How to store spring garlic

Garlic is a universal seasoning for almost all meat dishes, various snacks and salads. Its healing properties are also well known. Many successfully grow it in their garden. But not everyone knows the rules for storing spring garlic at home.

It is not for nothing that garlic was called the king of spices in ancient times, and the manuscripts found in Egypt contain recipes for medicinal preparations prepared on its basis.

Benefit

Today, this perennial plant of the onion genus is popular all over the world. The beneficial properties of garlic are due to the content in it of a rich set of organic and mineral compounds known to have a regulatory effect on many biochemical processes in the body.

Some Eastern systems of treatment even classify garlic only as a medicine:

• having antimicrobial and antibacterial properties, it strengthens the body’s defenses in the fight against colds and infectious diseases;
• studies confirm the ability of the plant to reduce the likelihood of atherosclerosis;
• with regular use, it improves immunity, reduces pressure, improves the elasticity of blood vessels;
• garlic has a beneficial effect on vision, skin condition, heart function, and is an excellent antioxidant.

However, spice should not be consumed in large quantities by people with serious diseases such as hemorrhoids, asthma, hepatitis and some others.

Types of garlic

Garlic is of two types.

1. Spring – planted in spring and ripens in late summer. It does not shoot, has excellent keeping quality and is stored for a long time. Its dense bulb with several rows of cloves is characterized by a sharp taste. For planting, you need to choose zoned varieties so that they have time to ripen in time.
2. Winter – planted in the fall, and dug up in July. It does not have enough protective scales for long-term storage. Such garlic is best eaten immediately or used when canning vegetables. Winter, unlike spring, shoots arrows. After ripening, a rod remains from them in the center of the bulb, and cloves are placed around. Although their number is less than that of spring, they are larger.

   

Cleaning time

For storage, it is best to choose spring varieties of garlic. But in order for it to be well stored, it is necessary to harvest it on time and correctly.

To determine the timing of harvesting garlic, experienced gardeners advise:

• pay attention to the condition of the garlic leaves at the base – if they turn yellow and the root neck becomes soft, you can start cleaning;
• expose 2-3 bulbs and examine the scales – if it is smooth and strong, the bulbs can be dug up;
• if it easily breaks into cloves in the hands, time is lost – the garlic is overripe and will not be stored.

Harvest Rules

In order for the harvested spring garlic to be stored for a long time and without loss, it is important to follow some recommendations when harvesting it:

• bulbs should be dug in dry and sunny weather;
• you can not pull them out of the ground – in order not to damage the heads, it is better to use a pitchfork;
• spread sacking on the beds and lay out the entire crop in rows on it – it should dry well for 4-5 days;
• cover the bulbs with leaves and grass from too bright sun so that they do not get burned;
• if the weather changes, it is better to bring the garlic under a canopy or in a well-ventilated room;
• after drying, the earth remaining on the roots must be carefully removed by hand so as not to damage them. During drying, the leaves should not be cut off – nutrients are supplied to the bulbs from them, making them tastier and healthier;

  

• when all the garlic dries, it is necessary to cut off its roots and leaves – up to 3-4 mm can be left from the roots, and up to 15 cm from the larger leaves;
• sort out the bulbs and discard those damaged during digging – they will not lie for a long time;
• leave the largest specimens for planting.

Preparing for storage

It is necessary to provide garlic with optimal storage conditions:

• depending on the type, you can choose a cellar or a balcony, but you can also store it in the refrigerator;
• an important indicator is humidity – it should not be more than 70-80%;
• with a lack of moisture, all the bulbs will wrinkle, but if there is a lot of moisture, they will begin to rot;
• spring garlic is perfectly stored at room temperature, and for winter storage, you need to create a cool environment with a temperature of up to two degrees Celsius.

Processing the bulbs before storage will increase their keeping quality. It is especially necessary for a product that is not sufficiently dried or damaged during collection. Bulb processing technology is as follows:

• to prevent their germination, the roots should be singed over the fire;
• it is good to ignite the sunflower oil and cool;
• add a little iodine – about 10 drops per half liter;
• Dip all the bulbs in turn in the prepared product, and then dry in the air.

Storage of spring garlic

There are many storage options from which you can choose the one that is more convenient for the given conditions.

Weaving braids

Garlic bulbs braided into braids will be a wonderful decoration in the interior of the kitchen. They are made by weaving the ends of the leaves into a piece of twine. Not everyone wants to mess around with weaving braids, so they simply lay out the garlic bulbs in nylon stockings and hang them up. The disadvantage of this method of storage is the likelihood of the bulbs drying out or sprouting from too high a temperature and a lack of moisture in the room. You will have to periodically sort them, choosing the spoiled ones.

Old Ways

Earlier in the villages they knew well how best to preserve spring garlic.

1. It is convenient to store peeled garlic cloves in sunflower oil, but the container with the product should be in a dark place. The oil in which the spice was stored acquires a pleasant taste and smell and is an excellent dressing for salads.
2. Often kept garlic bulbs in flour. Thoroughly dried, they were placed layer by layer in boxes or other containers with a lid and sprinkled with flour. The top of the container was closed with a lid. Since the flour absorbed excess moisture, the product was perfectly preserved until the new season.
3. It was allowed to use ash instead of flour. Sprinkling the bulbs with ashes, it was possible to store them even in a warm room.

   

4. Salt is a great way to keep garlic in your cupboard.
5. There is an original way to store garlic bulbs in salt bags. Small bags made of natural cotton material should be soaked in concentrated salt solution and dried. Bulbs folded in them will be perfectly protected from diseases and moisture.
6. You can simply arrange the garlic bulbs in baskets, where they will be provided with free access to air.

   

7. Garlic sprinkled with onion peel is perfectly preserved – both boxes and bags are suitable for this. Just put them in a higher place.
8. You can put the bulbs in a wooden box and sprinkle with sawdust. They will keep the garlic from drying out.
9. Some housewives dry the garlic cloves cut into plates, and then grind them and sprinkle with salt. The finished seasoning is kept in an airtight container. The disadvantage of this method is the partial loss of useful properties.

   

glass jars

1. Scorch the roots of well-dried garlic and disassemble into cloves. It is important that they are all intact, without damage. Dry them for another week in the open air and put them in large jars. Without closing the lid, place the containers in a dry place.
2. Put clean, dried onions in a jar on a layer of salt. Fill the jar alternately with layers of garlic and salt. By closing the jar with a lid, you can safely store the product for several months.

   

Modern ways

Over time, new materials and technologies appear that allow you to effectively preserve various vegetables.

1. Wrap each bulb carefully in cling film to retain moisture and freshness.
2. Instead of a film, paraffin can also be used. Having melted it, you should dip the bulbs and let the paraffin harden. After that, they will not dry, covered with a protective film. It will not allow moisture to evaporate, and at the same time protect the bulbs from the access of pathogenic microflora.

   

How to store winter garlic

The winter species is unlikely to lie until spring. But to keep it longer, you can use a refrigerator or cellar.

1. In the cellar, bulbs can be stored in baskets or nylon stockings, hanging from the ceiling. However, they should not come into contact with walls.
2. Winter garlic is perfectly braided, thanks to the central stem. Each braid can contain up to one and a half to two dozen bulbs.

   

3. If there is not much garlic, you can peel the cloves and store in a closed jar in the refrigerator.
4. You can also store peeled slices in a plastic bag, pumping air out of it and placing it on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator.

Conclusion

Garlic is always needed in the household, both as a favorite spice and as a prophylactic against colds. Proper storage of it at home will allow them to stock up for the winter in sufficient quantities.