How to dry garlic for the winter after harvesting. Secrets of proper drying and storage of garlic. How to keep garlic strong until spring in the apartment

Garlic - biennial plant onion family, which has a specific smell and pungent taste. As an independent dish, it is not used, although it is, by definition, a vegetable. Garlic is a flavoring additive to dishes and pickles. It is also a pantry of vitamins and minerals. Garlic kills microbes, stimulates the heart and liver, promotes expectoration of phlegm and even fights cancer cells, equating to chemotherapy in terms of its effect. He became a regular in the beds. How to deal with this vegetable, a short review will tell.

Do I need to wash the garlic after digging?

Having determined the maturation by the appearance of the ground part, it is carefully removed from the ground. Since it sits deep, it is undesirable to pull the garlic. It is best to dig it out with a pitchfork and lay it out right on the bed for 2-3 days to dry. The question “to wash or not to wash” causes controversy and disagreement among vegetable growers, so there is no definite answer. Most agree that there is no need to wash - you just need to dry. Others wash and claim that after washing and drying, it lies no worse than just dried. One of the proposed methods: after rinsing under running water cold water dip the heads in saline solution. If there is no definite answer, then everyone decides for himself whether or not the dug up vegetable should do water procedures.

Can you plant garlic after garlic?

To get a good harvest, plants in the garden are recommended to be planted in a certain sequence. There are cultures that do not get along in the neighborhood with certain species or after them. Garlic also has its "likes" and "dislikes". It is categorically undesirable to plant it twice in one place - three to four years must pass, after which the culture can be planted in the old garden. It will also not be good in place of root crops, which greatly deplete the earth. Best Option- landing on a place where cucumbers, pumpkins, peppers, blue ones grew.

Do I need to cut the garlic

The process of preparing garlic for storage consists of several stages. Leaf pruning is preceded by pre-drying. Only when the leaves are completely wilted, they are cut with sharp scissors. Depending on the method of storage, the stalk is left short - 3-5 cm (for storage in boxes, bags) or 20-25 cm, tying into bundles.

Should I cut the roots of garlic?

Root pruning is a must. They are removed 2-3 weeks after digging and drying. First, the remnants of dry earth are removed from them, and then cut off, leaving 3-10 mm. You can cut them with a sharp knife under the very bottom, trying not to damage it. The roots of garlic, intended only for storage, are also burned with gas. Regardless of the method of removal, this manipulation prevents the vegetable from sprouting during maturation.

Is it possible to trim the garlic immediately after harvesting

Wisdom says that he who hastily suffers hardship. This is also true in the case of a hasty cutting of garlic immediately after harvesting. Leaves cannot be removed immediately, because of them useful material return to the heads. Untimely pruning also affects the shelf life of the vegetable, reducing it and making the garlic more vulnerable to disease.

Do I need to tie the garlic

There are several ways to store garlic:

It is collected in bunches weighing about a kilogram and hung from the ceiling.
Storage in grids provides for periodic checks for damaged heads. Grids can not only be set, but also hung.
Storage in wooden boxes or sterile jars covered with coarse salt, which protects against diseases.
Garlic is stored in sunflower oil.
Tie or braid into braids is one way to store. For convenience, a false stem is left long, and for strength, twine is woven and the structure is suspended from the ceiling. The main condition is darkness, coolness and the absence of strong dampness.

Can garlic be frozen?

Freezing garlic is another option for long-term storage. At the same time, he retains most useful properties its inherent taste and aroma. Whole heads or cloves are not suitable for freezing - the taste and texture deteriorate. It is convenient to make portioned garlic cubes by freezing ground garlic in an ice mold. Can also be added to minced garlic vegetable oil or twist basil, dill, cilantro with it. It is necessary to store such a freeze in a dense plastic bag, from which, using a cocktail tube, remove the air and carefully cork.

To obtain good harvest garlic, you need to properly care for it during growth, and most importantly time to remove the garlic from the beds, otherwise it is poorly stored.

Let's take a closer look: when to remove garlic from the beds, external signs of the readiness of the garlic harvest, how to properly dig garlic, storage of garlic?

Garlic overexposed in the ground begins to crack in the ground and crumbles into individual cloves.

External signs of readiness of garlic

There are external signs that the garlic crop is ready for harvest from the garden. The most obvious sign of harvest readiness- drying and yellowing of the leaves in the lower part and yellowing in the upper. Also, be sure to feel the stem of the plant - it should be soft and easy to squeeze with your hands.

Usually, the harvesting period for winter garlic starts from the middle July to early August, and spring 2-3 weeks later. It all depends on the weather in your area.

Second outward sign – arrows of garlic. If the arrow straightens, and at the same time the outer shell of the inflorescences begins to crack, and the bulbs themselves are already looking out, this is a signal that the crop is ready.

A couple of weeks before harvesting, we completely stop all watering, thereby increasing the keeping quality of the fruit.

How to properly harvest garlic

Garlic must be dug up during harvesting. Grabbing the feathers with your hand, pull the root crop out of the ground.

Immediately after digging up vegetables, if there is a lot of adhering earth on the bulbs, which can only be cleaned with gloved hands (do not hit each other, on a shovel or the ground), as much as possible at the moment.

In the future, when the vegetable dries out, the earth itself will easily fall behind.

How to dry garlic after harvesting

During drying, all the nutrients from the feather will pass into the bulb, and the garlic will be well stored.

Storage of garlic

When the garlic is dry, carefully cut off the roots with scissors without damaging the bottom. Also cut off dry tops, leaving tails 10-15 cm long and weave into braids.

Known to many as a fragrant and spicy seasoning that gives the dish a special taste and smell. He is famous for his medicinal properties and is very actively used in . Pythagoras called him "the king of spices", and the Slavs hung him in the house as a talisman against evil spirits and evil spirits. Many legends go about this amazing and its magical and healing properties.

The benefits and harms of dried garlic

It is rich in vitamins, minerals and acids, has unique healing properties. It contains: potassium, magnesium, sodium, phosphorus, copper, iron, a group of B vitamins, as well as other minerals and useful acids. A feature of the vegetable is its aroma, which occurs due to the natural ester of allicin, which has the properties of an antioxidant and antiseptic.
The health benefits of dried garlic include:

promotes digestion. When added to dishes high in fat and meat, this flavor enhances the process of digestion of such "heavy" foods. Influencing the liver, it stimulates the production of enzymes for the processing of products;
lowers the level of cholesterol, which settles on the walls of blood vessels and can cause high blood pressure;
prevents the formation of blood clots;
has a beneficial effect on the body of a person suffering from atherosclerosis. Under the influence of its complex of trace elements, intravascular blood clots resolve;
inhibits the formation of cancer cells. As a result of research conducted by Israeli scientists, it was found that allicin, which is part of it, prevents the growth of cancer cells by neutralizing free radicals;
has antiviral and antimicrobial properties. Phytoncides contained in enough in large numbers, adversely affect staphylococci, bacteria, salmonella, E. coli and even diphtheria. It was used during wars as an antiseptic for wounds;
V female body can increase estrogen levels;
with prolonged and regular use of this fragrant vegetable by men, they will stop worrying about problems with potency, their reproductive health improves, and it can also prevent inflammation of the prostate gland.

could be like this:

excessive consumption of any food can cause problems and Negative influence on human health. Having studied the beneficial properties of a miracle vegetable, it is worth saying that you should not get carried away with its excessive consumption in food, it should not exceed 2-3 cloves per day;
there are contraindications in which its use must be strictly limited or completely abandoned: with such diseases of the gastrointestinal tract as: gastritis, gastric ulcer, ulcer duodenum, pancreatitis; with problems with the liver, namely: hepatitis, nephrosis, nephritis;
lactation. Since mother's milk tastes like the food that mother ate before breastfeeding, and garlic has a very special taste and aroma, the baby may not like the milk and refuse to feed.

Which garlic is better to choose

Almost all vegetables are suitable for it, however, some may lose their taste in the process of moisture loss.
And yet, it is worth stopping your choice on such varieties as:

Silver white;
Creole;
Kirovograd;
Starobelsky white;
Ukrainian white;
Southern purple;
Bronnitsky;
Kalininsky;
Rostov.

How to prepare garlic for drying

If preparation for takes place in production, then the whole process will consist of such stages, as: washing the product, its pre-drying, cutting, and then the drying stage. Raw materials are placed in special equipment, where they are cleaned and then washed. After that, it enters the pre-drying stage, for which the cleaned and washed cloves are placed in a centrifuge, which, unwinding, removes all excess moisture after washing.

Important! Do not wash garlic before drying at home, as it can become moldy.

Then it is cut on a special machine and is ready for drying in drying chamber using a reverse flow furnace.
At home, garlic is also necessary beforehand. get rid of excess water. To this end, in household before digging, they do not water it for several days and make sure that there is no rain the day before. And if you bought garlic in the market and are not sure under what conditions it was dug up, you need to lay it out on a flat surface to dry on the street or on the balcony.

You can just spread the paper and let it lie unfolded for a couple of days. It is worth noting that in order to save more useful properties, minerals and vitamins, drying in direct sunlight should be avoided.

How to dry garlic cloves for the winter

There are many ways to dry garlic for the winter. Some people prefer to do this without destroying the head, many people like to form the bulbs with dried tops into braid-like bundles and hang them in the house. For many years, such garlic braids were considered to be a home amulet against evil spirits and evil spirits. But the most popular modern way- drying garlic cloves.

Natural way

Before starting the drying process, it is necessary to peel the garlic cloves from the husk.
To do this, you can use several culinary advice:

press on the head of garlic with the flat side of the knife, which will cause the head to disintegrate and the scales themselves begin to easily move away;
you can also place the garlic head in a metal bowl, pre-treat it with a knife in the manner described above, cover with another bowl and shake vigorously. Opening the bowl, the husk will lie separately from the perfectly peeled cloves.

After the garlic is peeled, it should be checked for dark spots or damage. Then each clove is cut in half and spread on flat surface cuts up. Dry it should be in a dry room with good ventilation or outdoors in the shade, so as to avoid direct sunlight. The drying process must be controlled by turning the raw material every few days. The result of drying in this way can be expected in a week or two.

In the oven

Drying garlic in the oven is not much different from similar natural process but, of course, will not last two weeks. In the oven, this process will be much faster and take 3 to 6 hours. For preparation, it is better to cut it into thin slices or slices, which will significantly speed up the process of removing moisture from the product.
It is important to know that a dried vegetable will retain all the nutrients and minerals even after changing its usual state. Next, you need to cover a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the garlic slices on it in one layer. The temperature in the oven should be low, about +50 ° C, which will gradually remove moisture, retaining all the richness of the product. Putting the baking sheet in the oven, you will need to note the time and after 3 hours check the condition of the garlic.

The slices must be periodically mixed, allowing to cool slightly, and sent back to the oven, and eventually tested for strength. If the garlic slice has become brittle and breaks, then the drying process is over, if it is flexible and soft, then drying should be continued. In order to create an influx of fresh air, the oven door can be slightly opened from time to time. If the oven has a convection mode, this will significantly improve the air exchange process.

Important! Garlic slices must be constantly monitored so that they do not burn out and turn too brown, otherwise the taste of the dried product will become bitter.

In an electric dryer

Diversity household appliances pleases modern housewives and makes housework easier and more enjoyable. One of the processes that has been recognized by many housewives is the drying of vegetables in an electric dryer. Let's look at drying garlic in this machine.
In order to dehydrate the garlic, you need to rid it of scales and husks and place it in one tier on the dryer grate. After connecting the electricity, you need to set the temperature +50...+60 °C and start the process. It will also take from 3 to 6 hours, depending on the thickness of the slices and the power of the unit.

How to make garlic powder at home

After learning how to dry garlic for seasoning, you can start turning it into a fragrant spice. When the vegetable is well dried, has a pleasant golden color and its slices break well when pressed, you can begin the process of chopping it. To do this, you need to use either a bowl kitchen blender or coffee grinder.

After placing the dried slices in the apparatus, they must be crushed to a powder state. Then it is necessary, armed with a sieve, to sift the resulting loose mass and, if necessary, re-grind the remaining large grains and particles until a homogeneous fine powder is obtained. If you want to add larger particles of seasoning to your food in order to more clearly feel the garlic in the dish, then you can avoid the sifting process.

How and where to store at home

Ready garlic powder is stored in paper if you plan to use the seasoning in the near future, or in a tight-fitting dark glass container if you want to stock up on spice for a long time. If the seasoning jar is not closed properly, the bright and inviting aroma of the spice will eventually disappear.

Dried slices can be kept in a hermetically sealed container, in a dark and dry room, without high humidity and sudden changes in temperature, for several months.

Did you know?In order for the dry seasoning not to deteriorate quickly and not gain excess moisture, it is better to collect the product from the jar where it is stored with a dry, clean spoon.

How can dry garlic be used?

This dried vegetable is often found as a seasoning for dishes from meat and vegetables. It is added to salads and soups in many oriental and Asian recipes. Giving aroma and piquancy, it is able to turn even the most familiar food into an unforgettable masterpiece.

By adding dry garlic to food, you can improve your health by increasing a person’s immunity. Regular consumption is the prevention of many inflammatory and infectious diseases. Given its benefits described in this article, do not forget about the accuracy in the use of the garlic product and contraindications to its use.

Garlic harvesting should be carried out competently and in a timely manner. After all, this process is decisive for the further storage of the bulbs, as well as the complete and correct completion of the process of their growth.

Most best time for harvesting garlic, these are warm days without rain. However, cleaning must be done correctly. This directly affects the possibility of long-term storage. In order to determine when to harvest garlic, it is imperative to know the time of planting and some signs that indicate ripening.

How to determine if it is possible to harvest

Signs for removing spring garlic are such characteristic external manifestations as:

the initial stage of the tops adherence to the ground;
leaf color yellow.

This happens mainly in the second half of August, closer to the beginning of autumn.

Winter garlic begins to be harvested in mid or late July. Most often on the 12th on the feast of Peter and Paul. It is at this time that the bulbs reach the required mass.

The characteristic signs of the ripening of winter garlic are:

the acquisition of a yellowish tint by the lower leaves;
cracking arrows (inflorescences);
thinning of the skin of the heads to a dry state.

The following signs indicate the timeliness of harvesting spring and winter garlic:

dense head;
teeth are easily separated from each other;
film can be easily removed.

If the garlic is underripe, it will be too soft. Overripe - completely unsuitable for long-term storage. It should also be borne in mind that if the summer turned out to be rainy, then the harvesting time will be earlier.

Perfectly ripe summer and winter garlic has 3 scales. You can check this in two ways.

Dig up a few heads and evaluate them.
Rake the ground from 2-3 bulbs and look at the condition of the scales.

How to properly clean

One to two weeks before harvesting, it is recommended to rake the ground from the bulbs. This trick contributes to faster and better ripening of the bulbs. Before harvesting garlic, it is necessary to completely stop watering it and allow the earth to dry well.

Harvesting should not be extended over time. Cleaning should be done as soon as possible. This should be done in dry weather in the morning or evening.

In order to achieve one hundred percent harvest of garlic and minimize damage to the bulbs, you need to know the technique of this process. It is quite simple, but it is more convenient if two people participate in the procedure.

Arrows cut off.
A row of garlic is dug up with a garden fork or shovel, pointing vertically into the ground, a few centimeters from the bulb.
If the tops are strong, then you can gently pull on it. If not, then it is necessary to disassemble the earth with your hands (it is recommended to wear gloves for this).
The bulbs should not be thrown in a pile, as they may be damaged by impact. They are neatly folded into one place.
After part of the crop or all of it is harvested, the garlic is carefully sorted out. The remaining earth is removed from the heads, the upper layers are removed from the scales, the bottom and roots are cleaned, damaged bulbs are laid aside.

However, the cleaning process does not end there. Garlic must be properly dried. This is done to ensure that it is as suitable for storage as possible.

How to dry garlic

If the weather permits - the days are sunny and hot, then this can be done on the street. If it rains or humidity is high, then the crop is stored under sheds or in rooms with good ventilation. Some experts recommend drying garlic outside during the day and moving it indoors in the evening.

If the cleaning was done in rainy weather, then it is necessary to dry the bulbs in specially actively ventilated apparatus. This process takes about 10 days. The temperature in such dryers must be increased gradually. Starting from 25 degrees and bringing up to 40.

It is necessary to dry the garlic along with the tops, which cover the heads, in order to avoid sunburn. This allows you to further increase the mass of the bulbs and the nutritional quality of garlic. Indeed, during drying, part of the nutrients from the leaves passes into the heads. This process takes about two weeks.

After the heads have reached a state suitable for sending the crop for storage, it needs to cut off the roots and tops. The stem is left at least 2 centimeters, but not more than 10 (although sometimes the tops are not cut off at all, and the garlic is then woven into braids).

After that, the bulbs must be sorted out again:

send beautiful and whole heads for long-term storage;
set aside damaged, rotten bulbs for use in the near future.

What threatens untimely cleaning

If garlic (both summer and winter) is not dug up in time, then the results of the delay will be quite deplorable for it. appearance, palatability and long term storage options.

The scales covering the bulbs will crack.
The head will break into individual teeth.
Rooting of parts of the bulb and re-growth will occur.

Delay can even threaten the complete unsuitability of the crop for use. Therefore, experts advise gardeners to treat the process of picking garlic no less responsibly than planting, watering or caring for it during growth.

Compliance with the terms of harvesting winter and spring varieties, as well as their correct handling and drying guarantees the possibility of long-term lying in winter, one hundred percent preservation of the taste and nutritional qualities of a healthy product that has become an indispensable ingredient for many dishes and medicines.

Every year, at the end of summer, the same question is raised: “How to keep garlic until spring?”. Despite the abundance of options, it is not always possible to implement everything. possible ways at home. It also happens that the year turned out to be so fruitful that the old, proven methods of storing garlic are no longer suitable. In this article, we will talk about how best to dig this plant, what drying conditions take place, how to collect material for planting and, of course, how to store garlic.

After the garlic harvest has passed, it is important to properly withstand it for the first 7-10 days. During this period, vegetative processes in the plant are still taking place, and in order to get high-quality seed material or bulbs with good keeping quality, you need to let it rest. Best of all, drying takes place under a canopy, when the sun's rays do not fall on the bulbs. Despite the dense husk, the plant can easily get burned, which will lead to its deterioration.

Subsequent storage after excavation should take place in a dry atmosphere with low air temperature. It should be understood that even dried raw materials can deteriorate, for example, become moldy or rotten. Subject to all the rules, the storage of garlic will pass without problems.

A little about harvesting garlic

Harvesting garlic from the beds is a responsible task; you should not blindly rely on luck in this matter. Remember that winter varieties need to be dug in mid-July (or guided by the vegetative period of the variety), and spring varieties in mid-August, until early September. So you can’t wait for the weather by the sea, allowing the bulbs to overripe. Delay, in general, ends sadly in the case of this culture - the shelf life is noticeably reduced, as is resistance to fungal microflora.

When the leaves of the plant begin to turn yellow, and the husk on the bulb becomes dense, it is best to immediately dig it up.

Harvesting should be done in warm, dry weather. Take it in the morning or evening hours when the sun is not so active. Sheltering the crop from the sun is one of the most important tasks. Take a fork and gently pry the bulbs out of the ground. Of course, you can use a shovel, but this increases the risk of cutting roots or bulbs.

When all the heads are above the ground, move them under a canopy, clear the ground and leave.

Drying under a canopy lasts from 7 to 10 days. All this time, you can not cut the roots and stems, because the plant needs to calmly complete all internal processes.

The preparation of garlic for storage ends when on day 11-12 you cut off the roots, leaving only 2 cm in length, and also shorten the stem to 5-6 cm.

Ways

Storage of garlic different ways, the choice of which depends on the number of fruits and free space in your cellar or refrigerator. Can be combined with each other different variants. For example, when you run out of space in the refrigerator, hang dried heads on the balcony, and then cut off the head whenever necessary. There is no single answer to the question “how to store garlic properly,” since correctness is determined only by storage conditions.

So, how to store garlic when cleaning and drying is over?

Box

Probably one of the most ergonomic ways is wooden or cardboard boxes. In the walls you need to do ventilation holes, cover the bottom with salt, sawdust or ash. Next, you need to alternate layers of garlic heads with salt / sawdust / ash until you completely fill the box. When this happens, put it in a dry, cool place.

Jar

A great way is to clean the heads and put the cloves in a jar. The jar must first be sterilized and dried. There are two options for storing garlic in a jar: in flour and in oil.

Shake the cloves in a jar, sprinkle with flour, and then close the lid tightly. Thus, the cloves remain fresh for 2-3 months.

The storage technology in oil is similar. When you choose which oil to fill in (sunflower, corn, olive), fill it with cloves, close the lid with holes and refrigerate. In this way, garlic can be stored for up to 3 months. Oil, by the way, can then be used in cooking.

Powder

Harvesting and harvesting garlic can seem like the lesser of two evils when it comes to preparing it for storage.

Peel the cloves, cut them into slices and dry in the oven. Then grind to a powder and store in a jar with a tight-fitting lid. Garlic powder does not lose its taste and nutritional properties, and it also spoils less often.

pouches

Collecting and drying garlic heads in bags is another option for ergonomic harvest storage. Onion peels and heads of garlic are put into linen knapsacks, tied tightly and hung in a dark, dry, cool place. This method helps to protect the bulbs from insects, as well as mold.

Paraffin

The treatment of garlic bulbs with hot paraffin was actively used in vegetable warehouses in the last century. Melt the paraffin over a fire or a water bath, and then alternately dip all the heads of garlic into it, holding the stem. After it hardens, put it in a cool place, such as a refrigerator.

Solving possible problems

It should be noted that all problems in the storage of garlic arise solely due to violations of the conditions. In order not to spoil the seed and aromatic food additive, do not allow high humidity. Ideally, it should be zero. Garlic is best stored at an air temperature of + 2-5 degrees. This helps him develop the root system more actively next year, accelerates the growing season.

At the stage of selection of the bulbs, make sure that there are no bruises, wormholes, rot and mechanical damage on them. Select only whole and strong bulbs, as they will serve as good raw materials for growing, and will also be better preserved until spring.