Do you have questions about Connors Farm, Black Garlic or Raw Garlic? We hope this page will help answer most of them.
It is often challenging to substantiate claims made about food so we have compiled research done on black garlic to help you do your own due diligence.
About Connors Farm
Connors Farm grows Music Garlic, a porcelain hardneck variety producing large bulbs with a robust, spicy flavour.
Porcelain garlic is a type of large, attractive hardneck garlic. The plump cloves, usually four to seven to a bulb, are easy to peel, delicious to eat, and store longer than most types of garlic.
Wes we do. My father and I have raised and sold Beef Cattle for years. We also have a couple of pigs and chickens, supplying the family with farm-fresh eggs.
Connors Farm strives for the healthiest garlic available and have soil samples and plant tissue tested and analyzed by a large lab in Ontario every fall and spring. A soil consultant then interprets the results and we amend the soil as needed for best results.
We inspect all seeds by hand before planting to check for signs of rot and damage, and then dip them in a solution to help kill any mold that may be present. We also perform daily inspections and keep a close eye out for unwanted pests and diseases.
Every spring we amend the soil we will be planting in with all-natural ingredients like aged cow manure, lime, mussel seashell compost, rock dust and worm castings.
Connors Farm makes its own compost tea. It is sprayed on the garlic plants throughout the year.
Yes, because it helps return nutrients to the soil without synthetic inputs. The practice also works to interrupt pest and disease cycles, improve soil health by increasing biomass from different crops' root structures, and increase biodiversity on the farm.
We also plant cover crops like mustard seed and buckwheat.
Covering the seed stock after planting with straw protects the seeds throughout the winter, prevents the soil from drying out, controls weed growth and prevents washouts.
Connors Farm avoids chemicals as much as possible. However, on rare occasions, we may not have any choice and use chemicals as a last resort.
We hand-pick all garlic scapes as soon as possible. Removing the scapes can increase the growth of the bulb by up to 25%.
We are serious about garlic! Throughout the planting and growing process we perform regular checks. After harvesting the bulbs are run through a brushing and grading machine to ensure clean and correct size bulbs and we do a final hand inspection before shipping our garlic to make sure our customers receive the quality produce they expect from Connors Farm.
Black Garlic
Raw Garlic needs to be fermented, typically between 1 and 3 months, at the perfect humidity and temperature to make Black Garlic.
The process of fermenting is often referred to as a Maillard reaction.
Yes, it keeps in the freezer for up to a year.
Unopened packages of Black Garlic can be stored at room temperature for up to 6 months. After opening it can be kept in the fridge for up to 1 month.
You can store opened packages of Black Garlic in the fridge for up to one month.
Definitely! After Raw Garlic goes through the Maillard reaction it is considered a Superfood.
1 to 2 cloves.
Absolutely not. After the Maillard reaction is complete, the chemical composition of the Raw Garlic has been altered and bad breath is no longer a concern.
Black Garlic: Research Findings
- National Library of Medicine, Effect on human Health Diseases
- National Library of Medicine, Reduces Inflammation
- National Library of Medicine, Helps clear up Skin
- Cleveland Clinic, Fights Fungus
- National Library of Medicine, Slows the effects of Osteoarthritis
- National Library of Medicine, Reduces Brain Inflammation: 1 &
- National Library of Medicine, Helps reduce risk of Alzheimer's Disease
- National Library of Medicine, Improves Cognitive Functions via Vitamin B6 & Magnesium
- National Library of Medicine, Stimulates Neural Tissue
- Libyan Journal of Medicine, Neuroprotective Effects
- Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry, Lowers Cholesterol
- National Library of Medicine, Lowers Cholesterol
- National Library of Medicine, Lipid Lowering Agent
- National Library of Medicine, Treating Hypercholesterolemia
- National Library of Medicine, Prevents oxidative DNA Damage
- National Library of Medicine, May prevent the development of Gestational Diabetes
- National Library of Medicine, Diminishes risk of Heart Disease
- National Library of Medicine, Protects Heart from damage
- Oxford Academic, Enhances Nitric Oxide Production
- National Library of Medicine, Helps lower Blood Pressure: 1 & 2
- Taylor & Francis, Anti-Cancer Properties
- Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention, Reduces risk of Prostate Cancer
- Frontiers in Physiology, Improved indicators of Heart Health
- National Library of Medicine, Inhibits Colon Cancer cell growth
- National Library of Medicine, Inhibits Gastric Cancer cell growth
- Biochimica et Biophysica Acta, Protects the Liver
- National Library of Medicine, Therapeutic effects on the Liver
Raw Garlic
Music garlic takes between 6 and 8 months, depending on the area and growing year.
Garlic thrives in full sun and well-drained soil.
On average, there are 4 cloves per garlic plant.
We prefer to harvest our garlic when about half of the leaves are left living because every living leaf represents one protective shell around the garlic bulb, helping prolong its shelf life.
It takes about 2 weeks.
As long as raw garlic is kept in a cool and dry place it can be stored for 6 to 8 months.
