Storing garlic: preserving taste and vitamins

  • Dec 13, 2020
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Good afternoon, my reader. Every gardener, after harvesting, asks himself how to preserve vegetables and prevent them from spoiling and disappearing. They treat garlic with awe: in winter it is indispensable as a medicine and prevention of colds. It is also needed in the kitchen, because dishes acquire a multifaceted taste precisely thanks to this vegetable. After reading this article, you will learn the secrets and nuances of storing hot garlic.

Storing garlic. Illustration for this article is used under a standard license © ofazende.com
Storing garlic. Illustration for this article is used under a standard license © ofazende.com

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Preparing garlic for long storage

The fruits of this plant are considered the most patient for long-term storage; they can withstand the whole winter if the necessary conditions are met. Preparing vegetables is an important activity that must be carried out:

  • Pick up on time. Under this condition, the heads remain intact and do not disintegrate into teeth. Summer fruits are harvested when the leaves of the plant turn yellow and lie on the ground. This usually happens in mid-August. When the leaves of winter garlic turn yellow and the skin of the inflorescences burst, its harvest is harvested. Approximately at the end of July.
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  • Gentle harvesting. We recommend that you dig up the fruit with a shovel or pitchfork, rather than pulling it out of the soil. Gently remove the soil from the heads of garlic, as otherwise they are easily damaged. In this case, the crop will not be suitable for storage.
  • Required drying of garlic. Place vegetables in a dry, ventilated area with the heads down. Such a storage measure will improve the taste of the fruit and direct vitamins to the head itself. This preparation usually takes 3-5 days.
  • Sorting the harvest. Mechanically damaged, hollow, stained with diseases - all these fruits are suitable only for drying, freezing and the like. The bulbs that have passed the test are sorted by size.

Long-term preservation grade

The spring species is characterized by a higher keeping quality, in contrast to the winter one. Winter crops have less cover scales, which leads to drying out and even rotting. Experts believe that winter garlic should be placed in small quantities and stored only until January. If you keep it longer, germination and rotting will occur.

Storing garlic. Illustration for this article is used under a standard license © ofazende.com

Safety rules

  • Temperature conditions. The ideal range is -2 to +2 degrees. If it is warmer, the garlic will begin to sprout, and if it is colder, it will freeze. Sudden changes in temperature lead to a loss of taste. However, the summer variety tolerates higher temperatures and does not germinate.
  • Humidity level. 80% - extremely high humidity. If it is even higher, the fruit will rot. If the moisture content is less than 50%, the crop will begin to dry out. Thus, the desired humidity is 50 to 80 percent.
  • Illumination. Garlic does not tolerate direct sunlight, so it is best to store it in a dark place. Also, it is not recommended to create air access, and the fruits are stored in containers, bags of dense fabric or boxes.
If you want to keep the harvest in the apartment, it is better to prepare a small amount of garlic. This way vegetables will not take up much space and will not be inconvenient. Should be placed in nylon tights and hung on kitchen shelves. Spring garlic is best suited for storage in such conditions.

Do you know how to properly store garlic?

Original articleand many other materials, you can find on ourwebsite.

Read about how to store carrots in the following article:How to keep juicy carrots until spring at home