How to store garlic?

Despite the fact that garlic is not a product of basic necessities, it is very popular and can be found at any dacha.Culture does not require special care for growing, and therefore everyone can cope with such a task. But before planting garlic you need to know how to properly store it, so that it remains throughout the winter or even until next summer.

Before sending garlic for storage, it must first be properly collected. The time of planting and harvesting depends on the type of garlic. Harvesting is carried out in sunny weather when it does not rain. If you skip the collection time, the product quality will deteriorate, and therefore it will not be able to be stored for a long time.

The garlic, which is planted in the autumn, is ready for harvesting in the summer in August, and the spring crop is to be harvested closer to autumn. It is important not to skip these lines.

After digging out of the ground, the crop must be laid out in a ventilated place where the rays of the sun fall. There it will dry for 5 days. If the weather is overcast, then garlic can be put under a canopy to prevent moisture from entering there.

The main thing is to provide him with good airing. At the end of the drying head cut off with scissors. This removes the stems and roots at a short distance from the head. They should remain no more than 2 cm. Stems and roots should not be cut off completely, because the head may start to rot during the wintering process.

If the heads are properly prepared for storage, then their further fate can not worry. In order for a culture to lie for a long time, it is important to properly process it before storage, which will allow it to lie longer. To prevent the appearance of diseases during storage, you can treat the heads with a solution of oil and iodine. This mixture should be pre-boiled and let it cool. Then garlic is dipped in this solution and tapped in the sun.

If the gardener is not sure that the garlic is sufficiently dried after harvesting or has been dug in wet weather, then preliminary processing before storing the culture is obligatory. It does not take a lot of time and effort, but will give the opportunity to save the garlic for a long time.

In addition to the preparation of the product, storage conditions are equally important. An experienced gardener can determine the defeat of garlic by some signs. Among them are:

1. onion slices are wet;
2. garlic odor;
3. When you press a tooth, it is pressed through.

When the heads with such signs are revealed, they should be urgently removed.

If the plant is dug in dry weather and pre-dried well, the storage time is significantly increased. Spring garlic may last longer, but it has small heads.

Bulbs can also spoil excessive heat, which directly affects the shelf life. If possible, you need to put the garlic in the cellar. It can also be stored on the balcony, occasionally airing the room so that the humidity and temperature do not increase there.

When the material will be affected by high humidity, it will begin to germinate, and if there is a shortage of moisture it will dry out. Experts recommend sticking to a moisture content of up to 80%. This will not lose the properties of the product. If air is restricted to garlic, it will dry out and pathogenic microflora may appear on it.

It must be stored for 300-400 g in cardboard boxes or wooden boxes, in baskets and in bags. Also, garlic does not like freezing, and therefore it can not be placed in the freezer.

Garlic peeled for the winter at home can be stored in different ways, each of which has its pros and cons. Subject to the rules and recommendations, he can lie down until the new crop is harvested. You also need to make sure that it is not damaged by worms and the skin has a natural look.

You can store the product in several places:

1. in a refrigerator;
2. in the cellar;
3. in a ventilated and dry room;
4. on the balcony.

Storage periods in these places are not very different from each other, but there are some storage nuances that must be taken into account. For starters, it is recommended to dry garlic initially. A wet vegetable can rot or become infected with various diseases. It must also be remembered that the storage place should not be excessively dry. This can adversely affect the heads and cause them to dry completely.

Three main factors that affect the shelf life of a product:

1. humidity;
2. temperature;
3. air access.

Before placing garlic for storage, it is necessary to carefully sort out and remove all heads that have signs of disease. For storage it is impossible to use heads on which there are damages, they scatter teeth, there are signs of rot or mold. If you identify such pathologies, you should not throw out the garlic; you can use it in the shortest possible time for cooking culinary dishes or for twists. All other heads can be stored.

This is not the most optimal storage method for this product, especially when it has not been processed beforehand. In conventional refrigerators, an increased percentage of moisture is observed, which negatively affects garlic. But at the same time there must be adequate humidity. If there are no other storage options, then a refrigerator can be used for this, observing the following storage conditions:

1. To garlic longer lay in the refrigerator, it must be placed in a package, where there will not be air.
2. Garlic can be stored in the refrigerator for no more than 2 months if it has not been previously cleaned.
3. The young product can grind and freeze in the freezer.
4. The teeth are peeled and poured with oil, after which the container with the product is placed on the middle shelf. In this case, the gardener will have both fresh garlic and oil impregnated with it, which can be used for cooking.

In that case, when it will be noticed that garlic starts to deteriorate, in order to prevent this process from completely damaging all stocks, you can prepare a ground product. This method has many advantages and makes it possible to preserve all useful components in the product.

You need to wipe the teeth on a grater or twist in a meat grinder. The mass is salted, and then placed in jars with a lid. Tanks are placed in the fridge on the bottom shelf. Also, if necessary, the ground mass can be frozen.

Garlic develops in glass jars and does not fall asleep. Pre-need to clean the heads of excess husk and inspect them for damage. If you do not add any additional ingredients to the jar, the garlic may well overwinter, it will not germinate and will not dry. It is recommended to dry and sterilize it before use.

For this it is worth using only those bags that are made from natural material. Also, during the whole period of storage, garlic in bags must be sorted out in order to identify spoiled specimens. In order to prevent the possibility of decay of garlic, as well as the appearance of diseases on it, it can be pre-soaked in a salt solution of low concentration. After that, the garlic dries out and is placed in the bag.

This is the oldest method of storage, which is the braiding of a previously dried plant. But this method of storage requires from the owner certain skills and time costs, since not everyone can weave such a braid correctly.

A similar storage method, which is also effective, can be called storing garlic in nets.They can be purchased at the store. The product is placed at 2-3 kg in the grid and suspended from the ceiling. During storage, heads should be periodically scanned to identify damaged or decaying. This will help save other heads from injury.

There are also many other ways to store this product that will help him survive the winter well and not lose his qualities. You can store products in addition to:

1. The salt. This will help garlic to lose winter. Garlic peeled from the husk is placed in a jar and poured abundantly with salt so that it covers it from the top 1-2 cm.
2. Muke. This method will help remove excess moisture from the product if it has not been properly dried. At the bottom of the dishes need to fill a layer of flour, where then put the head, also pre-sprinkled with flour. On top of all this is covered with a lid and the product can be stored for a long time. He will not lose his freshness until spring.
3. Ashes. If possible, you can store food in the ashes. To do this, it is poured into the box with a small layer so that it covers the bottom. Garlic heads are stacked on top. Each row should be additionally poured with a layer of ash so that it covers it completely. This way you can store garlic even in the kitchen.
4. Onion Husk. If there is a lot of onion peel, then it can be used. For this, garlic mixed with husks is placed in sacks and suspended in the pantry.
5. Food wrap. It is necessary to wrap each head with polyethylene in two layers to prevent air from entering it. This will help protect the bulbs from drying out.
6. In paraffin. The candles are melted and the heads of garlic are dipped into the resulting solution. As a result, they form a protective film that will not allow moisture to evaporate from the product, as well as prevent bacteria from entering the teeth.
7. In sawdust. Fresh sawdust can be used instead of salt or ash. It is advisable to choose them from coniferous trees. It is also important to place the garlic in wooden boxes and take them to a cold place where there is no access to the sun.
8. In banks. An alternative method is to store the heads of garlic in ordinary glass jars, where the heads are placed and not sprinkled with anything. In this embodiment, garlic can winter without losing its qualities. It will not germinate or dry.

You can store garlic in dried form. To do this, chop the teeth and dry them in the oven at 60 degrees, then grind them into a blender to make small grains. Next, the resulting mixture is poured into jars and put in the closet. You can use plastic containers that are sealed with a lid.

Garlic tincture is the best way to preserve garlic for the winter period, which can be used not only for culinary purposes, but also for medical purposes. If the hostess has such a need that the house has always on hand a good and vitamin-rich remedy that can help with diseases, then it is best to use this method of garlic storage.

The recipe of tinctures:

1. 300 g of garlic cloves are minced in an affordable way, after which they are placed in a jar and left for 1-2 hours.
2. From the container is poured liquid, which gave garlic. As a result, it should be about 200 ml. This liquid should be moved to a sterile jar and pour with alcohol in equal proportions.
3. The resulting mixture is stored for 10 days, stirring occasionally.
4. After 10 days, it is necessary to separate the precipitate from the liquid to pour into a glass dish. It is necessary to place such capacity in a dark place where there is no access to the sun. To do this, you can use vials of drugs that have previously been processed.

The spring product can be stored in a warm place, and winter - in a cool place.In the first embodiment, the temperature should be within +17 - +21 degrees, and in the second - up to +3. In practice, the choice of storage conditions depends on the amount of the harvested crop. Since this product is more seasoning than the main product, it is usually required a little, which allows you to safely spend the winter garlic in the apartment and not take up much space.

If the volume of the harvest is large enough, then you can select a whole balcony for it, which you must first warm. Experts recommend storing the crop in baskets or boxes of wood, which are placed in a cool room with a temperature of +3 to -5 and humidity up to 80%. At some points, if you have a cellar, you can store garlic there. The temperature according to GOST must comply with such limits that ensures the safety of garlic for a long time.

Storage time:

1. ground - 2 months;
2. in sawdust, salt, flour, paraffin, in bags - 5 months;
3. in oil - 3 months;
4. in the refrigerator - 3 months;
5. in the bank - 3 months.

Experienced gardeners tried in practice all methods of storing garlic at home, and therefore already know all their pros and cons. If in this case there are no skills, then you need to familiarize yourself with the recommendations of the experts. Before proceeding with the implementation of any storage option in practice, it is necessary to first harvest properly and prepare it.

It is recommended to dig garlic at the end of the summer and to prevent its overheating, which can adversely affect the heads. After being removed from the ground, it is dried under the sun. If the weather is rainy, the garlic is placed under a canopy in a place that is well ventilated, or in the attic. As a result of this procedure, the husk becomes dry and there are no signs of moisture on it.

Prepared bulbs are reviewed and peeled, and their roots are cut. To ensure long-term storage of garlic in any of the above methods, each head must be pre-treated with melted butter and iodine, and a constant temperature and humidity must be observed.

To keep the product at home is necessary. Single teeth in winter can be easily stored in an apartment if there is enough space to accommodate the entire crop.

It should be remembered that the winter variety is stored worse, and therefore try to use it immediately after harvesting. Spring garlic is ideal for storage. It carries both cold and warm storage methods.

The above methods can be well preserved garlic at home. Each owner after getting acquainted with the methods can choose for itself the best option. This will allow the garlic to lie through the whole winter, not to deteriorate and not to lose its taste.

Also, in some cases, harvested for the winter garlic can be used for planting next year. If required, you can use different methods of storage, which will ensure the continued availability of this product in the apartment.

The same recommendations are given to remedy the situation with garlic, which appears mold or rot. To prevent the appearance of these parasites, it is recommended to lay the product in a single layer so that they are well ventilated. Also, the boxes must have ventilation at the bottom.

If garlic begins to germinate during winter storage, it means that there is a lot of moisture and high temperature in the room. These figures should be reduced, but it should be remembered that the development of the seedling cannot be restored. Because the most advanced teeth should be selected and consumed in the first place, so that they do not infect others.

If during the preparation of garlic, the selection was carried out carelessly and poorly, then after a short time it will begin to deteriorate, which will also negatively affect healthy garlic. Because it is important to periodically view the crop, which is sent for storage, and in time to destroy the affected specimens. The presence of pronounced defects of the husk on the material may also indicate that the seed has some pathology, and therefore it cannot be used for the next season.

Knowing these moments, each housewife will be able to choose the best way to store this product in her apartment or at the cottage. To ensure long-term preservation of garlic heads in a city apartment, it is important to consider all the above recommendations.

If you neglect even one of the factors, then this will negatively affect the entire harvest, which as a result can be completely lost. To avoid this, you need to carefully approach this issue, having previously studied it.

How to store garlic, see the following video.