We store garlic in glass jars all winter

Harvesting garlic

Many factors affect the safety of garlic, including correct (timely) harvesting and preparation for storage. So that the garlic heads can lie all winter and not rot, it is necessary to dig up the garlic in time to prevent it from overripe. It is important to know when which variety to dig up.

Everyone knows that garlic is winter (planted in autumn) and spring, which is planted in spring. Accordingly, the harvest time for both varieties is different. Winter garlic is dug up at the end of July. The main signs of its ripening are considered to be yellowed lower leaves, as well as a cracked seed pod on the arrow (experienced gardeners leave a couple of arrows in order to determine the maturity of the garlic heads later on).

The harvest time of spring garlic is determined by such signs as lodging of the stems, drying out and thinning of the scales covering the teeth. As a rule, this happens at the end of summer, and the garlic heads are removed from the garden at the end of August.

It is important to know that the timing of harvesting garlic is very limited. If not dug up in time, it will overripe and become unusable.

The fact that the bulbs are overripe can be recognized by the following signs:

• the head easily crumbles into separate teeth;
• the scales are completely cracked;
• young roots began to grow in the root area.

Such a crop cannot be saved for the winter, so it is better to use it immediately for food.

Before removing the garlic from the garden, it is necessary to carry out some preparatory work: stop watering 2–4 weeks before digging out, and shake off the soil from the bulbs a little - this will speed up their ripening. Harvesting is carried out in dry and, if possible, warm weather. It is best to dig up the heads with a shovel or garden pitchfork. This must be done very carefully so as not to damage the teeth, and thereby prolong their storage. It is recommended to start harvesting in the morning so that the bulbs can dry in the fresh air until the evening.

Storage preparation

The dug out garlic should be peeled from the ground with your hands and, together with the stems, laid out in rows directly on the garden bed for further drying. The stems are left so that the plants can still receive useful substances from them for 4–5 days. Some gardeners leave the heads to dry in the garden for several days, citing the fact that such bulbs become more resistant to decay and can be stored longer. Others recommend harvesting immediately and drying it under a canopy or indoors.

You can decide for yourself how to dry the garlic bulbs. If the weather is hot, you can leave the harvest in the garden to ripen, but you need to cover the heads a little with leaves so that they do not get sunburn. If the air is cool or rain is possible, it is better to dry the heads indoors, but it must be dry and well ventilated.

Indoors, garlic bulbs are dried for 2-3 weeks, depending on the weather. Peeling scales testify to their readiness, which by this time should become thin and slightly transparent. Now the bulbs need to be cut from the stems and roots. This procedure is performed with a pruner or scissors. The roots are pruned to 3 mm, the stems up to 5-10 cm.

As you know, there are several ways to save garlic for the winter, but since this article describes its storage in a bank, the preparatory measures will only concern this method.

To extend the storage of the bulbs, you can do the following:

• lightly burn the roots of each head over an open fire (fire, stove, using a lighter) - this will prevent the germination of the teeth;
• disinfect the bulbs with oil (0.5 liters of sunflower oil must be heated well, add 10 drops of iodine to it, mix everything, then dip the garlic heads in oil, and then dry in the sun) - the procedure helps to keep the bulbs from mold and rot.

These measures are not necessary if the harvest is harvested on time, and the subsequent drying of the garlic heads is done according to all the rules. But in the event that the bulbs are a little overripe, or were dug up in rainy weather, these simple procedures will serve as additional protection, prolonging the storage of the product.

Video "How to Dig and Store Garlic"

This video will give you answers to the questions of how to determine the timing of harvesting garlic, why it is poorly stored, how to increase its keeping quality.

Why a bank?

The main condition under which long-term storage of garlic is achieved is the cessation of the access of air and microbes. Such conditions can be created only in a sterilized container, and a bank is perfect for this. In a sterilized and then dried jar, the cloves of garlic can stay all winter without drying out and without losing their taste.

Storage rules

As already mentioned, first of all, the jars need to be prepared - sterilized and dried well (wiped off) so that there is no moisture left in them.

There are several ways to store garlic bulbs in jars.

The first and easiest one. Whole heads are folded into a prepared jar of any size and closed with a nylon lid. In a cool place, such a product can be stored for several months.

Second way. The onions cut from the stems are placed in a jar in layers, sprinkling each with flour. A final layer 2–3 cm thick is poured on top. It must completely cover the bulbs, and thus prevent air from reaching the heads. This method helps to preserve the product for a long time, if, of course, the top layer of flour is not damaged.

Third way. The heads are folded into a jar in layers, by analogy with the previous method, but instead of flour, the layers are sprinkled with salt. Salt perfectly disinfects the product and allows it to be stored indefinitely.

Method four. The heads must be disassembled into teeth, cleaned, placed in a jar and filled to the brim with sunflower oil. Finally, shake the container a little so that the oil is evenly distributed and covers each clove. If desired, you can add salt, herbs, peppercorns to the jar - they will give the original taste not only to the cloves, but also to the oil, which can then be used for dressing salads.

The fifth method. The product prepared in this way is often used in Mediterranean cuisine. It involves pouring the peeled teeth with wine, it doesn't matter whether it is white or red. You need to store such a workpiece in the refrigerator.

And the last way is the sixth. The teeth need to be chopped, or twisted with a meat grinder. Next, put the product tightly in a prepared jar, pour a thin layer of vegetable oil on top. You also need to store the workpiece in the refrigerator, consume it as needed, without fear that the product may deteriorate.

It should be noted that methods 4-6 involve storing peeled garlic, so they are more troublesome to perform, but then such a product is very convenient to use.

Video "An effective way to store garlic in a jar"

The author of this video channel is in a hurry to share the ideal way to store garlic bulbs and talks about all the important nuances.