ITALIAN PURPLE (Garlic)

(Allium sativum)  Also known as 'Early Purple' or 'Italian Red'.  Large, round, flattened bulbs with strong purple striping and pink to cream coloured cloves.  Hot, strong flavour becoming rich, creamy and nutty when roasted.  Prefers cold to mild winters with warm springs leading into hot summers, although they are usually harvested well before summer. Very hot spring days can cause water stress and may accelerate their tendency to flop over. Once this happens they need to be harvested within a week or so.  Will grow in most regions from Southern Queensland to Tasmania, as well as South Australia and Western Australia.