & MUCH quicker working than prescribed antibiotics for me! Not to mention healthy instead of damaging to my body.
carollittle
Thanks Lauren, for sharing this info. Others will benefit from your post.
Studies abound re when is the best time for garlic's ultimate potency but I have heard,
as well, this idea of chopping/mincing garlic and allowing some 'air time' before ingesting.
Keep healthy!
Kris W.
Great article! We use garlic in almost everything! I always have fermented garlic on hand and for general well being we eat one every week or so (we use so much garlic in our daily meals that I use the fermented ones as a boost). When someone gets the sniffles or just isn't feeling "right" then it's two a day until they feel better - usually only a couple of days are needed. In addition, I also have them take a shot of Master Tonic every day as well. Thanks for the great info!
andy
I love garlic,I use it everyday. I use it in a drink before going for my daily run. Sometimes I'll eat the garlic after the drink. Has helped me lose weight and give me more energy I believe. I sweat better,cleaner if you know what I mean. Its my wonder "drug"!
carollittle
Great feedback Andy, thanks for writing! Garlic is indeed a super-food-herb!
Linda
I have been using garlic to treat an infected cat bite. It works wonders, but I find that I have to use fresh, raw garlic, and LOTS OF IT. If I try to switch to the scent - free garlic capsules for sale in the health food store, the infection flares up and I have to switch back quickly to the "real" stuff to keep it from getting out of hand. And I have to use LOTS - one or two cloves per day will not do the trick. To effecively fight a serious infection that would put most people in the hospital, I find that it is necessare to use up to 10 cloves at a time - 3 or 4 times per day. It is hard on the stomach to use this much, but it is easier if I juice the cloves with celery and cucumber to dilute the garlic. For garlic to be useful as serious medicine, you have to use LOTS of fresh, crushed or juiced cloves. In my opinion, anything less is culinary and not a true medicinal dose.
carollittle
Hello Linda.
I trust that the cat bite has healed now. I agree that there is a definite difference between a tasty bite and a therapeutic dose. The same goes for all of herbal medicine, really, including amount of herbal tea needed to make a significant impact. Some of my clients have good luck with chopped raw garlic and honey or chopped raw garlic with pureed parsley and other herbs like in a sort of pesto! Thanks for your comment. Hope you are very well these days.