Glazed Purple Stripes
Hardneck 8-9 cloves per bulb
Not a mere subcategory within Purple Stripes, the Glazed family is a unique branch of the garlic family in its own right. Glazed Purple Stripes tend to be high in allicin content and are like a creamy baked potato in texture when cooked. They are very cold hardy and disease resistant. They are the remarkable "little plants that could" that are half the size of bigger Porcelains and Purple Stripes, yet they can yield really well and surprise growers with their vigor and flavor. Glazed Purple Stripes are a tiny family with only a handful of named cultivars. I've got 3 varieties and I'm not sure there are many more out there. I think that having so few cultivars within it, the Glazed Purple Stripes are overlooked and underrated, but they shouldn't be passed over! They earned the name as their outer wrappers (shades of purple and blue!) look like glazed tile when cured. Roughly mid season harvest.
My Glazed Purple Stripe bulbs have been the most responsive to my recent efforts to add lime/calcium to the soil. They also respond strongly to organic matter. If your Glazed Purple Stripes aren't getting very big, they may be the "canary in the coal mine" for indicating low pH/calcium and/or organic matter. I've gotten great results from them (on par and sometimes surpassing Rocamboles) since I've added lime and straw.
Ever since I've gotten better with bulb size, they've come onto the kitchen scene as excellent roasters, with a texture that's "fluffier" than Porcelains, if that's the right word.