Spring garlic includes two different varieties: white and violet, which occupy 200 hectares of our fields. They are our biggest crops.
Violet spring garlic has the same origin as the rest of garlic varieties: it comes from the allium sativum plant. The first records of this plant go back 7000 years to central Asia, from India, and from there it spread out throughout the Mediterranean coast thanks to the Byzanitine and Roman Empires. Historic reports state that garlic’s first crops were planted in India.
In antiquity garlic was more valued for its medicinal and healing qualitys rather than for its ability to boost flavor. It was used to heal ulcers, ease ear pain or even as vitamin supplement. As garlic bacame more popular it became an essential product in everyday cooking.
Historians have even found evidence of its usage in hyerogliphs at the Keops Pyramid, from Ancient Egypt, that says that pharaohs would be garlic to their slaves during the constructions of the pyramids, to make sure they stayed strong and healthy.
This garlic variety is named after the season when harvest takes place, spring.
Violet spring garlic has a few qualties that make it special and has helped it gain popularity in so many different countries. The main quality is its color: a high quality violet spring garlic will be white and volet on the outside and its cloves will have a yellowish or gloden tone. It usually has from 10 to 12 cloves that are flat shaped and covered by reddish or brownish skin. This variety’s color is pretty good too.
Violet spring garlic has a hard stalk and the garlic itself gives off a really nice and specal scent, which is its other main attractive quality. Furthermore it has a spicier taste while still staying light and pleasing to the palate. This is why violet spring garlic is perfect to prepare certain meals, like fish and seafood. It’s specially popular in countries with a strong gastronomic culture, such as Spain, France, Italy or Greece, although it’s spreading out farther every day.
In Dispaman offer our clients several packaging options for violet spring garlic, like carton and plastic boxes (in different sizes), net bags, carton trays or even in big boxes. We can adjust and adapt our orders and products to each client’s needs and requirements.
Violet spring garlic is not too hard to grow, altought there are obviously some things the farmer needs to know to ensure the best and highest quality produce. In Dispaman we are expert growers and we know every trick in the book.
The seed used to grow white spring garlic is originally from China but it has been adapted and is produced in Spain. This seed has a quite short germination if the cold chain is not controlled properly.
Violet spring garlic adapts easily to its environment, and with the adequate care and conditons its growth should be early. Garlic it’s a high performance crop per hectare, which is another reason why it’s such a popular product. It is planted during October and November and harvested in June.
When it comes to growing violet spring garlic, 0ºC it’s considered to be the growing temperature from which it can start its growth. Night time temperaturas for white spring garlic are better below 16ºC, but it can also stand warmer temperautres up to 40ºC as long as the soil has a mínimum degree of humidity. Violet spring garlic can also stand lower temperatures as long as it has one or three leaves covering it.
The soil where violet spring garlic it’s planted needs to have a good drainage system and a perfect dregree of humidity for the crop. That dregree of humidity it’s usually a bit under the soil’s capacity. The perfect soil would be cool and a bit clay-like.
As we have previously mentioned, violet spring garlic adapts easily to specific grwing conditions, and one of them is the soil. It grows specially well in fields where cereals have been planted before, as well as lettuce, peppers, wheat, potatoe, barley, cabbage and colza.
The soil should be high in potash and low in lime.
Violet spring garlic it’s an excellent flavor enhacer and goes well with pretty much every meal and ingredient. Besides this, it’s health benefits are many and notable, like the ones we list below:
Adding violet spring garlic to our idea, as a flavor anhacer or as a vitamin and health supplement, is always a good idea. At Dispaman we have the best violet spring garlic the Spanish market has to offer, and we can package in several different ways, adapting each order to our client’s needs ans requirements.
At Dispaman, garlic growers from Castilla La Mancha, we have been growing our produce in our own land for over 70 years, and we can offer a high quality violet spring garlic. Get in touch with us if you want to know more about all our calibres and preparation options.
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