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Such a useful vegetable as garlic is very popular in Our Country. It has been known for a long time, they loved to add it to dishes, rub it on a crust of Borodino bread, and eat it just like that. Having grown a crop of garlic on their site, many are wondering how to properly store garlic at home. Let’s talk about everything in order.
About the benefits of garlic
Garlic is an extremely useful product. It contains oils that have a beneficial effect on:
- circulatory system;
- immune system;
- gastrointestinal tract.
The use of this product in food is justified both in the summer and in the cold. That’s why it’s so important to find a good way to store garlic at home. In autumn and winter, with the help of this product, you can protect the whole family from colds.
Before we talk about ways to store the product at home, it is important to touch on the topic of harvesting.
harvesting garlic in summer
Harvesting garlic is an important stage, it must be approached with all responsibility. The fact is that with all the variety of vegetable varieties, it should be divided into two main types:
- summer (spring);
- winter (winter).
Storage of spring garlic is different from winter storage. There are also differences in appearance.
Winter varieties are planted in winter, in September – October. They endure frost and are perfectly preserved in the soil at -22 degrees. In the spring, the rooted fruit develops rapidly and gives a bountiful harvest in July. All cloves are gathered around one thick arrow. All varieties of winter garlic shoot.
Spring varieties, on the contrary, do not shoot. The only exception is the Gulliver variety. Such a vegetable is planted in the spring, and harvested in mid-August. He does not tolerate severe frosts. Outwardly, the head of spring garlic is smaller than winter garlic and all its cloves are collected in a spiral bulb. They are small, covered with soft leaves.
Harvesting of all types should be done in warm, dry weather. It is categorically impossible to do this immediately after the rain. Moreover, it is forbidden to water the soil before digging the bulbs. When harvesting, you can use a pitchfork or a shovel, being careful not to damage the bulbs. The process preceding storage can be divided into several stages:
- digging bulbs;
- drying;
- sorting;
- pruning.
Dug up garlic, holding it by the long tops, shake off excess soil and, in good weather, leave to dry in the sun. In rainy weather, this should be done directly in a dry room. Drying time is 5-6 days.
Now the product is sorted. We need to select the best. Garlic that will not be stored:
- damaged;
- moldy;
- infected with diseases;
- not dried thoroughly.
After sorting, it is necessary to properly trim. Long powerful roots of the vegetable are cut with a sharp short knife, leaving 2-3 centimeters from the bottom. It is better to cut the tops depending on the storage conditions:
- for beams leave 15-20 centimeters;
- for braids 35-40 centimeters;
- in all other cases, it is appropriate to leave 2-3 centimeters, no more.
Everyone chooses for himself how to store garlic at home. Let’s talk about the most common ways.
Ways of storage
Speaking about how to store garlic in winter, you need to know that spring garlic is well stored both warm at room temperature + 18-22 degrees, and in a cool cellar. Winter can be stored only in a cellar or refrigerator. The maximum storage temperature is +4 degrees.
When discussing the storage of garlic in winter, they most often talk about summer varieties. Winter is dug up, used in conservation, and the rest is planted in the fall on the beds to get a new crop. However, this does not mean that winter varieties cannot be stored. On the contrary, housewives love it for its large head and the size of garlic cloves.
In houses where there is a cellar, dry heads are simply woven into braids from tops, collected in bunches and hung up. This is convenient, especially if the humidity is low.
But how to store garlic for the winter at home or in an apartment? If the rules are neglected, the heads do not reach the winter. We suggest considering ways to store garlic if the temperature is room temperature.
in bags
Many of us have heard about the unique quality of salt. When used as a preservative, it can extend the life of many products. To learn how to save garlic until spring, use the following tip.
Salt solution needs to be prepared. To do this, boil water and add three tablespoons of salt per liter to it. Now the head is lowered into this solution for two seconds and removed. Wet bulbs must be dried in the sun and stored in a linen bag at room conditions.
In glass jars
Jars in which you need to store garlic at home must be thoroughly washed and dried. Now salt or flour is poured at the bottom of each jar, and then a layer with onions is laid out. Then everything is sprinkled again with flour or salt. Perhaps this is the best of all storage methods in a small space.
After a month – one and a half, you need to check the condition of the bulk product itself (salt or flour). In the presence of raw lumps, you need to take everything out and pour the heads again.
In a refrigerator
When choosing the right method, they always start from what conditions are in the house. Some apartments do not even have a pantry. Only a refrigerator can ensure the safety of food. In this case, there is no need to talk about a large number of blanks, but you can close the jar. For this, garlic paste is prepared.
Storage in the refrigerator also requires reckoning with the conditions. If bacteria gets into the garlic paste, mold will form. After grinding the garlic through a meat grinder or blender, you need to place it in small sterile jars and pour a thick layer of salt on top under the lid. This will be an additional barrier to the development of bacteria. The product preserved in this way will be as fresh, healthy and juicy as in summer.
Sometimes you can store peeled cloves directly in the bag in the freezer. All useful properties and taste qualities will be preserved. This method is good for those who live in small apartments. You can also freeze berries and vegetables to feed children. They are virtually indistinguishable from summer.
Video
We offer our readers a video with tips on where to store garlic and how to do it.
Every housewife, from year to year, keeping certain vegetables for the winter, develops a series of steps. All of them are correct.
Instead of a conclusion
As we have already noticed, storage of garlic at home for the winter can only be ensured in conditions of low humidity. Whatever methods you use, remember the basic rules for storage. In winter, you will be pleased with the spicy garlic taste, it can be used in the preparation of first and second courses, eaten fresh.
Fresh garlic in the household is always useful. Some mothers advise breathing garlic vapor more often, and then your children can protect themselves from colds and flu during cold weather. Whether this is justified is up to each individual to decide.