Publication in the group: Processing and preparation of products
Garlic is a healthy product that is often included in most dishes. To give the product a rich aroma and taste, you only need to add 2 cloves. The remaining cloves can be left for the next cooking. However, to do this, you need to know how to properly store a peeled head of vegetable at home.
Features of storing peeled garlic
The conditions required for proper storage of the vegetable in a peeled state will depend on the chemical composition and harvesting period of garlic.
For better preservation and prevention of damage to raw materials, it is necessary to adhere to the following factors:
- The vegetable is divided into 2 varieties: winter and spring. The first type of garlic allows you to harvest a lot, unlike the second. However, its shelf life will be short. It is harvested in the spring season, so the shelf life can only be extended until the onset of the autumn period. Therefore, for long-term storage throughout the winter season, it is better to use spring vegetables.
- The components contained in the vegetable have excellent anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties. Due to them, the product can be stored for a long period of time, and also act as a natural preservative for a variety of ingredients.
- Fresh garlic cloves mostly undergo a process of wilting rather than breaking. If the product is stored in an inappropriate place, it will become flabby and soft. Therefore, it will be unsuitable for further use.
If peeled garlic cloves will be used in the near future, they can be stored in the refrigerator compartment. The shelf life will be several days. To increase the shelf life by 30 days, the garlic head should not be separated from the cloves. If this period is not enough, you must use other methods. By peeling several heads of garlic, they can stay fresh and tasty for a long period of time.
However, for this it is better to use the freezer or other methods that allow you to save a huge amount of purified product at home.
In the refrigerator compartment, the product must be stored in an airtight container for 14 days. To increase shelf life, it is recommended to store garlic with salt and flour. Recipes for creating pickled vegetables using sunflower oil and wine are considered popular. These methods make it possible to use a spicy product in the form of a snack without additional processing.
To ensure that the shelf life of garlic exceeds 12 months, it must be stored in the freezer. The above options for storing garlic heads are very simple. However, if the basic requirements regarding product processing are not met, these methods will not help.
Therefore, it is necessary to adhere to recommendations that allow you to store vegetables fresh and healthy for a long time:
- For storage, it is necessary to select and peel only high-quality vegetables that will not spoil within the next period of time.
- The workpieces should be ventilated regularly, otherwise they will very quickly begin to become moldy.
- It is necessary to constantly inspect the garlic heads. If rotten spots have formed on some of the cloves, they must be removed.
Recommendations
In order for storage to be of the highest quality, it is necessary to take into account the following recommendations from experts:
Violation of the storage conditions of the vegetable affects the shortening of the shelf life.- If you have a choice, then it is advisable to send spring garlic for long-term storage.
- The optimal volume of cans for storage is 3 liters.
- For better storage of individual cloves in a jar, after cleaning they need to be dried a little - just leave for an hour. Lay it out on a flat surface.
Preparing garlic for storage
Before storage, garlic must be dug up from the beds, keeping only the stems. They are required so that the head of the vegetable can receive nutrients over a certain period of time. Afterwards, the product must be cleaned of soil and placed on a bed to dry for about 5 days. In rainy weather, it is advisable to keep the product under a canopy or indoors.
If the weather is very hot and sunny outside, it is also advisable to store the vegetable in the room, otherwise it will get burned. The drying period under closed conditions is approximately 21 days. At this time, the scales will peel off and become transparent and thin. After drying, the garlic bulbs must be separated from the roots and stems with pruning shears or a knife. The roots should be shortened to 3 mm, the stems to 5 cm. To prevent the cloves from sprouting, the roots of the garlic heads must be scorched over an open flame.
In case of untimely harvesting, it is necessary to perform a procedure that will avoid the formation of mold or rot:
- Heat 500 ml of sunflower oil in a container.
- Add 10 drops of iodine to the composition. Stir the mass well.
- Place the garlic heads into the mixture. Then dry in the sun.
Summer and winter garlic
There is garlic that is planted in late autumn, it is called winter garlic. Garlic planted in spring is called summer garlic. Winter heads are dug up earlier than spring ones - around the end of July, and yellowed leaves and cracked arrows (where they remain) are a sign of maturity. It is important to choose a clear day for harvesting so that the plant does not get wet and is better preserved.
If you delay harvesting, the bulb will begin to disintegrate into cloves and may take on additional roots. When stored, such garlic will quickly deteriorate, sprout or rot.
Storing garlic at room temperature
Garlic cloves can be stored in an apartment. However, it should be taken into account that the vegetable will retain its beneficial qualities for a long time only at a low temperature. Otherwise, the shelf life will be no more than 4 months, after which it will begin to dry out. However, there are several options that allow you to keep the product at home for a longer period of time.
You can store peeled garlic at room temperature in the following way:
- Make a container out of plywood, which should be dry.
- Cover the base of the container with a thick layer of coarse salt. It is better to use a marine type of product.
- Remove the dry skins from the garlic heads and place them in a box.
- Cover the vegetable with a second layer of salt. Place the second row of product on top, sprinkling salt on top.
- To prevent garlic from spoiling, treat it with melted paraffin. Once dried, it can remain fresh for a long period of time.
Thanks to this method, the product will remain fresh for several months. However, the quality of preservation will depend on the correctness of the preparation steps performed.
How to store garlic in an apartment in winter
Many housewives love garlic. It is not only an aromatic seasoning, but also a medicine that protects against colds. It is indispensable for preparing many dishes, pickling and canning vegetables. Garlic contains many health-promoting vitamins and minerals. This is especially valuable in winter and spring, because with proper storage it retains all its valuable qualities.
But at this time it is difficult to buy good garlic, so it is best to grow it yourself or buy it in the fall, when it is inexpensive and fresh. True, in this case, many housewives are faced with a problem: how to store garlic? Many homes do not have suitable conditions for this, and not everyone knows how to do it correctly.
What happens when storage rules are violated?
1. If the air humidity is high, the heads may rot or become moldy. This also happens when garlic is stored in plastic bags.
2. When stored at high temperatures, such as in the kitchen, garlic dries out. And by the end of winter it may germinate. Such teeth lose their flavor.
3. If during storage the temperature drops below -5o, then the garlic freezes and loses all its beneficial qualities.
Types of garlic
There are many varieties of this vegetable that are preserved in different ways in winter. Externally, they may differ in size or color of the peel. But the keeping quality of garlic mainly depends on the time of its planting and harvesting. There are two types of this plant:
— If garlic is planted in the fall, it is called winter. It ripens by the beginning of August, the degree of ripeness is determined by the condition of the shoots. This garlic usually keeps well until spring.
— Some housewives plant this plant in the spring. This type of garlic is called spring or summer garlic. Such a plant does not produce shoots, and it is more difficult to preserve it until winter.
How to properly harvest garlic
The suitability of this plant for long-term storage strongly depends on compliance with the rules for its collection. To determine whether it’s time to dig garlic, you need to examine its leaves, and in winter varieties, also the arrows. If the lower leaves have turned yellow, the tops have died, and the heads on the inflorescences have dried out and cracked, the garlic is ripe. You should not be late with cleaning, otherwise it will fall apart into teeth and extra roots will appear. Such heads cannot be preserved for more than a couple of months. Most often, spring varieties are harvested at the end of August - beginning of September, and winter varieties - a month earlier. It is better to dig garlic on warm and dry days, all at the same time. A couple of weeks before this, the garden bed does not need to be watered. The bulbs are dug up with a shovel or pitchfork, then laid out to dry.
You must try not to damage the heads; it is advisable to even clean the soil from them with your hands. To keep garlic longer, you need to dry it in the sun for at least three days. Directly with green stems, from which nutrients pass into the heads at this time. After this, you need to carefully trim the roots without damaging the bottom, and cut off the stem. Usually they leave 2-3 centimeters, but if you store garlic in braids, you need to leave more herbs. It is advisable to dry the heads in a dry, ventilated area for 2-3 weeks, remove dirt and top scales, and only then can they be stored for the winter. But before that, you need to carefully inspect each one again for the presence of pests and damage.
The best place to store garlic
It is best if the house has a cellar or basement. In winter, in such places the optimal temperature for storing garlic is set: 1-2 degrees below zero. You can put it in cardboard boxes or wooden boxes, or you can hang it from the ceiling. Many housewives know a way to store garlic in braids or stockings. But most hang it in the pantry or kitchen at room temperature, where it begins to dry out or sprout. But in the cellar, garlic braids will keep it fresh. You can also hang it in a net or an old stocking, which
also provide air access to all heads. But this storage method is not available to everyone. What to do if you need to store garlic in a city apartment? You can do this on an insulated loggia in boxes lined with foam or foil. The main thing is to ensure that the temperature does not drop below 5 ° C and that the garlic is not exposed to sunlight. But there are many ways to store it in the apartment itself.
How to store garlic in the refrigerator
Most housewives use this achievement of civilization to preserve many vegetables. But not everyone knows how to properly store winter garlic. After all, this product is very capricious, it easily rots. Therefore, it must be placed in the refrigerator separately from other vegetables. To do this, they put it in linen bags; you can sprinkle the heads with onion peels. To prevent rotting, which often occurs when stored in the refrigerator, the bag must first be soaked in a strong saline solution and dried. Garlic is also stored well in paper bags. Another method is small boxes in which garlic is placed in layers, interspersed with coarse salt or flour. But most often this vegetable is stored in glass jars. There are many ways to do this.
How to store garlic in a jar
1. The easiest way is to place clean and well-dried heads in a jar. The main condition is to sterilize and dry it well. The garlic itself must be clean and also dried.
2. You can lay the heads in layers: a layer of flour, then garlic, the last should be flour. Instead, you can use coarse salt or sawdust. During the winter, you need to periodically check the jars and change the filler if necessary.
3. Many housewives know how to store peeled garlic. This is also done in a glass jar. Clean teeth should be intact and dry.
The jar must first be sterilized. It is better to close it with a regular nylon lid and store it in a cool place. And if you pour sunflower oil on the cloves, they will last longer, and the oil can also be used later: it will become aromatic and tasty.
4. You can also store garlic minced in a meat grinder in a jar. There is no need to add salt, the main thing is that both the jar and the garlic are clean and dry. You need to close it with a regular lid and store it in the refrigerator.
Storing garlic at room temperature
If this vegetable is kept in the cold, it retains its beneficial properties and aroma for up to eight months. At room temperature, after four months it begins to dry. And by spring, such garlic does not smell at all and loses all its vitamins. How to store garlic in a warm room to extend its shelf life? To do this, you need to try to protect it from contact with air.
This can be done in several ways:
1. Take a dry and clean plywood box, pour a layer of coarse salt, preferably sea salt, onto the bottom. Then carefully lay a layer of garlic. Sprinkle salt on top again and alternate layers. Cover the top garlic clove completely with salt.
2. Garlic greased with sunflower oil stores well. To do this, the latter must first be boiled for two hours. Then add 20 drops of iodine per liter of oil and apply to each head directly on top of the husk using a cotton swab. After this, you need to dry the bulbs well and store them.
3. Few people know how to store fresh garlic in paraffin. This film protects the heads well from drying out. To apply it, you need to melt the paraffin and then dip the heads into it for a short time. Once dried, the garlic will remain fresh for a long time.
Storing young garlic
Its fragrant long leaves are one of the first to appear on the beds. Many people love them, but heads of young garlic are no less tasty. They are not so hot, often not yet divided into slices, and their benefits are enormous. Therefore, many housewives ask the question: how to store young garlic? After all, it grows quickly and already in June becomes tougher and sharper. And the dug up heads are almost not stored; they dry out after a few days. To increase shelf life, you need to fill the vegetable with sunflower oil. And until winter you can preserve pickled garlic, which almost does not lose its properties.
How to prevent storage problems
Everyone who stores garlic in an apartment faces the same problems. To have this fragrant and healthy product on your table all winter and even spring, you need to know how to overcome them.
First problem: garlic sprouting. To prevent this, you need to burn the roots over a fire before storing the bulbs.
Second: drying out the bulbs. This occurs as a result of moisture evaporation. To prevent this from happening, you need to create a film on the surface of the heads: paraffin or oil.
The third problem: mold or rot. Fungal diseases develop in frostbitten, damaged or pest-infected garlic. To prevent this from happening, you need to dry the heads well in the sun after harvesting. After a few days of exposure to sunlight, all bacteria and molds die.
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Refrigerator storage rules
Peeled garlic cloves can be stored in the refrigerator compartment, thanks to which they will not lose their nutritional properties and attractive appearance.
To store the product in the refrigerator compartment, you must adhere to the following requirements:
- Only healthy garlic cloves of excellent quality should be stored inside household appliances. At the same time, they should show no signs of diaper rash or rot. Additionally, it is necessary to inspect the vegetable for the presence of an unpleasant odor.
- To increase the shelf life of the product in the refrigerator compartment, it is recommended to periodically inspect the cloves. If some of the slices are rotten, you need to get rid of them. However, they are not suitable for adding to dishes.
- You cannot keep peeled garlic in plastic containers, as it will not receive the required volume of air. Ultimately, moisture will form inside the container, which will accelerate the process of rotting of the vegetable and provoke the appearance of fungus on the surface.
The method of storing vegetables in the refrigerator compartment is as follows:
- Peel the product and divide into cloves.
- Place the blanks in a paper bag without sealing it tightly.
- Place the product in the far corner of the refrigerator compartment.
- The shelf life of garlic will be approximately 30 days.
Garlic puree
Puree is a great example of how to store garlic in the refrigerator without compromising its taste, smell and beneficial properties. True, it will already be in the form of a sauce that can be served with meat and fish dishes. The garlic cloves should be crushed to a paste (a blender or a special press will do the job perfectly), and then mixed with extra virgin olive oil. This sauce will taste amazing! However, it is not recommended to store it for more than a week.
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In the freezer
You can store peeled garlic for a long period of time in the freezer compartment. It is in this way that vegetables are often frozen for the winter season. When harvesting the product at the end of autumn, it is able to retain nutrients until spring.
To freeze garlic cloves, you must correctly adhere to the following technology:
- Choose compacted garlic heads, without any deformation. Carefully remove dry skins from selected vegetables.
- It is not recommended to rinse the product as it will absorb excess moisture. If desired, it can be divided into slices.
- Distribute the workpieces into air-permeable bags.
- Transfer the product to the freezer compartment.
At sub-zero temperatures, the vegetable will not be able to dry out and will last for 12 months.
What to do if the fruits spoil
Sometimes difficulties arise that can baffle even an experienced gardener. There is no need to rush to throw away the harvest; the situation can still be corrected:
- If the garlic heads dry quickly, it is likely that the air entering the room is too dry, or there is no air exchange at all. Due to this, the moisture evaporates quickly, and the slices wrinkle, break easily, and lose their original marketability and weight. The problem can be solved by normalizing air exchange, ventilating the room, or choosing another method: storing in oil, jars, paraffin;
- The appearance of mold or rot is possible only when the room is stuffy and humid. Those cloves that have already become infected are removed from healthy ones. They need to be cut back to a healthy place and processed. Normalize air circulation and temperature conditions;
- Around winter, some heads germinate if the room is hot. This cannot be allowed, so ventilate the room so that the temperature in it does not rise. It will not be possible to completely get rid of sprouting; the sprouts in the segments still develop, so you need to speed up the processing;
- if yellowness appears on the cloves, this indicates that the vegetable has become infected with fungal spores. Sick garlic plants are isolated from healthy ones and the remaining harvest is systematically checked.
If the conditions are met and vegetables are properly prepared for storage, it is unlikely that any problems will arise. However, they periodically inspect the entire crop and remove infected heads in time so that they do not have time to spoil healthy ones. In this case, the vegetables are guaranteed to be preserved until late spring.
How to prevent garlic from spoiling
The three most common ways to help avoid spoilage and rotting of garlic in winter:
- Direct sunlight can kill bacteria that cause various diseases of vegetable crops. Therefore, during drying, it is highly recommended to periodically expose the garlic to the sun;
- To prevent garlic from drying out during storage, you can dip it in warm melted paraffin, which, after drying, forms a shell and becomes an obstacle to the evaporation of moisture;
- If garlic begins to sprout, its cloves lose density, become soft and tasteless. To avoid this, you should set the roots of each head on fire.
There are quite a few ways to store garlic. Each of them does not present any particular difficulties, so choosing the most suitable one will be easy.
The main thing is to pay special attention to harvesting and its preparation. After all, if the garlic is not dried enough or there are bacteria-damaged and rotten cloves in the heads, then it will not be possible to preserve it. By following the recommendations, everything will definitely work out and you will have a supply for the winter.
In banks
The most effective method of storing garlic cloves for a long period of time is in jars. At the same time, they remain tasty and healthy. You must first prepare a glass container with sunflower oil. The latter can be a product based on olive or flax. The room must be dark, without direct sunlight.
Algorithm of actions:
- Rinse glass containers well under hot water using a detergent. Remove dirt and foreign odors from the surface. Dry the jars well.
- Peel the garlic heads and divide them into cloves as needed.
- Place the pieces in a dry container and cover the top with oil.
- Place jars with contents in a darkened room. Can be used as needed.
How to preserve peeled garlic - this can be done in jars by adding oil.
During storage, the oil will absorb the garlic aroma, making it possible to use it for preparing various treats, such as salad dressing.
Preparing jars
There are no difficulties at this stage - the jar just needs to be sterilized and dried .
To do this, take a large saucepan or basin and boil the jars in it. If there are no large containers, then you can hold the jar over boiling water even in a small saucepan. Steam also kills germs. Another method is oven sterilization. Probably the most convenient. Firstly , the oven holds a large number of cans. Secondly , you don’t need to figure out how to hold the jar over the steam so as not to get burned or drop it.
In salt
Peeled garlic cloves can be preserved using 2 methods, which involve the use of salt. In the first option, whole slices are placed in a glass container, in the second, an aromatic seasoning is prepared using various spices based on the chopped vegetable.
To prepare whole garlic cloves, follow these steps:
- Wash and dry the glass container. Fill the base with a layer of salt up to 3 cm.
- Spread the garlic cloves on top of the salt in one layer so that they do not touch each other.
- Sprinkle the preparations on top with the dry product so that it completely covers the vegetable. Repeat layers again until the container is completely filled.
- Sprinkle salt on top of the garlic so that it reaches the neck of the jar.
- Cover the container with a tight polyethylene lid and place in a dark, cool, dry room.
The shelf life of the product will depend on the storage temperature. Basically it is equal to 2 months.
To prepare garlic seasoning, we recommend following these steps:
- Grind the peeled garlic head in a blender, twist through a meat grinder or chop in a fine shredder.
- Add puree-like consistency with salt and any spices in equal quantities. Dried aromatic herbs with cumin, coriander and ground pepper are suitable as spices.
- Mix the ingredients and place them in small plastic or glass containers.
- Cover the preparations with tight lids and put them in a cool place.
other methods
Canning is considered an effective method of preserving food. We prepare the jars: wash, sterilize, dry. Then fill with peeled cloves, add vegetable oil (sunflower or olive), if desired, you can add spices and herbs. In the future, the aromatic oil can be used to dress salads, marinate meat, and season food.
Sometimes the spice is pickled like this: fill sterile jars or bottles with garlic, pour dry wine, close the lids and store in a cool, dark place. Garlics should occupy half the volume of the jar, the rest should be wine. Instead of wine, you can use undiluted vinegar, but then the cloves will be a little sharp and harsh.
Another interesting way is to prepare seasoning. Dried, clean cloves, crushed with a blender, are mixed in equal parts with salt, and your favorite ground herbs and spices are added. The mixture is transferred to jars and stored in a cool place. The seasoning is good for fish and meat dishes.
When preparing garlic puree, the shelf life is about two weeks. But the option is interesting and deserves attention. For this method, grind the garlic to a pulpy state, mix with vegetable oil and store in jars. As a result, we get a wonderful aromatic sauce. The smell, color, and beneficial properties of the product are preserved.
In flour
You can store peeled garlic in a glass jar, sprinkled with flour on top.
To implement this method, you must do the following:
- Rinse the container, sterilize and dry well.
- Cover the base of the container with a 3 cm layer of flour.
- Add a layer of garlic cloves to the jar so that they do not touch each other. Sprinkle a layer of flour on top of the workpiece.
- Repeat layers until container is full. The last layer should be flour so that it fills the container to the neck. This is required to prevent air from entering the jar.
- Seal the container with a tight lid and put it in a dark, cool place.
In this form, garlic can be stored for 60 days.
How to store garlic at home
Problems with the preservation of garlic worry any housewife and any summer resident who has grown it themselves. Garlic is a necessary product in the preparation of various dishes; it is used, in some cases, as a medicine.
Briefly about garlic
Garlic squeeze is used by gardeners and gardeners in the fight against parasitic insects that harm the crops being grown. Garlic is very effective against powdery mildew, black spot and fusarium.
Even in ancient Egypt, garlic was used as a medicine that priests fed to slaves, protecting them from colds. Mentions of this are found on frescoes made inside the remains of ancient architecture. During all this time, he has not lost his unique qualities. Therefore, the task of preserving the harvested harvest or purchased garlic becomes very important if its long-term use is necessary.
Conditions for preparation for storage
The standard, grandmotherly method has always been braided braids that were hung indoors. In old paintings and historical films, you can often see these interesting weaves of onions and garlic hanging on walls or attics. Why, many still remember very well these braids that their own grandmothers made. But not everyone knows that in addition to braiding, there are many more ways to store garlic.
It would not be amiss to remind you that the garlic that lasts the longest is the one that was harvested on time, preventing the heads from cracking, controlling the moment of yellowing of the leaves, drying them properly in the shade and selecting healthy heads.
Winter crops are harvested around the twentieth of July, and spring crops in the first ten days of August. The most important thing to remember is that garlic must be harvested in completely dry weather, early in the morning or in the evening, when the sun's rays are not particularly strong. After which it needs to be allowed to dry for some time in the fresh air and, only after that, preparations for drying begin. In addition, you need to trim it correctly: remove the roots with scissors, a knife or pruning shears, and then burn it with fire, and cut the stem, retreating 1.5-2 cm from the beginning of the neck.
Winter garlic is perfectly stored in a cool, dry room, where the temperature is from +3 to -5 degrees, until about the New Year. Spring - significantly more: until spring and even until the new harvest, taking into account the need to maintain the same temperature conditions.
You need to understand that in apartment conditions, even with proper preparation for storage, you can only achieve 3-4 months of complete preservation. Freezing also entails the loss of not only beneficial vitamins, but also a significant deterioration in taste.
It is best to carry out the following manipulations before starting to add garlic: you need to heat the vegetable oil for two hours, add iodine to it at the rate of 10 drops per half liter, and treat each garlic head with this solution. Allow to dry in the sun and you can proceed to use whatever storage methods will give the best end result.
Storage Methods
Here are some examples of preparation and storage from folk experience:
- Pour a small layer of salt into a wooden box with frequent small holes in the walls, place garlic heads in a row on it and cover them with another layer of salt. Repeat the procedure, filling to the top. With this type of storage, the garlic will remain fresh and juicy until spring. Instead of salt, you can take dry sawdust or ash.
- You can preserve garlic in sunflower oil. The cloves must be peeled, poured into a jar, shaken well to seal, pour in oil and close with a lid with holes so that the garlic does not “suffocate”. This oil has a pleasant garlicky smell.
- You can store garlic in bags made of thick and natural fabric, best together with onion peels. This method is most effective when the garlic is purchased in a store and in not very large quantities.
- There is another folk storage recipe in which garlic heads are dipped in melted paraffin and then allowed to drain. Paraffin prevents moisture from evaporating from the teeth. This method was constantly used previously in state vegetable warehouses before being sent to the distribution network and gave very good results.
- Many people store unpeeled garlic in glass jars, sprinkled with dry flour (the last layer of flour should be at least 2 cm).
Thus, by following all the rules described above, you can achieve good results, making sure that all your garlic finally goes to cooking and does not end up in the trash. So that for the first time in winter you don’t have to resort to the services of stores for what you were able to grow yourself in the garden, and now preserve with high quality.
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In wine
Garlic can be preserved in wine and later used to prepare the first and second treats, and also served as an appetizer. The drink in which the vegetable was infused can be used for medicinal purposes.
Step by step description:
- Fill a clean, wide-necked bottle to the top with peeled garlic cloves.
- Pour dry white or red wine so that there is no room for air.
- Seal the container with a tight lid and leave for 14 days. The room should be cold and dry, with a temperature of +15 ℃.
When pickled, the product can be stored in a cold place for up to 6 months, or at room temperature for 90 days. In this case, the indicator should be no more than +20 ℃.
In oil
You can preserve peeled garlic using oil and dried herbs.
To do this you need the following:
- Place the peeled slices with various spices into a glass container up to the neck.
- Top the container with oil and leave in a cool, dark and dry place for 14 days. The blanks should be saturated, acquire a golden color and become translucent.
- Store the vegetable for 6 months in a cool, dark place.
Why does garlic spoil?
If, after several months of storage, the garlic cloves begin to dry out or become covered with brown spots, it means that the storage conditions were not met or an unprepared crop was used.
There are several reasons why vegetables can spoil:
Cause | How to fix |
Infected garlic | If a vegetable suffers from bacteriosis, mold or neck rot, it will quickly deteriorate and dry out completely. |
Conditions regarding harvesting and preparing products for storage were not met | This can happen if there is precipitation during the vegetable harvesting stage. As a result, the garlic heads got wet and did not dry well during the drying stage. In this regard, it is necessary to monitor the weather forecast during the vegetable harvesting period. The weather outside should always be dry and sunny. When precipitation occurs, it is advisable to wait about 4 days so that the soil cover dries well. In this case, 25 days before harvesting, irrigation of the plantings should be completely stopped. Overripe or underripe garlic bulbs can also negatively affect the storage of the product. |
Failure to comply with storage conditions | Garlic cloves must be kept in a dry place where the air humidity is no more than 70%, and the temperature will not exceed +3 ℃. At home, it is quite difficult to adhere to such conditions. In this regard, it is recommended to put the product in glass containers with an open lid and store it on the mezzanine. To improve preservation and get rid of excess moisture, it is recommended to cover the vegetable with salt or flour. |
The harvested variety is not suitable for long-term storage | There are garlic varieties that are not suitable for long-term storage. Winter vegetables can be stored for no more than 4 months. Due to this, it will not be able to remain fresh until the next summer season. |
If brown spots begin to appear on the surface of the garlic during storage, it means caramelization of sugars is occurring. It manifests itself due to the loss of moisture from the cloves. The longer the slices lose liquid, the more stains will appear.
In apartment conditions, during the entire storage period, it is necessary to create an optimal balance of moisture, lighting, heat and air so that the peeled garlic remains fresh and can be suitable for further use. If the product is properly maintained at home, it will be able to retain all its taste and aroma.
Other options
If the harvest was large, then the garlic can not only be kept fresh, but also dried or preserved. This option is suitable for large vegetable harvests.
Drying
You can dry the slices in several ways , choosing the best option for yourself. After complete drying, the workpiece can be ground.
Naturally
Drying in the open air is the simplest, but also the longest drying method.
Thinly sliced slices are laid out on a horizontal surface. The place should be chosen to be warm, well ventilated and protected from direct sunlight.
If the weather is dry and warm, good drying will be achieved in a couple of weeks .
To ensure uniform drying, it is advisable to stir the chopped pieces from time to time.
In the oven
Drying in the oven allows you to get results in a few hours. This is faster than outdoors and more practical, since there is no dependence on weather conditions.
Procedure:
- Line a baking tray with baking paper.
- Cut the garlic cloves into thin slices.
- Arrange the plates on a baking sheet in a single layer.
- Set the oven heating temperature to 60°C.
- Place the baking sheet in the oven.
- Leave the door ajar.
- Stir the garlic every 30-40 minutes.
The average drying time in the oven is 5-6 hours.
An option for drying garlic - in the video:
In an electric dryer
Drying garlic in an electric dryer is very simple and does not take much time. It is advisable to cut the peeled slices into slices . They are laid out on the tiers of the apparatus and dried at a temperature of 50-60°C. Uncrushed slices can also be dried, but it will take more time.
Conservation
Garlic cloves can be canned successfully. There are many simple ways to make preparations with this vegetable for the winter.
Pickling recipe - on video: