Garlic is a great addition to any dish. It is not enough to grow a vegetable and put it in a cellar. Storage of garlic in the winter at home requires certain knowledge and skills, otherwise you can lose most of the crop.
- Why does the garlic deteriorate
- Preparing for storage
- Harvesting
- Treatment stage
- Storage methods
- Braids
- Boxes and cans
- Grids
- Waxing method
- Storage of peeled teeth
- Storage rules
- Final part
Storage rules for garlic in winter at home
Why does garlic deteriorate
To understand how it rules But you should keep garlic at home in winter, you need to figure out why it spoils. Of course, the main reason is the non-observance of storage rules. In addition, there are 2 more reasons that cause the appearance of rot.
- Fungal diseases.
- Nematodes.
It is better to remove all affected root crops immediately. If you do not reject the affected garlic in time, you can lose half the crop. Before storing the root crops for long-term preservation, a thorough culling is necessary.
Preparing for storage
Harvesting
To to maximize the quality of the crop, you need to properly collect it. Harvest time will depend on the variety of crop.There are two types of root crops:
- spring or summer;
- winter.
It is better to remove both varieties when the tops turn yellow and lie on the ground. For spring – this is the period from August 1 to 15. They dig up winter garlic in late July. Digging is carried out using a shovel or pitchfork. The main thing is not to damage the roots when digging.
Treatment stage
Bulbs with mechanical damage are immediately discarded for food, it cannot be stored. After harvesting, root crops should not be immediately sent for long-term storage. They need to be thoroughly dried under the sun or in a warm, dry room.
After drying, the stems are cut off. Only root crops that are planned to be stored in braids are not pruned. Storage of garlic at home requires careful sorting of root crops. Discard:
- empty garlic;
- with visible damage by rot or nematodes;
- with peeled husk.
Damaged mechanically, root crops can be frozen and used in the future, as a seasoning for many dishes. Leave the food fresh. In addition, you can grind damaged teeth and dry them by mixing with herbs. Great natural seasoning will come out.
Preservation methods
Weave into braids
How to store garlic at home in the winter?There are several ways:
- braids;
- wooden boxes and cans;
- nets;
- waxing.
How to store garlic at home in a private house or apartment? The choice of premises is of great importance for the preservation of the crop, because violations of the temperature regime or humidity can lead to decay or overdrying of vegetables. In private estates, there is usually a cellar or basement, where, in fact, vegetables spend the winter. In a city apartment, garlic can be stored on a glazed balcony. Some apartments have storage rooms, if they are properly equipped, you can equip a good vegetable store.
An alternative method is to store in the refrigerator. However, this often brings inconvenience, because garlic will take up quite a lot of space. The storage temperature for the types of garlic will differ:
- winter 1–3 ℃;
- summer 16–20 ℃.
Scythes
The old “grandmother’s” method of storing in braids is quite popular today. For its implementation, you need to wait for the garlic to dry well. Leave the bulb and stem. Weave a scythe begin from the bottom up, with 3 root crops. To make the structure more durable, you can weave the wire.
Carefully add 1 head. There can be up to 20 garlics in one scythe. In this form, you can save garlic until spring in the basement or in the attic. In the apartment, spring varieties can be stored in the kitchen.Garlic braids are not only a way to preserve crops, but also decorate the interior.
Boxes and cans
Depending on where the root crops will be stored, in an apartment or cellar pick up the container. It can be glass jars or wooden boxes. Preservation in glass jars is considered an effective method. Banks are pre-sterilized, dried. Then put the dried onions in them.
To improve keeping quality, the teeth or heads are sprinkled with flour and the jar is closed with a capron lid. When root crops are preserved in the apartment, before being placed in glass jars, each bulb is wrapped with cling film in 2 layers. Only the heads are wrapped, the tails are left open. After that, they are tightly packed in prepared containers. It is not possible to cover the jar with such storage.
For storage in large rooms, a wooden box is selected, with holes in the side walls and bottom. This allows for a good oxygen circulation and preserves the juiciness of the product. A thin layer of litter is poured at the bottom of the container. The following can be used as litter:
- ash;
- salt;
- sawdust.
Fold on the litter root crop layer. Then sprinkle with litter. Thus, fill the box to the top. This is a great way to keep garlic in the cellar in winter.
Nets
Winter and spring varieties are perfectly stored in nets. This is a great option for a cellar or garage.Before putting the root vegetables in bags, you need to rinse each onion in saline. Then dry.
If the room has a reduced level of humidity, it is recommended that the root crops be sprinkled with onion husks. Instead of nets, you can use unnecessary nylon tights. There are many different ways to save. All of them depend on the goals and where the root crops will be stored.
Waxing method
This unusual method allows you to permanently maintain the quality of the product. Having heated the paraffin, dip the garlic into it, gently holding it by the tail. When the head is completely covered with paraffin, take out the vegetable and hang it to dry.
When the paraffin hardens, the vegetables are placed in wooden boxes and put in a cool, dark room. In this form, root vegetables retain the necessary vitamins and minerals until spring. The advantage of the method is to prevent the spread of fungal diseases.
Storage of peeled teeth
Peeled cloves are also stored
Peeled garlic can only be stored in the refrigerator. The teeth are freed from the skin, put in a sealed bag and put in the freezer. You can save peeled garlic in oil. To do this, take 300-400 ml of sunflower oil and heat it in a pan. Then pour the oil into the jar and put the teeth there.
The method of preservation in oil allows not only to preserve the quality of root crops, but also to obtain garlic oil. It can be used for any purpose in the household. This oil will be a great addition to any salad. They store jars with cloves in the refrigerator or put them on shelves in the cellar.
Storage rules
Before deciding how to store garlic at home, you need to study some the nuances. Each method is designed for specific periods:
- in flour, salt, paraffin, bags – the shelf life is 5-9 months;
- in oil no more than 3 months;
- in glass jars – 3 months;
- in the freezer – about a year.
It is important to take into account the characteristics of the varieties of culture. It is believed that winter varieties are stored worse, but this is far from the case. Some varieties are designed to last up to 9 months. When growing garlic, it is necessary to take into account its long-term adaptation to climatic conditions, therefore it is recommended to use only zoned varieties. The preservation of the crop will completely depend on this.
Only summer varieties are suitable for weaving into braids. It can be stored by any of the above methods. Winter varieties are not suitable for storage in warm rooms. This vegetable can be stored with onions in linen bags or well-ventilated wooden drawers.
The final part
Many summer residents make a big mistake, believing that it is enough to grow garlic, put it in a box and then it will be stored by itself. Every detail plays a role in preserving the crop: from the selection of the variety and method of planting to harvesting and the method of cultivation. Proper storage requires consideration of the characteristics of the premises, purpose and grade. For example, winter varieties cannot be stored in an apartment at room temperature.
The optimal storage temperature for winter varieties is 1-3 ℃ above 0. Spring varieties can be stored at room temperature. The best practices have been proven by storage methods in drawers and linen bags or nets. It is very important to correctly prepare the crop for the preservation bookmark.
After digging the head, it is necessary to dry it. It is advisable to do this in the sun, but if the weather does not allow, then it is possible in a warm, dry room. When root crops are trimmed, they must leave a tail of about 5 cm. Do not store garlic next to potatoes. If you plan to store peeled garlic, it is important to note that it can only be stored in the refrigerator.
