Myth: Using fresh cloves of garlic is too much trouble to bother with.

Fact: Nothing beats fresh garlic! First, don’t confuse a garlic bulb with a clove. You’ll be purchasing a single bulb (or several), and each bulb contains 10-20 individual cloves. Remove the papery skin and chop or mince. The finer the chop, the stronger the taste. Also, garlic added at the end of cooking will give a stronger taste than garlic added earlier.

Myth: Garlic keeps vampires, werewolves, and evil spirits at bay.

Fact: Probably not, but years ago people believed this partly because of garlic’s potent medicinal properties. Modern science has showcased garlic’s ability to fight infections and destroy harmful bacteria. And although the science is not conclusive, research shows promise for garlic’s capacity to lower blood pressure and cholesterol, and to thwart pre-cancerous lesions. Allicin is the natural chemical in garlic most responsible for the healing properties and pungent, sulfury flavor, and it becomes more available for the body’s use when garlic is chopped or crushed.

Myth: There is no remedy for garlic breath.

Fact: The browning enzymes in fruits and vegetables most prone to surface browning – apples, bananas, potatoes, and mushrooms – can transform those stinky garlic molecules lingering in your mouth into odorless bliss. So eating an apple or banana will help. Mouthwashes that contain chloramines may help as well.

Myth: Avoid handling garlic because your hands will smell bad throughout the day.

Fact: Try this trick after handling garlic: Rinse your hands in cool water and rub them along something stainless steel for 30 seconds – a sink is ideal, but a knife or spoon will also work. It seems the sulfur compounds in the garlic bind with the metals in the stainless steel and “lift” the garlic off of your fingers.

Myth: Garlic should be stored in the refrigerator.

Fact: Store garlic in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight. Refrigerated storage diminishes the beloved garlicky flavor, and encourages more generic onion flavors. Also, refrigerated garlic is more prone to mold growth. Special “garlic keeper” pots are available in which to store whole bulbs and unused cloves to maximize storage life.

Jackie’s BIO

Jackie Shank, MS, RD, LD/N, is the undergraduate nutrition program director in the Department of Nutrition & Dietetics at the University of North Florida. The department has about 250 students, both undergraduate and graduate, plus eight full-time faculty and several adjunct instructors. Areas of faculty research include obesity prevention, metabolic syndrome, cultural food patterns, nutrition education in underserved populations, HIV/AIDS, and eating disorders.