Garlic is bulbous plant, which gives dishes a special piquancy and taste, and is also actively used to combat colds. Housewives often have a question about how to properly store garlic in a city apartment until a new harvest so that it does not rot and germinate. Read about it in our article.
Harvest and preparation for storage
You should think about storing the product already at the time of choosing a variety for planting. Spring garlic varieties are harvested in the tenth of August. The main sign of maturation is yellowed feathers that lean towards the ground. Many of these varieties are suitable for long-term storage.
Winter garlic is harvested in mid-summer, when the leaves turn yellow and the scales thin. Varieties of this variety may also be suitable for long-term storage, for example, winter garlic of the Nadezhny variety can be stored for up to 11 months, Belozerovsky and Otradnensky Plus varieties - up to 9 months.
At the time of harvest, there are no inflorescences on garlic plants. Strictly speaking, garlic grown for harvest is not allowed to bloom at all. In the summer, he really throws out flower stalks (in garlic they are called arrows), which they must cut out even before the flowers bloom, so that the plants do not waste energy on the process of flowering and setting seed material (in garlic, these are not real seeds, but tiny “teeth” called bulbs ). Arrow removal is an obligatory agrotechnical procedure; without it, it is impossible to obtain high-quality heads.
When it is necessary to dig up garlic that is stored in the winter - it largely depends on the variety (see information above) and on the region of growth (do not forget about choosing a dry, fine day for harvesting).
For garlic, keeping quality is varietal characteristic, one of the most important in breeding work. Modern varieties that retain consumer qualities for a long time are found among both spring and winter varieties.
When digging, be careful not to do not damage the heads. Damaged garlic is not subject to long-term storage.
If the harvest was carried out in rainy weather, it must be dry. To do this, spread the garlic for two weeks on wooden surface in a dry, well-ventilated area. You can also braid the heads into braids and hang them under a canopy.
After digging and drying, the crop is subject to sorting. Do not store empty, scratched or damaged heads. Discard sprouted and green bulbs. Be sure to get rid of garlic affected by rot or other diseases, as evidenced by bad smell or dark spots on the lobules.
Even one spoiled head can lead to the loss of the entire crop, so it is better to remove all suspicious specimens. At the same time, it is not necessary to throw away such garlic, just to store it, you should choose another, unconventional way.
In order for garlic to be stored for a long time, it is important to fulfill the following conditions:
- choose a variety belonging to the category of lying;
- process teeth before planting drugs that protect against pests and diseases;
- in the process of cultivation in the strictest way comply with all agricultural regulations(watering, fertilizing, removing weak and diseased plants, etc.);
- carefully before storing dry and sort heads;
- comply with everything storage rules.
Garlic is well preserved at home, but it is important to ensure this optimal conditions. At what temperature should the crop be stored? At +15…20 ℃ when choosing warm way storage and at +2…4 ℃ when stored in the cold.
Creation favorable conditions storage will help preserve the juiciness, aroma and beneficial features product.
It is also important to monitor the humidity of the air. In the place of storage, it should not be too low so that the garlic does not dry out, or high, otherwise the crop will quickly rot. To prevent garlic from sprouting, the humidity indicator must be within 50%.
It is completely pointless to store garlic heads in the refrigerator (there the humidity is always much higher than necessary).
Choosing a place and container for storing garlic
To save garlic, you can use various capacities: wicker baskets, plastic, wooden or carton boxes with perforation, nylon stockings, glass jars.
Another storage option is in braids, which are hung in the kitchen or in the pantry. Minimal contact with surfaces and good ventilation ensure that the garlic is preserved until the next harvest.
Popular storage methods
There are several options for storing garlic. The choice depends on the preferences and wishes of the hostess, as well as on the quality and quantity of the crop.
Product storage is popular in glass jars . Dry heads (whole) are placed in a sterilized jar and closed with a plastic lid. If at the same time sprinkle garlic with flour, then it will lie much longer.
When it is not planned to store the product for a long time, divide the dried heads into cloves, put them in a glass jar without tightly closing the lid, and place in a dry place.
You can save garlic until spring in salt(fine grind). To do this, dry and sort the heads, removing all spoiled ones. Pour salt into plywood boxes even layer. Arrange the garlic so that the heads do not touch each other. Sprinkle everything with salt and repeat 2-3 more layers.
If there is not a lot of garlic and it is not planned to store it for a long time, you can store the heads in a refrigerator. However, it must be remembered that the humidity level there is much higher (!) than is required for storing garlic, so it will not be able to remain in its original form for a long time. Be sure to dry the heads well beforehand and remove products with signs of decay or mechanical damage. Put everything in an airtight container and place in the refrigerator.
Can also be stored in the refrigerator for a short time peeled garlic. Just peel the slices and put them in an airtight bag or container.
Store garlic separately from other vegetables. Only food neighborhood with onions is allowed. The storage period is 3 months.
Onion peel or salt, which should be poured over the heads, will help extend the shelf life of garlic in the refrigerator.
If a few cloves have gone bad, do not throw away the entire head. Save good part product is possible by grinding it in a meat grinder. To do this, sort the garlic and peel the whole cloves. Grind in a meat grinder, add salt, spread the resulting mass into glass jars (up to 250 ml) and refrigerate. Be sure to cover the containers with cling film and a nylon lid. This will prevent the spread specific flavor by refrigerator. The disadvantage of this method is a short shelf life (up to 2 months), and the main advantage is the presence of ready-to-use garlic mass at hand.
Peeled garlic cloves can be stored in any vegetable oil . This method allows you to save the product for a long time if you keep it in the refrigerator. In addition, you can get fragrant, healthy oil which is suitable for seasoning various dishes. The shelf life of the product is 3 months.
Preparation method:
- Divide the head of garlic into cloves and peel them.
- Place the cloves tightly in a glass container.
- Pour sunflower or olive oil into a jar.
- Close the container tightly with a lid.
- Store the workpiece in the refrigerator.
Help keep garlic fresh rag bags. You can make them yourself from unnecessary scraps of fabric or old clothes. To prolong the shelf life of the product, soak the cloth bags in a concentrated saline solution, and then dry well. Salt will create a barrier to the penetration of pathogenic bacteria. Put dried garlic in prepared bags and store them in a dry place.
Unusual but effective method storage of garlic in paraffin. In this form, the product can be stored for 6 months. To prepare, dip the clean, dried heads in melted paraffin, let it harden, and then put the garlic in a bag or box.
Another non-standard way storage:
- Wash the heads and dry well.
- Pour into a dry glass jar flour and fold the garlic roots down.
- Make several layers, each sprinkling with enough flour.
- Store the jar in a dry but cool place for up to 5 months. In the apartment best option- balcony.
Properly store garlic dried. To do this, cut the peeled slices into thin slices and dry in an electric dryer or oven at a temperature of +60 ℃. Grind the dried garlic with a blender, add a little salt and place the powder in a sterile glass container. The shelf life of this product is up to 12 months. Dried garlic does not spoil, is stored for a long time and is convenient to use. However, such a product loses a significant share of useful properties and has a specific smell.
Proper organization of storage will save garlic, its aroma and useful properties until spring. Be sure to adhere to the recommended temperature and humidity, and ensure constant circulation fresh air in room.
Video
Watch the video to get a better idea of how to store garlic in a city apartment:
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Many housewives love garlic. This is not only a fragrant seasoning, but also a medicine that protects against colds. It is indispensable for cooking many dishes, marinating and preserving vegetables. Garlic contains many healthy vitamins and minerals. This is especially valuable in winter and spring, because with proper storage it retains all its valuable qualities.
But it's hard to buy at this time good garlic, so it's best to grow it yourself or buy it in the fall when it's inexpensive and fresh. True, in this case, many housewives are faced with a problem: how to store garlic? Many houses do not have this suitable conditions, and not everyone knows how to do it right.
What happens when the storage rules are violated
1. When elevated level moisture in the air, the heads may rot or become mouldy. This also happens when garlic is stored in plastic bags.
2. During storage at high temperature, such as in the kitchen, the garlic dries out. And by the end of winter it can germinate. Such teeth lose their flavor.
3. If during storage the temperature drops below -5 o, then the garlic freezes and loses all its useful qualities.
Types of garlic
There are many varieties of this vegetable, which are preserved in different ways in winter. Outwardly, they may differ in size or color of the peel. But the keeping quality of garlic mainly depends on the time of its planting and harvesting. There are two types of this plant:
If garlic is planted in the fall, it is called winter. It ripens by the beginning of August, the degree of its ripeness is determined by the condition of the arrows. Such garlic usually keeps well until spring.
Some housewives plant this plant in the spring. Such garlic is called spring, or summer. Such a plant does not give arrows, and it is more difficult to keep it until winter.
How to harvest garlic
The suitability of this plant for long-term storage is highly dependent on compliance with the rules for its collection. To determine whether it is time to dig garlic, you need to consider its leaves, and for winter varieties, also arrows. If a lower leaves turned yellow, the tops died, and the heads on the inflorescences dried up and cracked - the garlic is ripe. Do not be late with cleaning, otherwise it will fall apart into teeth, and extra roots will appear. Such heads cannot be stored for longer than a couple of months. Most often, spring varieties are harvested in late August - early September, and winter varieties - a month earlier. It is better to dig garlic on warm and dry days, and all at the same time. A couple of weeks before this, the bed does not need to be watered. The bulbs are dug up with a shovel or fork, then laid out to dry.
It is necessary to try not to damage the heads, it is even advisable to clean the ground from them with your hands. To keep garlic longer, you need to dry it in the sun for at least three days. Right with green stems, from which nutrients pass into the heads at this time. After that, you need to carefully cut the roots, without damaging the bottom, cut off the stem. Usually leave 2-3 centimeters, but if you store garlic in braids, then you need to leave more herbs. It is advisable to dry the heads in a dry, ventilated room for 2-3 weeks, remove dirt and upper scales, and only then can they be laid for the winter. But before that, you need to once again carefully inspect each for the presence of pests and damage.
Best place to store garlic
It is best if the house has a cellar or basement. In winter, in such places, the optimum temperature for storing garlic is set: 1-2 degrees below zero. You can put it in cartons or wooden boxes and can be hung from the ceiling. Many housewives know a way to store garlic in braids or stockings. But most hang it in the pantry or in the kitchen when room temperature where it begins to dry or germinate. But in the cellar, garlic braids will keep it fresh. You can also hang it in a net or an old stocking, which
also provide air access to all heads. But this method of storage is not available to everyone. What to do if you want to keep garlic in a city apartment? You can do this on an insulated loggia in boxes lined with foam or foil. The main thing is to ensure that the temperature does not fall below 5 ° C and the garlic is not exposed to sun rays. But there are many ways to store it in the apartment itself.
How to store garlic in the refrigerator
Most housewives use this achievement of civilization to preserve many vegetables. But not everyone knows how to properly store winter garlic. After all, this product is very capricious, it easily rots. Therefore, in the refrigerator, it must be placed separately from other vegetables. To do this, they put it in linen bags, you can sprinkle the heads with onion peel. To prevent rotting, which often occurs when stored in a refrigerator, the bag must first be soaked in a strong saline solution and dried. Garlic also keeps well in paper bags. Another way is small boxes in which garlic is laid in layers, interspersed with coarse salt or flour. But most often this vegetable is stored in glass jars. There are many ways to do this.
How to store garlic in a jar
1. It is easiest to put clean and well-dried heads in a jar. The main condition is to sterilize and dry it well. The garlic itself should be clean and also dried.
2. You can lay the heads in layers: a layer of flour, then garlic, the last should be flour. Coarse salt or sawdust can be used instead. During the winter, you need to periodically check the banks and, if necessary, change the filler.
3. Many housewives know how to store peeled garlic. This is also done in a glass jar. Clean teeth should be intact and dry.
The jar needs to be sterilized first. It is better to close with a regular nylon lid, and store in a cool place. And if you fill the teeth sunflower oil, then they will last longer, and then the oil can also be used: it will become fragrant and tasty.
4. You can also store garlic scrolled in a meat grinder in a jar. You do not need to add salt, the main thing is that both the jar and the garlic are clean and dry. Close it with a regular lid and store in the refrigerator.
Storing garlic at room temperature
If this vegetable lies in the cold, then it retains its beneficial properties and aroma for up to eight months. At room temperature, after four months, it begins to dry. And by spring, such garlic does not smell at all, it loses all vitamins. How to store garlic in a warm room to extend its shelf life? To do this, try to protect it from contact with air.
This can be done in several ways:
1. Take a dry and clean plywood box, pour a layer of coarse salt on the bottom, preferably sea salt. Then carefully place a layer of garlic. Top it again with salt, and so alternate layers. Completely cover the top garlic with salt.
2. Garlic lubricated with sunflower oil is well stored. To do this, the latter must first boil for two hours. Then add 20 drops of iodine per liter of oil, use a cotton swab to apply on each head directly on top of the husk. After that, you need to dry the bulbs well and lay them in storage.
3. Few people know how to store fresh garlic in paraffin. Such a film well protects the heads from drying out. To apply it, you need to melt the paraffin, and then dip the heads into it for a short time. Once dried, the garlic will stay fresh for a long time.
Storing young garlic
One of the first to appear on the beds are its fragrant long leaves. Many people love them, but heads of young garlic are no less tasty. They are not so burning, often not yet divided into slices, and their benefits are enormous. Therefore, many housewives are wondering: how to store young garlic? After all, it grows rapidly and already in June it becomes more rigid and sharp. And the dug heads are almost not stored, they dry out in a few days. To increase the shelf life, you need to fill the vegetable with sunflower oil. And until winter, you can save pickled garlic, which almost does not lose its properties.
How to prevent storage problems
Everyone who stores garlic in an apartment faces the same problems. So that all winter and even spring this fragrant and useful product been on your table, you need to know how to overcome them.
The first problem: the germination of garlic. To prevent this, before storing the bulbs, you need to burn the roots over the fire.
Second: the drying of the bulbs. This happens as a result of moisture evaporation. To prevent this from happening, you need to create a film on the surface of the heads: paraffin or oil.
The third problem: mold or rot. Fungal diseases develop in frost-bitten, damaged or pest-infested garlic. to prevent this from happening, you need to dry the heads well in the sun after harvesting. After a few days of exposure to sunlight, all bacteria and molds die.
Behind the summer season, harvested fruits and vegetables. And gardeners face an urgent question: how to preserve the products so that they do not rot and deteriorate, do not germinate and do not dry out. For example, garlic. In winter, it can replace many expensive medicines, and it is simply necessary in the kitchen. Almost every day, when preparing dinner, we add it to various dishes, because it not only gives them a spicy taste, but also maintains our health. We will share some secrets and tell you about the nuances of how to store garlic correctly.
Laying garlic for storage at home
This vegetable can be called the record holder for the possibility of long-term storage. Under certain conditions, it lies perfectly all winter and we can use it until the new harvest.
How to prepare a vegetable for long-term storage
In order for garlic to keep well, you need to properly prepare it. Already at harvest, attention should be paid to important points which will have a direct impact on quality storage:
Garlic that has not passed the shelf life test can be dried, frozen, pickled, or salted.
Which garlic is better to lay for long-term storage - summer or winter
Summer varieties have a higher keeping quality than winter ones. This is due to the number of covering scales: winter has much fewer of them, so it dries faster when moisture is lost, and can also begin to mold or rot when high humidity and air temperature. Therefore, part of the winter garlic crop is used for autumn planting, part recycle and a small amount of stored for first use. Usually winter is well stored until the New Year, then it begins to germinate and deteriorate.
It is very simple to distinguish winter garlic from spring garlic: the winter bulb has a false stem in the middle, it is absent in the summer one.
Winter garlic (left) differs from spring garlic (right) in the presence of a strong stem, the number and size of cloves, their location
Preservation conditions
The main factors that affect the preservation of garlic are:
- temperature. The optimal storage temperature for winter garlic is from -2 to +2 degrees. Higher temperature regime may cause fruit to germinate. At lower temperatures, it will freeze. Significant fluctuations in temperature lead to the fact that garlic loses its taste and beneficial properties. Spring can be stored at a higher temperature (but not higher than +20 degrees);
- air humidity. It should not exceed 80%. High humidity will cause the teeth to rot. If the storage place is too dry, that is, the air humidity is less than 50%, then the garlic will begin to dry out;
- illumination. Harvest is best stored in a dark place. When stored in the light, it is important to avoid direct sunlight on the heads;
- air access. Excessive air access will contribute to the drying of the heads, so it is best to store the vegetable in open containers or boxes, canvas bags.
Where and how to store garlic
In a cellar or basement
These rooms are considered optimal for storing vegetables, including garlic. The cellar or cellar should be prepared for the vegetable storage season. To do this, they carry out cleaning here, examine for the presence of rodents, insects, mold and take appropriate measures to eliminate these problems: they set traps and traps, correct ventilation shortcomings, treat from fungus and other pathogenic bacteria. Basement storage options:
If the temperature in the cellar does not exceed +2 degrees, then in such conditions chopped raw, dried, and also oil-filled garlic will be well preserved, the methods of preparation of which we will discuss below.
Video: how to weave a garlic braid
In the apartment
In a city apartment, spring garlic is stored better and longer. If you grew this variety only for individual use, then its volume is most often not very significant, so it will not embarrass the owners, it will not take up much space. It can be hung in braids or nylon stockings, placed in boxes on kitchen shelves. By the way, garlic braids perfectly decorate the interior of the kitchen.
For beauty, blades of grass and dried flowers can be woven into a garlic braid, whose petals do not lose color and do not crumble, for example, marigolds, cornflowers
in banks
Many housewives use glass jars for storage. step by step process bookmarks is as follows:
- Banks are thoroughly washed and dried.
- Dried and sorted garlic can be put into jars with whole heads or disassembled into cloves.
- Filled jars are not closed with lids and placed in a dry, preferably dark place.
Garlic packed in jars can be sprinkled with coarse salt, which acts as an antiseptic and moisture absorber. In this case, first a layer of salt is poured onto the bottom of the jar, then a layer of garlic is laid, sprinkled with salt again, and so the layer-by-layer laying and sprinkling are repeated to the top of the jar. It is important to ensure that all the gaps between the heads or cloves are sprinkled with salt.
Filled jars can be covered with paper or cloth napkins and kept in a dark place.
Instead of salt, some gardeners prefer to sprinkle garlic with flour or ash, which absorb excess moisture very well and allow you to maintain a quality crop for 5-6 months.
Video: processing and storing vegetables in jars
in bags
Garlic will keep well in linen bags if you first dip them in a highly concentrated saline solution, and then dry them. The cloth impregnated with salt is an obstacle to pathogenic bacteria, so the vegetable will be stored in such a package without any problems for about 5 months.
Garlic can also be stored in small portions in fabric bags without impregnation. In this case, the shelf life will be reduced to 3 months, but the original bag with interesting embroidery or appliqué will decorate your workplace in the kitchen.
The bag can be sewn from any natural material
in paraffin
The essence of this method is as follows:
A similar effect can be achieved using cling film, in which garlic is tightly wrapped. If the head was well dried and not affected by pathogenic bacteria, then the head will also be stored in a film cocoon for up to 6 months.
Drying
simple and reliable way long-term storage of garlic - drying. You can do this in an electric dryer or oven:
Dried garlic can be used to make garlic powder. To do this, dry plates are crushed with a blender or an ordinary mortar, mixed with a small amount of salt and poured into small glass jars for storage. The advantages of this method include the following:
- garlic powder takes up little storage space;
- when cooking, you will not need to spend time cleaning and chopping garlic;
- in carefully closed containers, such a product can be stored for up to a year.
Garlic powder retains flavor, but loses some of the useful qualities of a fresh product. This is practically the only, but significant drawback of dried garlic.
In addition to salt, you can add dried herbs, pepper, paprika to the finished powder - and as a result you will get an original seasoning of your own production
On the loggia
If your city apartment has an insulated balcony or loggia, then you can store garlic prepared in the indicated ways on them. At the same time, it is important to protect it from sunlight by covering it with a dark opaque cloth, and to ensure the necessary temperature conditions.
For storage, you can build special boxes, overlay them with foam and foil, and thus protect them from sunlight and cold.
You can build a small cellar on the balcony for storing vegetables, including garlic, with your own hands
In a refrigerator
The most a big problem that occurs when storing fresh garlic in the refrigerator is the humidity of the air. Most often, the vegetable is damp there, so the maximum storage time in the refrigerator is no more than 2-3 months. To prevent damage to the cloves, dried garlic is placed in paper or linen bags and the heads are sprinkled with salt or onion peel. As a container, you can use a flat glass jar, which is best placed on the refrigerator door.
A small amount of garlic can be stored in the refrigerator for 2-3 months.
Storing minced garlic
Garlic mass is stored without loss of taste and useful qualities for not very long - 2–3 months, but its advantage is that garlic is always at hand, which can be added to cooked dishes without additional processing.
In oil filling
Garlic drenched in oil also requires storage in the refrigerator:
The shelf life of garlic prepared in this way is up to 3 months. At the same time, it does not lose its properties, and the oil acquires a pleasant aroma due to garlic phytoncides, and can be used to season various dishes - soups, sauces and salads.
Freezing
Regarding freezing garlic, there are different opinions. Some housewives actively use and praise this method. Others note that the texture and taste change when frozen, so it should not be used. As you know, everything is known only on personal experience, so here are the freezing recipes, and you decide whether to use them or not:
What problems can arise during storage
Often there are problems in the storage of garlic that can be prevented by following the rules, clearly assessing the options available and choosing the most suitable way vegetable preservation. The presented table will help to systematize information, to orient in possible problems and external signs manifestations of storage errors.
Table: how storage errors manifest themselves
| Problem | Why does it occur | Solutions | |
| shrinkage | The drying of garlic occurs due to improperly created conditions. The room is too dry and warm air, due to which there is an intensive evaporation of moisture. As a result, the lobules wrinkle, lose weight, become brittle. |
| |
| Mold or rot | |||
| Storage in a closed container without sufficient air access |
| ||
| Garlic was poorly dried or frozen | Compliance with the rules of preparation for laying for storage, in particular, high-quality drying | ||
| Germination | Storage at high humidity and temperature |
Unfortunately, it will no longer be possible to completely stop the development of seedlings in the lobules, they will gain strength and draw juices from the mother clove, so such heads should be sent for processing or immediately eaten | |
| Yellowness on the teeth | Unsuitable storage conditions | Ensuring the necessary storage conditions, which were described above | |
| Vegetables infected with fungal diseases |
|
If poor-quality selection was carried out during storage, and heads infected with fungal or bacterial infections got into the storage, then after a short time they will begin to deteriorate, rot and, most importantly, infect healthy garlic with pathogens. Therefore, it is important to periodically inspect the crop sent to long-term storage, and remove and destroy infected bulbs in time. The presence of diseased heads is a signal that the seed may be contaminated, so effective and adequate measures should be taken to disinfect it.
Signs of fungal and bacterial diseases that appear during storage of garlic: photo
During storage, the infected head becomes soft and watery, acquires a pinkish color. 
A black coating, similar to dust, forms on the cloves. 
Light yellow or brown watery spots appear on the heads (mainly on the outer scales and bottom), which eventually become covered with a bluish-green mold 
When affected by green mold, garlic cloves become sluggish, depressed spots appear on them. yellow color 
Neck rot appears as a gray coating at the base of the head of garlic.
The ways of storing garlic are varied, so each housewife will be able to choose the most suitable one for herself in terms of conditions and performance. And if, in the presence of a plentiful harvest, you resort to several methods at once, then there will always be a fragrant vegetable in the house.
It's no secret that vegetables and fruits become much more expensive in winter, so you want to keep your harvest until spring. Previously, it was not worth thinking about how to store garlic in an apartment - it was too costly and tricky. But now the storage of any vegetable, fruit or berry is quite possible in a city apartment. In this article, we will list everything you need to know about storing this vegetable in the winter.
Select only whole bulbs. Even a small dent can cost you the loss of all your saved crop. Carefully discard all bruised, rotten, cut, insect-eaten heads.
Maintain a stable air temperature. Maximum allowable temperature+5 degrees, it is with her that garlic will easily spend the winter in the refrigerator.
Humidity is the enemy of garlic. It helps soften the cloves, which makes it difficult to keep the crop until spring.
Insects have no place in the house. A great many harmful insects will not refuse to eat fresh garlic. To prevent this, treat rooms where garlic is stored regularly.
Consequences of violating storage rules
It is not in vain that they insist on following the rules. If the storage of garlic is not carried out according to the rules, it will simply rot or become moldy. Agree, not the most pleasant fate for a lovingly grown crop. Therefore, in winter it is very important to monitor the condition of the bulbs and the conditions under which they are stored.
High temperatures adversely affect the external and internal state garlic cloves. They dry out, begin to wrinkle, wither, moreover, they lose all their useful properties and taste. Bulbs wrapped in polyethylene suffer from the greenhouse effect, quickly become moldy and begin to rot. That is why it is so important to properly store them in the winter.
Collection
Different varieties and types of garlic are harvested at different times. Winter varieties planted in autumn ripen by mid-July, that is, before anyone else. But at the same time, their storage is practically impossible - their keeping quality does not exceed 4-5 months. But the seed material from them is one of the best. The same varieties that are planted in spring (spring) ripen in mid-August or early September. They will survive the winter well if stored properly.
Before digging up the crop, check if it is ripe: the leaves should turn yellow, the false stem should become soft, and the bulb itself should be dense when you rake the ground.
Wait for dry weather, early in the morning or late in the evening, arm yourself with a pitchfork and go to the garden. With a pitchfork, you need to carefully pry the bulbs, trying not to injure them and not cut off the roots. The dug out bulbs should be cleaned from the ground and put under a canopy or put in bags and covered with tops of plants, leaves, cloth. The main thing is not to leave them in the open sun so that the fruits do not get sunburn.
The primary drying of the crop lasts a week, during which time the vegetative processes completely stop and the crop becomes suitable for harvesting for the winter. After the drying time has passed, cut off the roots and stems.
Storage in the apartment
Make sure in advance that there is where to put harvested crop. Storage in an apartment is not associated with any difficulties, but it is advisable to immediately determine where the best conditions are.
Suitable glazed balcony, pantry on the north side of the house, freezer in a refrigerator. In general, any place where low temperature air and no moisture.
About room temperature
Storage of garlic at room temperature is possible, but does not last long. The air temperature in the range from 17 to 25 degrees, which is considered to be room temperature, adversely affects the condition of the bulbs. Already after 3-4 days the cloves become soft, lethargic, on the 5-6th day drying begins. The fact is that garlic is not able to retain moisture in the cloves for a long time, therefore fever air leads to the fact that moisture evaporates quickly, leaving only dried plant fibers.
Store garlic in the refrigerator
Refrigerator storage - good way keep the garlic from wilting and give it a chance to "see" the winter. Well for these purposes, a freezer or a compartment for vegetables is suitable. Remember that the recommended storage temperature does not exceed +5 degrees Celsius. However, in the refrigerator, you may encounter another problem - humidity. Not keeping track of how humid the refrigerator is, for example, as a result of power outages, you can permanently spoil the entire stored crop.
Store garlic in a jar
One of the most efficient yet original ways- store garlic in a jar. To do this, you will need to peel all the heads from the husk, put the cloves in jars and shake them well. In the future, there are several options for how to save the cloves for the winter: cover with flour or salt, pour in oil, grind.
Banks must be sterilized and dried, otherwise the garlic will become moldy. You can use any oil you like: vegetable, corn, olive. It will get a pleasant garlic flavor after you remove the cloves.
To get garlic powder that keeps well in a jar, cut the peeled cloves into thin slices. Then dry them in the oven for 10-15 minutes and grind them into powder. Taste and smell will remain, and it will take up very little storage space.
Possible problems
Among the obvious problems when storing garlic at home, mold and rot are in the lead. They occur when the humidity and temperature of the air rises, even if you store the product in the refrigerator. It also happens that the storage conditions are met before the smallest details, but the garlic is still withered and deteriorated - this happens when the bulbs are not sorted out and absolutely everything is collected.
Remember that damaged bulbs deteriorate faster than others, creating unfavorable storage conditions for others.
Regularly ventilate the place where you store the garlic heads in the apartment. Stale air can also cause the development of fungal microflora, the harmful activity of which is manifested by mold and rot.
Video " Garlic storage. How to store garlic in winter.“
