How to preserve garlic for the winter - different methods and tricks. How to store garlic after harvesting and digging at home, in a city apartment, house, refrigerator, cellar? Preparing garlic for winter storage and storing it in sunflower oil, jar

The topic is relevant among new gardeners and those who have never grown garlic for long-term storage. This material is also suitable for those who cannot preserve their harvest until summer. The white and fragrant cloves are known to have healing properties all year round without losing their medicinal power.

But how to store garlic so that it does not dry out and spoil, and also does not germinate ahead of time? In fact, there are many ways. In addition, storage options in an apartment and in a private house are still different. Therefore, various nuances will be discussed below. It is very important to know how to distinguish bad garlic from good one.

First of all, the type of plant is important

There are two types of garlic (not to be confused with the variety): winter and spring. The first ripens from mid-July to a maximum of mid-August. It all depends on the time of planting and weather conditions. The spring variety ripens by mid-August, and can be harvested until the second or third decade of the month. You definitely need to remember these two types, because many people wonder: how to store garlic so that it doesn’t dry out in the winter until the new harvest? The fact is that some housewives unknowingly collect winter crops for storage in the hope that they will last until spring, but are surprised and disappointed to find the product unsuitable for food.

It turns out that only those collected at the end of summer can be well preserved until spring and even early summer. Since it ripens sufficiently, it is poured and becomes capable of long-term storage. On the contrary, winter garlic is young, without many white and smooth scales. It can be stored for no more than 2-3 months, so it is advisable to eat it immediately, without prior drying.

How and when to collect?

The harvesting period greatly influences the further preservation of garlic. Do not dig beds on rainy days. It's better to wait until the weather is clear. The ground must be absolutely dry! To make sure of this, it is better to dig up the soil in an unsown section of the bed to the depth at which the garlic heads are supposed to be located. If the soil is completely dry, then you can start. In addition, if you have already planned a day for harvesting garlic, then you should not water it and neighboring fruit crops 2-3 days in advance.

They begin to dig winter garlic when the bottom leaf begins to turn yellow, and spring garlic when all the leaves turn yellow and begin to tilt toward the ground.

Before we get to the topic of how to store garlic so it doesn’t dry out, let’s look at one more important point: selection. Before you start drying, you need to go through all the heads. They should be:

• hard;
• strong;
• no stains or dents;
• with white scales;
• without any plaque.

If defects are found, such garlic should be eliminated, as it may contain pathogenic microorganisms. It is no longer suitable for food.

Where to dry?

Once the heads are dug up, they should be placed in a dry, dark place, such as a shaded porch or an open shed. But so that there is always an influx of fresh air. Then the garlic is cleared of any remaining soil. It's okay if the top scales fall off. The tops have not yet been cut. But even here you need to know where and how to store garlic so that it does not dry out.

Care should be taken to ensure there is no dampness. If rain is expected, you need to move the crop to a warm and dry place. After about 3-4 days, the slightly dried garlic is processed again: the roots and leaves are trimmed with pruning shears. The latter require leaving small tails (5 cm or more, depending on storage methods).

Storage conditions

When the dried garlic is ready to move to a permanent storage location, you need to prepare the room in advance. There are several rules that will help the harvest survive until next summer:

• air humidity is about 40-50%;
• optimal storage temperature is from +5 to +17 degrees;
• the room should be dry and clean;
• You can’t keep garlic where various insects live; mold fungi may appear;
• containers with the harvest should not disturb those living in the house/apartment.

Here's how to store garlic so it doesn't dry out until the next harvest. If you comply with such conditions, you can be sure that the cloves of the medicinal product will remain intact and unharmed.

Storage methods

There are several methods for storing garlic. But you need to know that the container must be “breathable,” that is, allow air to pass through and not retain moisture. Now let’s take a closer look at how to store garlic so it doesn’t dry out, methods and items/ware:

• glass jar with a nylon sock or gauze instead of a lid;
• wicker basket or dish;
• cardboard box;
• a plywood box with holes on the sides;
• string bags (mesh bags);
• in a bundle.

The latter method implies that even at the pruning stage after digging, you should leave tails about 20-25 cm long.

In this case, garlic can be braided and bundles can be made using thick threads or ribbons. This method is suitable for hanging storage.

Where to store those living in a private house?

Those who live in a private house with a plot have many more options for where and how to store garlic so that it does not dry out in winter. You can easily store a large supply of crops. You can also find several different places at once:

• cellar,
• underground,
• canopy,
• barn,
• barn,
• terrace,
• cool place in the living room,
• on a glazed balcony (if available).

You just need to make sure that there is no dampness, mold, or a lot of dust in the room.

Cellar or canopy

For a long time, when the country had more villages than cities, our ancestors stored garlic in cellars or in the entryway. This is considered the most optimal option, taking into account the fact that winter is snowy, cold and with rare thaws. The peasants knew how to store garlic so that it did not dry out: they hung the bundles in a safe place or placed the heads in baskets and tubs.

It is worth noting that it is permissible to store both onions and garlic together if it is not possible to place them in separate containers.

In the ground in the garden

There is a more complex, but no less effective way of where and how to store garlic so that it does not dry out in the winter until the new harvest. And it involves burying the crop in the ground. Only pre-dried and prepared garlic should be wrapped in plastic and wrapped in unnecessary insulated material, such as an old coat. Then in the area you need to dig up the ground to such a depth that you can cover the top of the crop by 20-40 cm with earth. Do not forget to clearly and accurately mark the boundaries of the garlic burial so that you can easily find and not accidentally hit the good heads with a shovel.

But this method is more suitable if there are no simpler options. In addition, in our time it is impossible to predict what kind of winter it will be: warm and damp, or dry and cold.

Where to store it in the apartment?

You can also find a cool place to store garlic in your apartment. Just keep in mind that the heating devices (or central heating) are far from the place where the garlic will be stored. In addition, if there are pets in the house, there may be insects, then the crop will need to be provided with more reliable storage.

Sometimes people wonder whether it makes sense to store garlic in the refrigerator or freezer. Answer: you can. But whole cloves can remain in the refrigerator for no more than 3 months. If you want to place the harvest in the freezer, it is recommended to first peel the garlic, pass the cloves through a press or meat grinder, then place them in bags or containers for freezing.

Fresh and whole garlic should not be placed in a plastic container with a lid, as it may suffocate and begin to spoil.

Balcony

If the balcony or loggia is glazed and there is no heating in the room, then you can safely store the garlic either in boxes (boxes) or hang up bundles. You just need to avoid direct sunlight and warming. Windows should not face south.

Pantry

If you have a prepared place for garlic, you can place the crop in a cramped room. But provided that all optimal conditions are met. If desired, you can hang an electronic weather station on the wall, which shows both the humidity and temperature in the cramped space of the pantry. This way you will understand how to store garlic so that it does not dry out in winter. It is especially useful to have this device if you do not yet have experience storing garlic in this place.

If the garlic has gone bad

It is advisable to control the storage process: from time to time (about every three to five weeks) check the condition of the crop. If the first signs of defects or disease appear on at least one clove, then the head should be removed and consumed as soon as possible (but only healthy parts of the plant).

Dear friends, you have learned how to store garlic so that it does not dry out in winter, what to do so that it does not spoil before next summer. If you follow the above recommendations, you can ensure that almost the entire stock will delight you and your family for three seasons in a row: autumn, winter and spring.

Garlic is an integral part of the basic food set that is found in every home. Garlic can be found in the kitchen of any housewife. This is not only a pleasant and aromatic spice that makes any dish more appetizing and tasty. Garlic is used as a medicinal and prophylactic remedy in the midst of colds. Not a single canning season is complete without garlic - this vegetable gives marinades and pickles a special spiciness and delicate taste.

If you grow garlic in your garden, you are probably thinking about ways to store this vegetable crop. After all, if harvested or stored incorrectly, garlic begins to crumble, rot, grow, and mold. One slight mistake can lead to damage to the entire crop. That is why it is very important to know how to collect garlic and how to store it, so that there will be fresh slices of delicious garlic on the table all winter.

If you do not have your own farm, the issue of storing garlic can also be quite acute. The fact is that practical housewives buy garlic in the fall, during the harvest period. Vegetables cost a penny at this time; you can stock up on them for the whole winter. But how to save it so as not to remain at a loss?

When to collect garlic for storage

The suitability of the crop for long-term storage directly depends on the time and correctness of its collection. Garlic can be summer (spring) or winter (winter). Each of these varieties must be harvested at a specific time. Spring garlic is harvested at the end of August, when the leaves of the plant begin to turn yellow and the tops begin to bend above the ground.

Winter garlic is harvested in July. Among the signs that indicate the ripening of the crop is the yellowing of the outer leaves of the tops. At the same time, the wrapper of the inflorescences begins to crack. This indicates that it is time to harvest the garlic. Before harvesting, pay attention to the condition of the covering scales. If they are thin but fairly firm, the vegetable is ready to harvest.

It is very important to harvest the garlic at the right time. If this is not done on time, it will begin to disintegrate, the upper shell will crack, new roots will appear at the bottom, and the bulb will lengthen. All this leads to a significant reduction in the shelf life of garlic. In this form, the vegetable will not survive the winter; it will quickly rot and deteriorate. You need to collect garlic in the following way.

How to Harvest Garlic

For collection you need to choose warm and sunny days. Check the weather forecast and select a week period in which no precipitation is expected.

1. Garlic is collected using a shovel. Carefully dig up the root crop so as not to damage the bulbs. Some people prefer to dig up the ground with a pitchfork, whatever suits them.
2. Grab the garlic by the top and gently shake the vegetable. Use your hands to remove any excess soil that has accumulated on the rhizomes. Be careful when doing this - damaged onions will not be suitable for long-term storage. There is no need to hit the bulbs with all your might on a shovel or other hard objects.
3. Now the garlic needs to be dried. On good sunny days it is dried directly on the garden bed. This may take more than one day. Keep the garlic in the sun for about a week to dry thoroughly. If the weather is not pleasant with sunny days, you can dry the bulbs in a well-ventilated place - in the attic, under a canopy, under the roof of a terrace.
4. In damp weather, dry the garlic in the sun during the day and bring it home at night.
5. It is very important not to cut off the green leaves of the plant during drying. The fact is that during drying, the leaves give additional nutritional strength to the bulb. Observant summer residents may notice that after drying the volume and weight of garlic is much greater than before.
6. After drying, the garlic needs to be prepared for storage. The outer coat is not removed from it; we need it so that the vegetable can be preserved longer. The roots need to be trimmed, but not completely. Leave 2-3 cm of roots so that the garlic does not dry out. The leaves of the plant also need to be trimmed slightly. Leave the neck 10-12 cm long so that the garlic stays fresh and tasty longer.

All. Garlic is ready for long-term storage. Now it needs to be removed so that a fresh and high-quality product is at hand throughout the winter.

There are two ways to store garlic. The first is in conditions of relative cold, no more than 20 degrees Celsius. This is how spring garlic is stored. Winter crops do not tolerate heat and the maximum temperature at which they can be stored is 2-5 degrees. In general, winter garlic is rarely used for long-term storage. It does not tolerate temperature changes and dries out quickly due to the fact that it has a very thin outer shell. It is convenient to plant this garlic in the fall - it grows quickly and is not afraid of the first frosts. And for long-term storage, take summer garlic. Here are some effective ways to store garlic at home.

1. Braids. You can weave garlic into a braid. If you're going to store your garlic this way, don't cut the tops too short—you'll need them. Take a long rope and start weaving garlic into it. Weave the braid, gradually adding more and more new bulbs to it. At the end of the weaving, you can make a small loop of rope, from which you can hang the resulting braid. By the way, garlic in this form will not only be preserved from rodents and insects, but will also decorate your home - the heads of garlic in the form of a pigtail look so stylized. You need to hang such weaving in a cool place - on the balcony, in the basement, in the closet, in the pantry.
2. Boxes and stockings. Garlic can be stored in pots that you do not use, as well as in old boxes. Garlic should be stored in cool and dark places. If you are afraid that the garlic may become damp or rot, fill an old stocking with the heads and hang it from the ceiling in a cool room. Even the most malicious pests will not get to such garlic.
3. Baskets. It is very good to store onions and garlic in wicker baskets with large holes. In this state, the bulbs are well ventilated and the risk of rotting is reduced.
4. Flour. This is a very good way to store garlic; it can be used to preserve vegetables until the next harvest. The main condition is that the garlic is well dried. The heads are dipped into a plastic or ceramic container and sprinkled with flour. This is how grandmothers in villages store garlic. Flour protects vegetables from rodents, insects, rot and mold. When you need garlic, you just need to take it out, peel and rinse it. Ready and fresh food on your table.
5. Linen bags. To prevent uninvited guests from gnawing garlic, it should be stored in canvas bags, previously soaked in salt. Prepare salt water and rinse the fabric bag in it. Hang it to dry without rinsing. Place the garlic heads in a dry bag to preserve them until spring.
6. Salt. If you often use garlic in culinary masterpieces and like to have the product at hand, you can store it in a kitchen drawer. But to do this, sprinkle it with salt so that it does not spoil at a high enough temperature. Salt will prevent the garlic from drying out, sprouting or rotting.

These are the simplest and most popular ways to store garlic in a city apartment. But there are still many ways that will help you preserve garlic in various forms.

How else to store garlic

To store garlic, it is not at all necessary to keep it in its original form. Sometimes, in order to preserve it better and also to make it convenient to use, it is pickled, salted and stored in oil.

1. You can store garlic in a jar. To do this, well-dried heads are divided into cloves and left to dry for some more time. Sterilize the jar and put all the cloves in it. Be careful - you must not allow cloves with a wormhole or without a shirt to get inside. Such garlic cloves can spoil the entire jar. Cover the jar with a lid. Garlic can be stored in this form for a very long time – up to several years.
2. Garlic can be stored in a jar with salt for a very long time. Sprinkle a little salt on the bottom of the jar, then add one layer of cloves, then sprinkle with salt again and add a second layer. Thus, garlic is stored for a very long time, it can survive more than one winter and remain fresh.
3. You can put the garlic in a vacuum bag and remove excess air. In this form, the vegetable will be stored in the refrigerator for several months.
4. Some housewives prefer to cook the garlic almost completely. For this recipe, you can take damaged and slightly wormy heads, which are not suitable for long-term storage. Clean the cloves completely, cutting off any unsuitable areas. After this, chop the garlic the way you prefer to use it. Some people like finely chopped garlic, while others prefer to add chopped garlic passed through a press to their food. Garlic prepared in the required manner is placed in a glass jar and filled with vegetable oil. Garlic is stored perfectly in oil - even in crushed form. When you prepare the next dish, simply add the required amount of garlic and oil to the pan with a spoon. This method will not only help preserve “illiquid” garlic, it is also very convenient. You don’t have to peel and chop the vegetable every time - everything is ready a long time ago and is at hand.
5. And if there is so much garlic that you cannot eat it even during the whole winter, it is pickled. Pickled garlic is a very tasty and piquant dish that will decorate any table. Surprise your guests with this unusual canned product!

These are unusual ways to store garlic in various forms.

During storage, garlic can dry out, sprout, bugs can settle in it, and the vegetable can even become moldy. To prevent this from happening, there are many secrets for storing this culture.

1. To prevent garlic from germinating, its roots are scorched with fire before storage.
2. To prevent the head of garlic from drying out, it is dipped in liquid paraffin. It forms a thin shell around the vegetable, through which the liquid does not evaporate. Garlic in this form remains fresh for many years.
3. To prevent mold and rot from forming on the garlic, it must be thoroughly dried before storage. Usually this problem occurs with damaged and frostbitten bulbs.

No matter how you store garlic, you need to look through it and sort it out from time to time. Spoiled and suspicious onions should be removed from the general storage - they can infect healthy vegetables.

Garlic in Russian cuisine (along with salt and pepper) is considered the main spice. In ancient times, widespread consumption of garlic helped stop the plague epidemic in Europe. Garlic is a unique plant that has bactericidal, anti-inflammatory, antifungal and antiseptic properties. Eat garlic for taste, treatment and prevention - take care of your health!

Video: proper storage of garlic

When you buy garlic one head at a time and use it for several days, you don’t even think about how to store this vegetable. And if you have your own garden where garlic grows, then sooner or later the question arises: how to preserve it until the next harvest?

Which garlic can be stored?

Unfortunately, not all garlic can be stored for a long time.

• If it is young, then it is better to use it for food as soon as possible, since its shelf life is low.
• For long-term storage Only well-ripened heads are suitable. But even here you need to stick to the golden mean. After all, unripe garlic has loose, loose bulbs, while overripe garlic has bulbs that easily crumble.
• When storing garlic, the main condition is the integrity of the heads and cloves, which have many common external scales that protect the garlic from exposure to the external environment.
• Garlic stored for storage must be dry, strong, without signs of rot or lethargy.
• When pressing on the cloves, you should not feel softness or feel voids.
• Garlic is usually harvested at the end of summer. It is then that its stems droop and the leaves turn yellow, which indicates its maturation.
• Garlic that is going to be sent for storage is not watered for several days; it is dug up in dry weather.
• The digging is carried out very carefully so as not to damage the necks of the bulbs. Otherwise, such garlic will quickly rot.
• Immediately after digging, the bulbs are dried for several days. Most often this is done right in the field, leaving the garlic on the ground.
• But if it starts to rain, then the garlic is dried under a canopy, or even better, in a room where it is warm and dry.
• Then the leaves of the garlic are trimmed, leaving only a small stump, and sent for storage. A basement, cellar, pantry or vegetable store is suitable for this purpose.

How to store garlic in a bunch

Garlic can be stored in bundles. To do this, the bulbs are freed from the leaves, leaving only the stem, and braided into braids, gradually adding one head at a time. In this way, bundles of 12-15 onions are made. Garlic is hung by the braids, heads down, in a dry, cool, dark place and stored in this form.

Garlic storage temperature

The best temperature for storing food garlic (which will be used as food) is minus 1-2°, but seed garlic is stored at 0°.

Many people believe that garlic should be stored in a warm, dry place. But with this method of storage, it quickly dries out, shoots out and is affected by various diseases.

Humidity when storing garlic

The humidity in the room in which garlic is stored should not exceed 70 - 80%.

Therefore, it is stored separately from potatoes and other vegetables that need higher humidity - up to 90%, which is unacceptable for garlic.

For the same reason Garlic should not be stored on the balcony. Firstly, there is a strong difference in day and night temperatures. And secondly, in damp weather, high humidity can cause garlic to rot.

If there is high humidity in the room where the garlic is stored, then proceed as follows: place a container with quicklime next to the garlic, which, when slaked, will take excess moisture from the air, and it will become drier.

How to store garlic

• Garlic is placed in nets and stored in a suspended state in a dry and cool place without access to light, since in an undarkened room the bulbs begin to sprout together.
• Garlic heads can be placed in boxes or trays, stacking them on top of each other, stacking them up to two meters in height.

Storing garlic in a paraffin coating

• A composition is prepared from 97% paraffin and 3% monoglyceride.
• Heat it to 80-85°.
• The garlic is placed in synthetic nets and immersed in a heated paraffin mixture for two seconds.
• The bulbs are removed. When the paraffin hardens, a thin film forms on the garlic, which will protect it from drying out, rotting, and also protect it from diseases.

Such garlic is stored in small boxes, trays or cardboard boxes, installed in stacks, or on racks.

This garlic is stored for about six months longer compared to the usual storage method.

How to store garlic in an apartment

• The garlic is sorted out, leaving only whole, strong and clean bulbs. Place them in glass jars, sprinkle with salt. To do this, pour a layer of salt on the bottom of the jar, place the onions on it, and also pour salt on top, shaking so that it is evenly distributed throughout the entire container.
• Garlic is stored in canvas bags along with onion peels. The heads must be intact. And so that the roots and remains of the stems do not sprout and rot, they are first burned with fire.
• Garlic does well in the refrigerator in the vegetable drawer. It is placed in a canvas bag or placed in a box lined with paper napkins. In this form, garlic bulbs are stored for quite a long time, without drying out or sprouting. The main condition is that the heads must not be damaged, and they cannot be disassembled into cloves. Therefore, half onions are used as food first.

And here Garlic cannot be stored in a plastic bag, since moisture accumulates in it, from which the bulbs begin to shoot arrows or deteriorate.

During storage, garlic must be periodically checked in order to notice spoiled heads in time, the presence of which will negatively affect the storage of the rest of the crop.

How to store garlic in oil

• The garlic is sorted, discarding damaged heads.
• Divide into cloves and peel.
• Place in clean, dry jars.
• Fill with vegetable oil.
• Cover with plastic lids and put in the refrigerator or cold cellar.

Note to the hostess

• For long-term storage, it is better to store spring garlic, which can be distinguished from winter garlic by its core, or rather by the absence of a false stem in the center of the bulb. Spring garlic is harvested in August.
• It is believed that garlic dug up during the waning moon is stored better.
• Garlic does not like freezing. Although many housewives store it this way. They clean it, wash it, and then grind it in a meat grinder. After this, the garlic mixture is laid out in ice-freezing molds and sent to the freezer. As needed, they remove the frozen briquette from the refrigerator and add it to any dish without defrosting.

When properly stored, garlic remains strong, juicy and aromatic almost until the next harvest.

This healthy vegetable can replace many expensive medicines in our home medicine cabinet, and we really want it to be preserved until the first green sprouts of the new harvest. But often, either from the variety or from unfavorable environmental factors, it either rots, or dries out, or sprouts, and we part with this unique vegetable earlier than we would like. Therefore, you need to figure it out and figure out how to store garlic at home.

Garlic can spoil for several reasons, and this is not always directly related to its storage conditions.

If the heads are infected with fungi or nematode larvae, their shelf life will be short. In this case, it is better to carefully sort out the garlic, disassemble it into slices, discard damaged ones and all doubtful ones - with stains, dents, cuts, or empty ones. Only after this can you put it into storage.

Video about storing garlic in winter

Storage conditions are also important. But let's look at them in more detail.

What indicates spoilage of garlic?

1. You can determine that your crop has begun to deteriorate, first of all, by smell. Such garlic, which has begun to rot, has an unpleasant odor, reminiscent of the one we get if garlic is overcooked.
2. Visually, you can see slices or whole bulbs wrinkled from dry or wet rot.
3. To the touch, if you press with your finger, the slice seems to fall into emptiness.

Such garlic must be urgently rejected.

You can determine that your crop has begun to deteriorate, first of all, by smell

How garlic will be stored largely depends on the time and conditions of its collection. If it was dug up in dry weather, on the waning moon, and before that it was not watered for 2 weeks, then the shelf life, if all conditions are met, will increase significantly.

Before storing, the dug bulbs are dried for 2 weeks under a canopy, then the remaining soil is shaken off, the stems and roots are trimmed, and the remaining roots are burned over the flame of a candle or lighter.

You should know that there is winter and spring garlic. The spring variety is stored much better, but it is smaller. But winter crops begin to deteriorate and germinate by the New Year. You can distinguish spring garlic from winter garlic by the core. The winter one has a false stem in the middle of the bulb, while the spring one does not have one.

Air, light, moisture and heat are what can ruin it. Therefore, the choice of the optimal storage mode will directly affect its duration.

It is not difficult to provide a dark storage place. This could be a cellar, a refrigerator, a box on the balcony. But the remaining conditions need to be taken care of.

Winter varieties have a false stem in the middle of the bulb; spring varieties do not have one

Humidity. At high humidity the garlic will rot, at high humidity it will begin to grow, at low humidity it will dry out. The optimal humidity for storage is 70-80%, which will allow it not only to be well preserved, but also not to lose its juiciness.

Air access. If you store the bulbs without containers, excessive air access will contribute to drying out and the development of pathogenic microflora. It is good to store garlic in portions, approximately 0.3-0.5 kg, in cardboard boxes, plastic containers, wooden boxes, wicker baskets and boxes, and even cellophane bags, clean glass jars under nylon lids and in canvas bags.

Temperature. Everything seems to be clear here. The lower it is, the better. The only thing that garlic will not tolerate is freezing. The freezer will not work! Temperatures from 2° to 5°C are optimal. A great place is the bottom drawer of the refrigerator to store vegetables.

If you store the bulbs without containers, excessive air access will contribute to drying out and the development of pathogenic microflora

How did our grandfathers store garlic? The old way of storing garlic is in braids and wreaths. Our ancestors did not cut the garlic stems after drying, but used them to weave so-called bundles. The weaving itself is done like a braid or a wreath. Such bundles were stored hanging in a cool room until winter, and in the winter in the cellar.

How to store garlic in oil?

What you will need:

• sterile glass jars;
• nylon covers;
• peeled garlic cloves;
• vegetable oil, either refined or unrefined.

Procedure:

1. Peel the garlic cloves and discard damaged ones.
2. Place in pre-sterilized jars.
3. Fill with vegetable oil.
4. Close with lids.
5. We put it in the refrigerator or take it to the cellar.

The shelf life of garlic this way is up to 3 months. At the same time, it does not lose its properties, and the oil acquires a pleasant aroma, thanks to garlic phytoncides, and can be used to season various dishes - soups, sauces and salads.

How to make garlic powder? Garlic powder certainly won’t spoil and will wait until the next harvest. It is easy to prepare at home. To do this, the garlic cloves are peeled and thinly sliced ​​into slices. These plates are dried in electric dryers or ovens, but at a minimum temperature, not higher than 60°C.

Afterwards, you can grind the dry plates to a powder in a blender or mortar, adding a little salt, and store in a tightly closed glass jar.

The advantages of this method:

• doesn't need a lot of space;
• saving time when preparing food (no need to clean, chop);
• long shelf life - up to a year.

There is one minus, and it is significant: the loss of some nutrients.

The shelf life of garlic in this way is up to 3 months.

Garlic tincture - the best way to preserve garlic for treatment

1. Take 350 grams of peeled garlic cloves and chop them using any available method. Let it sit for a couple of hours in the jar, covered.
2. We select the most liquid part, it should be 200 ml, and pour it into a sterile jar.
3. Pour in 200 ml of medical alcohol.
4. Close with a tight lid.
5. Leave for 10 days in a dark place at room temperature, shaking occasionally.
6. Carefully separate from the sediment and store in a glass container that does not allow sunlight to pass through. Brown glass medicine bottles are suitable. You can simply wrap the jar in thick paper and place it in a dark place.

This garlic tincture is used in folk medicine in the treatment of diseases of various organs and systems, especially atherosclerosis and vascular disorders.

If you have mastered agricultural techniques and received a good harvest of garlic, try different ways to store it

How to store garlic in an apartment?

1. Dry pickling. Another fairly effective and little-known way to preserve garlic. Its essence is that unpeeled whole garlic heads are placed in containers (for example, jars) and sprinkled with coarse salt. The jars are closed with lids and taken out to a cool place. Salt is an excellent antiseptic; in addition, it will provide a constant level of humidity and limit the access of oxygen. This way you can store garlic in an apartment, away from heating appliances, or on the balcony.
2. Paraffinization. If you don’t have many heads and you don’t know how to store garlic in your apartment, another interesting method will help - waxing. Melt the paraffin in a water bath until liquid and dip the heads of garlic into it one by one. Let the paraffin layer harden and place the garlic in cardboard boxes for further storage. This garlic is stored in an apartment until spring.

If you get a good harvest of garlic, try different ways to store it. Only then will you determine which one is best for you. Now you know how to properly store garlic at home.

Video about storing garlic

What to do with sprouted teeth

Garlic loses its properties and juiciness when sprouts begin to develop in the cloves. This happens if the bottom is not fired before storing. Having broken through and felt the light, the sprouts will gain strength, drawing nutrition from the mother’s lobule. Trimming green sprouts in a dark and cool place will help slow down the process. But you won’t be able to completely stop growth.

If you do not want to lose such garlic, it is best to wait for the first thaw and plant it in the ground, covering it with agrofibre or film.

The duration of storing garlic depends on the variety, quality of the heads and storage conditions. The best varieties for wintering: ‘Armavirskiy’, ‘Ukrainian white’, ‘Sochi 56’. The varieties ‘German’, ‘Nadezhny’, and ‘Podmoskovny’ have good shelf life.

Preferred are multi-tooth varieties, which have a higher storage capacity compared to small-tooth varieties. The duration of storage of garlic without loss is determined by the timeliness and compliance with agricultural harvesting techniques.

Signs that garlic is ready for harvesting

For non-shooters varieties, an indicator of readiness is the lodging of yellowed lower leaves. At this stage of growth, the bulbs are fully formed and have a complete and strong cover of scales. Such heads are suitable for long-term storage. Garlic that is fully ripened on the vine is not suitable for long-term storage: the heads of most varieties lose their cover and can disintegrate into individual exposed cloves.

Shooters varieties ripen somewhat later. Readiness is determined by the yellow ends of the leaves and the brown color of the lower parts of the stems. The growth of the heads stops by this time.

The traditional harvest time for spring planting of garlic is August and September. The shelf life of winter harvest is short, so it is used at the beginning of winter. At temperatures above 0°C and high air humidity, such garlic quickly germinates or dries out.

How to store garlic for the winter

Preparing bulbs for planting

Well-dried garlic is stored for storage. The heads are woven into small bundles or braids, hung under a canopy or in a well-ventilated area. After 20–30 days, the degree of readiness of the vegetables is checked. If, under strong pressure, the head breaks into separate cloves, it is considered that the garlic has dried out. Be sure to remove heads with signs of rotting, sprouted, with damage to the cover, and bare.

ON THE PICTURE: The garlic heads are dried and ready for storage.

Resistance to rotting of garlic can be increased by special treatment. The stems of the dried heads are cut short, the roots are burned on fire. You can use a candle or burner for burning.

Creating optimal conditions

Garlic is best stored at a temperature of -1°C to -3°C and an air humidity of 70–75%. In such conditions, the harvested crop will last for 5–6 months without loss, while varieties with a high degree of shelf life will last up to 8 months. The room must be ventilated periodically!

Storing garlic for the winter in the cellar

Garlic is placed in small boxes or bags made of thick nylon fabric, the so-called. "mill gas". Nylon tights or stockings are suitable. You can braid the bulbs if the length of the garlic leaves allows. The heads are best stored hanging.
ON THE PICTURE: Garlic “braids” are one of the most convenient storage methods. I cut off the head and went to the kitchen to conquer the household with culinary masterpieces.

Garlic can also be preserved using salt. To do this, pour a layer of coarse salt onto the bottom of the pan, then alternate layers of garlic and salt. The last layer is salt. Close the pan and store it in the cellar.

Methods for winter storage of garlic at home

What method of storing garlic should you choose if the room temperature does not drop below +16–20°C? To prevent the bulbs from drying out, you can hang them in small bags filled with onion skins. It is also permissible to use dry sawdust.

The problem of storing garlic at home is much easier to solve if you have an insulated loggia. The temperature on the loggia should not fall below -3°C. If the thermometer creeps below this indicator, garlic should be brought into the apartment.

Saving in the refrigerator

The main problem with this method is high humidity. There are several secrets to preserving garlic in the refrigerator with less loss:

• Do not store in plastic bags: vegetables sprout quickly.
• Place the heads in clean, pre-pasteurized glass jars, closing with polyethylene lids.
• Place the heads in a fabric bag, after treating it with a strong salt solution and drying it. After the saline solution dries, a crust forms on the bag that does not allow moisture to pass through.

Can onions and garlic be stored together? Yes, if we are talking about garlic stalks - greens. Garlic greens are stored at the bottom of the refrigerator, in a plastic bag. They do not wash it before storing it. Unpeeled onions are added to the bag, quartered. Once every 4 days, the bag is replaced or wiped dry. At the same time, new bulbs are laid

Storing in a jar with oil

To keep peeled garlic fresh all winter and not lose its beneficial properties, it is kept in glass jars with vegetable oil. The method is suitable for placement in the refrigerator. The garlic-flavored oil is used as a salad dressing.

ON THE PICTURE: Storing garlic in oil allows you to “kill two birds with one stone”: keep the hot and healthy spice fresh, and get a delicious, aromatic salad dressing.

Place in glass jars with salt

You can place the garlic heads in a clean, dry glass jar and sprinkle with coarse salt. The top of the jar is covered with a cloth treated with saline solution.

Waxing

If there are only a few heads, the easiest way to preserve them in winter is to treat them with paraffin. The safety of the harvest is guaranteed until spring. You need to melt the paraffin in a water bath, dip the heads in it, let the paraffin harden and place the garlic in cardboard boxes.

Drying

It happens that during harvesting some heads are damaged. To properly store such garlic in an apartment, you need to clean the heads, cut into thin slices and dry. Garlic is laid out for drying on a grid over a gas stove, no closer than 70 cm from the surface, or in an open oven.

ON THE PICTURE: It is best to dry garlic in an electric vegetable dryer. The ability to set a constant temperature and duration of the process will not allow the garlic cloves to burn.

Garlic slices dry completely in a few hours at a temperature of +60°C. Then they are ground and mixed with salt in a 1:1 ratio. Subsequently, the dried and ground garlic is stored at room temperature in a glass jar.