From the Garden of Historic Longstreet Farm: Garlic

Garlic has a long history in many countries. The center of origin is Central Asia, which was the only place garlic flourished in the wild without human assistance, about 5,000-6,000 years ago. The Egyptian and Indian cultures referred to garlic 5,000 years ago and there is evidence it was used by the Babylonians 4,500 years ago. It was only within the last 1,000 years that garlic started being cultivated in southern Europe. 

This pungent vegetable has had many uses throughout the centuries. Both ancient Chinese and Indian cultures used garlic for a variety of ailments, from digestion to leprosy. A 14th-century Muslim physician recommended garlic for toothaches, constipation, parasites, snake bites and more. And during medieval times in Europe, garlic had a magical significance, thought to protect against witchcraft, vampires, devils and disease. Garlic made its way to North America with European settlers and today we use it to flavor a wide variety of dishes and it is still known for its medicinal uses.

In the early 19th century, garlic was most often used for medical purposes rather than culinary in North America. But after the 1850s, it became more utilized in cooking to flavor a variety of dishes and condiments, largely through the influence of French cookbooks. 

Historic Longstreet Farm is known for recreating the sights and sounds of the 1890s. Check out these traditional uses for garlic, both medicinal and culinary, from this time period in the U.S.:

Draughts for the Feet.

Garlics are also made for draughts by pounding them, placing them on a hot time plate for a moment to sweat them, and binding them closely to the hollow of the foot by a cloth bandage.

From "White House Cookbook: A Selection of Choice Recipes Original and Selected, during a period of Forty Years" by Mrs. F.L. Gillette. R. S.. Peale & Company, Chicago, 1887.

Garlic Butter or Gascony Butter.

No. 730. - Boil one dozen cloves of Garlic for ten minutes. Then drain them and pound them in a mortar with half a pound of butter. Add a little nutmeg and a pinch of red pepper, and when well mixed, rub it through a fine sieve and keep it in a cool place.

From "Harder's Practical American Cookery, Volume 1, Treating of American Vegetables, and all Alimentary Plants, Roots and Seeds" by Jules Arthur Harder, Chef de Cuisine, Palace Hotel. San Francisco, 1885.

Garlic Vinegar.

An excellent vinegar made as follows: Put three ounces of bruised garlic-cloves into an earthen jar with a teaspoonful of coarse salt, four cloves, four peppercorns, half an ounce of whole-dried ginger; pour over these a quart of the best vinegar; let it infuse two weeks, strain, and put into half-pint bottles; cork well. To those who will not use garlic in salads for flavoring this vinegar is recommended.

From "Salads and Sauces" by Thomas J. Murrey. Frederick A. Stokes Company Publishers, New York, 1884.

Tomato Catsup (Catsup de Tomates).

Boil one quart of vinegar in a saucepan, adding a quarter of an ounce of capsicum peppers, one ounce of garlic, half an ounce of shallot, all nicely peeled, and half an ounce of white ground pepper, also a coffeespoonful of red pepper, and let boil for ten minutes, then strain through a fine sieve. Mix in with this vinegar, one and a half pounds of tomatoes, reduce all together and then add the juice of three lemons, and salt to taste. Should this sauce be too thick, add more vinegar or some water; fill up the bottles, let stand till cold, then put them in a very cool place to use when needed. This sauce is excellent as a relish for cold meats fish, oysters, etc.

From "The Epicurean: A Complete Treatise of Analytical and Practical Studies on the Culinary Art" by Charles Ranhofer. Charles Ranhofer, New York, 1894.

Please Note: Historic Longstreet Farm is currently open to the public, though at this time the farmhouse remains closed. We’re operating on our summer schedule from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. through Labor Day. We ask that visitors continue social distancing and strongly recommend face coverings, especially when interacting with staff. We remind visitors that for both your safety and the safety of our animals, touching or feeding the animals is not permitted. We look forward to seeing you at the farm and be sure to take a walk past the garden to see what's currently growing.

Sources

• "Garlic". American Heritage Vegetables, http://www.digitalussouth.org/vegetable/vegetable.php?vegName=Garlic.
• "Garlic Domestication - Where Did it Come from and When?" by K. Kris Hirst. ThoughtCo, 2019, https://www.thoughtco.com/garlic-domestication-where-and-when-169374.
• "The origins and distributions of garlic: How many garlics are there?" by Philipp W. Simon. Vegetable Crops Research: Madison, WI, U.S. Department of Agriculture, https://www.ars.usda.gov/midwest-area/madison-wi/vegetable-crops-research/docs/simon-garlic-origins/.