17 proven ways to keep garlic dry

After harvesting the garlic, you need to store it correctly. If stored incorrectly, the vegetable will be spoiled and it will not be possible to restore it. You need to take a little time and get involved in the preparation of garlic, then it will calmly lie all winter or even spring.

What determines the shelf life

There are two types of garlic: summer (spring) and winter. Summer species are planted in spring, and winter - in front of the most frosts, in autumn. It is believed that the summer variety is stored longer than the winter one for a couple of months (usually 5-6 months), since it is less susceptible to decay. Winter (winter) garlic with timely harvesting is stored for up to 100 days. Gardeners grow both varieties, depending on the region and the desired crop.

In addition to the variety, the storage duration is affected by:

1. Harvest time.
2. Preparation of heads for storage.
3. Storage conditions (temperature, lighting and humidity).

Each item is especially important and requires implementation. If you neglect any step, then you can not count on long-term storage.

How and when to harvest

The term for ripening garlic heads falls in mid-August or late July. It depends on the growing conditions: with a warm summer, the fruits have time to ripen a couple of weeks earlier than usual. Understand whether garlic has ripened or not, by the following signs:

1. On the arrows formed and burst heads with seeds.
2. On the surface of the earth begins to be seen garlic head.
3. Roots formed on the garlic.

To ensure maturity, they dig in one plant and evaluate it. If the head has a purple color, and the cloves have already formed separately and are separated - garlic can be dug up.

In dry cloudy weather, all the fruits are extracted from the earth. Before digging, for a couple of hours the soil is shed with ordinary water. It is more convenient to get heads from the moistened soil; the earth leaves them well. They dig up the entire crop, shake it off the ground and leave to dry for a week. You can put garlic on the veranda or under a canopy. If there is no rain on the street, then leave the heads in the garden. The main task is to allow the cloves to dry well so that the skin begins to harden a little.

Why does garlic dry and how to avoid

As a result of storage, they often face the fact that the slices gradually dry, become soft, and inside they turn green. In dry air and in warm apartment conditions, this phenomenon often occurs, therefore, it is necessary to minimize the contact of the vegetable with the environment and, if possible, reduce the temperature. To do this, in the room where the crop will be stored, the battery is turned off for a while. You can ventilate the room several times a day in autumn and winter.

Methods and storage conditions in winter

There are many storage methods. The temperature at any should be from plus 5 to 25 degrees. With reduced garlic, they lie longer than under indoor conditions. In no case should the room be wet, otherwise the garlic will rot and deteriorate quickly. Humidity should not exceed 50%.In the house, the vegetable is cleaned on the ground floor, where humidity and temperature are lowered. This can be a basement, cellar, porch, pantries, conservatory. The apartment puts garlic in a dark, dry place. For this purpose, any cabinet with a lockable door is suitable.

Do not harvest in a place where the sun shines brightly. Sunlight provokes the scattering of slices, they lose juice and become tasteless.

In the cellar

Cut feathers from the heads and dry them a little (a couple of hours) in a sunny place. Stack vegetables in a wooden box in several rows and lower them into the basement or cellar. On top of the box cover with gauze, folded in 3-4 layers. The heads will not deteriorate for a long time, and the cool temperature will not allow the cloves to dry out.

All not

Since the vegetable is afraid of moisture, it is better to store it in the hay. In a box with holes or in a wooden box, lay a loose layer of hay. Then, garlic is inserted into it so that they do not touch each other. This method guarantees long storage and protects vegetables from the formation of rot. Garlic cloves in the hay can be stored in the basement, cellar, at home or not in the attic.

In the ground

Experienced gardeners know that you can store the crop in the soil where it was grown. In autumn, when there is still no snow, winter garlic is put in a bag and buried in the ground to a depth of 30 centimeters. When the snow falls, they grab a large snowdrift to the landing site. Garlic is removed when it is needed, the cloves taste fresh, as if they had only been dug out of the garden bed.

On the balcony

If there is no basement, you can place the dug crop on a glazed balcony. It normally tolerates low temperatures, but the shelf life during such storage may be reduced. In a basket with hay put the garlic and bury them inland. From above, they close the basket with a windproof fabric and carry it to the balcony. The vegetable is reliably protected from the cold, frosts are not afraid of him. Garlic is stored on the balcony until spring.

In the pantry

Dry garlic heads can be put in the pantry. It is warm and dark, they will not dry, and the slices will not begin to rot. The heads are stacked in boxes in 1-2 rows and put into the pantry. It is better to rearrange the garlic from time to time or shift so that they do not stale. Shelf life in the pantry is at least 3-4 months.

In the bag

It is undesirable to store crops in plastic bags. There is no air access in the polyethylene, and the accumulated moisture leads to the formation of rot. Instead of plastic bags, you can take a bag of canvas. Air passes through the material, and garlic tolerates even long-term storage. Pour fruit cut off from the arrows into a clean canvas bag and hang it by the top of the bag in the cellar or basement. You can put the bag at home in a dark box or pantry.

In the fridge

You can put several garlic heads in the refrigerator. A container with a lockable lid is used for this purpose. Pour vegetables into a container and place it away from other products on the middle or lower shelf. Shelf life in the refrigerator is at least a month.

In a jar of salt

Pour 1/5 of the volume with salt into a large jar and drop clean, dry heads into it. Cover the neck of the container loosely. Clean the jar in a dark place with a temperature of 20-24 degrees Celsius. Salt absorbs moisture, so garlic lays for a long time, at least 3 months.

Braids, nets, pillowcases

Since ancient times in Russia, braids were woven from a mature vegetable. To do this, do not cut off the arrows. After they dry, they braid the braid. Before braiding, put a wire in the center of the braid, then begin to weave. When the braid is formed, a loop is made from the other end of the wire, after which the pigtail is suspended in the basement or cellar.

In oil

This method is very convenient in the kitchen, as the vegetable can be immediately used for cooking. First of all, the cloves need to be peeled and washed, cut off the tips. Take a small jar up to 1 liter and pour into it 2/3 of sunflower refined oil. Now put the cloves in the oil, close the container with a lid and leave to insist in a dark place. When a vegetable is needed, it is removed from the oil and used in cooking. For frying, garlic oil itself is also suitable, it has a wonderful aroma and taste.

In paraffin

An unusual method is used less often, but has a lot of advantages. The possibility of infection of the vegetable with infections, rot or mold is completely eliminated. The vegetable is isolated from the external environment and is reliably protected by wax. In a water bath, paraffin is melted to a liquid state and garlic is dipped into it in turn. Put the fruit on the newspaper until the wax has hardened and put it in a box or in a jar. You can store the workpiece under room conditions.

In a plastic container

It is necessary to take airtight containers with a tight-fitting lid on an elastic band. Dry heads are placed in a cup in a row, tightly closed with a lid and stored at home in a dark cupboard. The container does not take up much space on the shelf, and its contents do not have time to deteriorate.

In flour

To prevent moisture from getting on the fruit when storing garlic in a plastic or glass container, a small layer of flour is poured onto the bottom. Flour is suitable for any variety and type. Then they put heads on it and close the container with a lid. Store at room temperature away from sunlight.

In a vacuum

If there are vacuum bags at home, then you can pour garlic into them and put them on the far shelf of the cabinet. Vacuum bags do not take up much space, and the contents can lie up to 4 months. The only drawback is the poor quality of the package, it may not be airtight. It is better to check the package periodically so that a vacuum is maintained in it.

In the freezer

Frozen cloves will no doubt be stored for a long time, up to one year. Before you put it in the freezer, you need to prepare them. Peel the slices from the husk and wash, then dry on a towel. There should be no water on the cloves. Then the teeth are laid out in rows in a plastic bag so that they do not touch each other. You need to lay out only in one row. Put the bag in the freezer and take it out after 3-4 hours. Frozen cloves are poured into a plastic container and again placed in the freezer.

If you grind

As a seasoning, the vegetable retains its taste and aroma, therefore, dried spice is prepared from it. You need a good blender. All garlic is crushed, and then dried a little (3-4 days) in the sun.

The dried mixture is ground with a pusher, and then poured into a clean, dry jar, signed and put into storage in a dark, dry place.

In onion peel

Onion peel repels pests and reduces the risk of infection, so it is used to store crops. Bulk husk is poured into a cardboard box or wooden box. Stack garlic at a small distance from each other. From above vegetables are covered with a layer of husk, covered with a scarf or a layer of gauze and cleaned in the basement.

If the garlic goes bad

If mistakes are made, tooth decay may begin. It doesn’t matter if the lesion is not too large, then the damaged area is carefully cut with a knife. The whole head must be scalded with boiling water or held in hot water for a couple of minutes. Garlic can be safely used for food, it is harmless, and its taste has not changed.

If the head has already rotted by half or more, then it is immediately thrown out. The neighboring fruits that came into contact with it are treated in the manner described above.Instead of boiling water, Ingoda is soaked in garlic in a weak solution of potassium permanganate, and then repeatedly washed with water.

What problems may arise during storage

The most common problem is the formation of mold on the fruit. It occurs with insufficient dried garlic, with increased dampness and humidity in the room. To avoid the problem, the absorber is poured into cans for storage, and the heads are dried before cleaning until the skin begins to rustle.

Another difficulty is the germination of the heads with too long a shelf life of the fruit. During the winter and spring, rather long roots already form on the head. They do not spoil the taste, but interfere with cooking. They can be cut or scorched by fire on a gas burner.

Advice

In order for garlic to be stored at home as long as possible, use the following recommendations:

1. No need to store them with neighboring crops such as potatoes, cabbage, tomatoes.
2. Winter view is better at a temperature of 5 to 15 degrees, and summer - at 15-25 degrees.
3. Glass jars that are used in preforms are pre-sterilized over steam or in the oven.

To make the crop happy all year round with its quality, it must be properly prepared and stored. Subject to all the tips and the correct method of storage, garlic can lie until the next summer, while completely preserving its bright taste and pleasant aroma.