How to save planting garlic until spring. Useful tips on how to save garlic until spring

Often housewives are interested in how to store garlic longer. Probably everyone knows about the benefits of this vegetable, but, unfortunately, not everyone can talk about how to store garlic. Due to the wrong time for harvesting garlic and preparing it for storage, we can lose a large number of harvest. Storing garlic is quite within the power of everyone, and today's article will help to avoid storage errors, in which I will also reveal some secrets of storing garlic at home.

But, as they say, first things first...

First of all, you should know that according to botanical features, two types of garlic are distinguished:

• spring (or non-shooting), which is popularly called summer;
• winter (sometimes shooters and non-shooters), popularly called winter.

Types of garlic differ in terms of planting and harvesting, resistance to frost, yield and keeping quality, i.e., the ability to store.

Terms and time of harvesting garlic

The suitability of the crop for long-term storage directly depends on the timing of harvesting, which is set taking into account the growing season of this crop.

The signs by which the time of harvesting spring garlic is determined are the yellowing of the leaves and the beginning of lodging of the tops. The approximate time for harvesting spring garlic is the second half of August.

Signs of ripening winter garlic are yellowing lower leaves and cracking of the wrapper in inflorescences. At the same time, the scales covering the bulb become thinner and dry. The approximate time for harvesting winter garlic is the end of July.

To determine whether the garlic is ripe or not, you need to look at the condition of the covering scales. If they are thin and strong, it's time to start cleaning.

The best time for cleaning is warm and dry days.

Harvesting garlic should be carried out in a timely and efficient manner. Delay in harvesting leads to a deterioration in product quality, namely:

• covering scales crack;
• bulbs break up into teeth;
• new roots form on the bottom and the bulbs take root.

Such bulbs deteriorate very quickly and are not subject to long-term storage.

Harvesting garlic for storage

Garlic is harvested as follows: with a shovel or fork, the bulbs are dug up, collected and laid out to dry. When harvesting, it is necessary to protect the bulbs and roots from damage and shock. The soil from the surface of the bulbs and from the roots is carefully removed by hand.

In dry weather, garlic is dried right on the site for 3-5 days. When it rains - in a well-ventilated room (in the yard, in the attic or veranda).

You can dry the garlic in the sun during the day, and bring it to a warm room at night.

Dried garlic, like onions, along with the leaves. At the same time, the nutrients formed in the green parts of the plant as a result of photosynthesis come from the leaves to the bulb. This technique improves the mass and quality of the bulbs.

After thorough drying, the roots are cut off from the bulbs, leaving 2-3 mm, and the stem, leaving a neck up to 10 cm long. Then the bulbs are sorted and laid in storage with suitable conditions.

Proper cleaning will provide you with excellent storage of garlic in the winter.

Ways to store garlic

Depending on the temperature regime and the level of humidity, there are two main methods of storage:

• warm method - involves storing bulbs at a temperature of + 16 ... + 20 ° C and a humidity of 50 - 70% and is suitable for storing spring garlic;
• cold method - involves storing garlic at a temperature of +2 ... + 4 ° C and a humidity of 70-80% and is used only for storing winter garlic.

It must be remembered that the storage of spring garlic is different from the storage of winter garlic. winter garlic- the product is very capricious and unsuitable for long-term storage. It is easily affected by various diseases and dries out as a result of moisture loss. This is due to the fact that winter garlic bulbs have fewer covering scales. Due to poor keeping quality, they are produced in the fall.

Storing garlic at home
How to store garlic so that losses are minimal? There are the following traditional ways to store garlic:

1. An old proven method is weaving braids and wreaths. At the dried garlic, the bulb and false stem are left, and the leaves are removed. The braid starts from the bottom, successively weaving new bulbs up to 15 pieces. To give strength, twine is woven into the braid. So that the braid can be hung, a loop is made at its end. This method allows you to save the garlic until the next harvest.
2. The bulbs are placed in shallow boxes, baskets, cardboard boxes, nylon stockings or linen bags and placed in a dry and cool place for winter storage. From time to time, the garlic is sorted out, removing the spoiled bulbs.

For those who like to experiment, I offer unusual ways to store garlic, which often give unexpectedly good results.

1. Unpeeled, dried bulbs are placed in glass jars, which are pre-sterilized, and closed with ordinary nylon lids. In this case, you can sprinkle the bulbs with flour.
2. Garlic bulbs are placed in one layer in shallow wooden boxes equipped with small holes and covered with a layer of coarse salt. So, alternating layers, fill the box to the very top. Dry sawdust can be used instead of salt.
3. Garlic keeps well in linen bags. At low humidity air, garlic is additionally sprinkled with onion peel. And at high humidity, the bag is pre-treated with a saturated solution of table salt. Salt not only absorbs moisture from the air, but also protects the bulbs from pests and diseases.

Difficulties in storing garlic
Problem number 1: bulbs drying out
During storage, the garlic gradually dries out. This happens as a result of the process of evaporation of moisture, which can be prevented by waxing. To do this, melt the candle and lower the heads into warm paraffin. When cured, paraffin forms a layer on the surface of the bulb that prevents moisture from evaporating. And carbon dioxide, which accumulates in the bulb as a result of stem respiration, causes the death of microorganisms and protects against diseases.

Problem #2: Mold Formation
During storage, the bulbs may develop green mold or black moldy rot. These fungal diseases affect, first of all, damaged, as well as frost-bitten bulbs. The development of diseases is facilitated by elevated temperature and high humidity in the storage area. Solution: After harvesting, dry the garlic in the sun. Garlic dried in this way is resistant to diseases, since direct sunlight causes the death of bacteria, fungi and mold.

Problem #3: Bulb Sprouting
To prevent the germination of garlic, before storing the bottom of the bulbs, they are lightly burned over gas stove. This technique allows you to increase the duration of storage.

How to store garlic in the apartment
To store garlic in the apartment, choose dry, cool and dark places away from the heating system and heating appliances. With a relatively warm winter, you can store garlic on the balcony, and a small crop in the refrigerator.

Note to the owner:

• bulbs damaged during harvesting should not be stored, but used immediately;
• store garlic and onions separately from other vegetables.
• bulbs with three covering scales have the best keeping quality.

You can also see useful information about storing garlic in this video:

So, let's sum up... Storage of garlic depends on its type (spring or winter), on proper harvesting and preparation for storage, on the place and method of storage, on creating optimal conditions for storing garlic. For my part, I advise you to use several methods at once when storing garlic in winter, which will ensure maximum safety of the crop.

You already know how to store garlic in winter and you can save it until the next harvest. And I will also gladly take your advice on how to store garlic.

I advise, dear readers, not to miss the publication of new materials on this blog.

Garlic is a spicy, healthy, popular plant. It is a condiment for many culinary dishes. He is considered popular medicine fight colds and toothaches. Doctors know about its ability to strengthen the immune system, gums and appetite. But housewives especially appreciate it: for its pungent taste and tart smell, for its ability to destroy harmful bacteria, for its ability to treat many ailments. Garlic is a good antiseptic. But many owners are tormented by the question: how to organize the storage of garlic at home so that it does not become a victim of various diseases and mold? The answer is ambiguous. To be preserved in it to the end long winter juiciness and freshness, it needs to be removed in time ... Only those heads that were duly removed from the ground will be stored for a long time; properly dried and trimmed.

Garlic is of two types. Spring is planted in the spring, and harvested in the first half of August. Winter crops are planted in autumn, and harvesting begins in mid-July. As a rule, there are no problems with storage of spring variety heads, they live well until a new crop. This article will address the question: how to properly store winter garlic until spring?

Spring garlic planted in spring

Winter crops are planted in autumn

Choose a day for cleaning

Time goes fast. Imperceptibly approached the timing of harvesting garlic. They start digging it only in warm and dry weather. You can't be late. With each lost day, the quality of garlic will steadily decline. All this will negatively affect its safety in winter. Garlic demonstrates its overripeness clearly:

• the protective layers of the filmy scaly coating crack;
• the bulb consists of splayed cloves, ready to separate from the slightest touch to them.

Do not leave damaged heads for the winter, they must be used immediately

Bulb consists of splayed cloves, ready to separate

Important advice: do not leave damaged heads for the winter. They need to be separated and used immediately.

The nuances of digging and trimming garlic

If for garlic was good care: it was weeded in time, the soil was often loosened, rarely watered during the growing season - the earth in the garden should be soft and loose. In this case, you can gently try to pull it out by the powerful stems with your hands. But if the roots come off, you need to dig. For these purposes, you must use a shovel or fork. The main thing is not to rush, so as not to damage the heads.

It is cleaned by hand from lumps of soil and laid out to dry right on the bed

Gently try to pull out the powerful stems with your hands

The garlic extracted from the ground is shaken, cleaned by hands from lumps of soil and laid out to dry right in the garden. If the weather permits, it is kept in the garden in the shade for 5 days. Try to avoid direct sunlight during the day and dew in the morning. Therefore, at night it must be cleaned in a dry, warm room. Many gardeners dry garlic for 10-14 days in attics. country houses or other buildings. The conditions for drying onions in any weather are simply magnificent there: dry, twilight, cool, there is always a draft.

The garlic is dried along with the stems. Pruning stems is best done with secateurs or sharp, powerful scissors that can easily cope with tough leaves.

Trimming the stems with a machine

Many gardeners dry garlic for 10-14 days in the attics of country houses.

At the head, the roots are cut from below at a distance of 3 mm from the body of the bulb, and from above, the leaves are cut at a distance of 10 cm from the neck. After that, it is sorted according to the size of the heads. This is how garlic is handled during harvesting to ensure its preservation in winter.

Why does garlic spoil?

To choose the right strategy and understand how to keep garlic until spring, you need to figure out the reasons for its spoilage. Three factors play a decisive role in the preservation of garlic:

• temperature;
• humidity;
• resistance to bacteriosis and onion-garlic nematode.

Spring garlic loves warmth in winter

Humidity is critical to garlic drying out and disease resistance.

Resistance to bacteriosis and onion-garlic nematode

Different varieties are stored under same conditions. Spring garlic loves "warmth" in winter - the air temperature is from +16 to +20 degrees, and winter variety“cold” is only plus 2-4 degrees. Humidity is critical to its drying and disease resistance. An atmosphere that is too dry will dry out the cloves completely, and an environment that is too humid will create conditions for mold and disease to attack the heads. The optimum humidity is 50-80%.

Use of healthy planting material

Avoid growing in the same place for several years in a row

The fight against nematodes and bacteriosis begins from the moment of planting and continues during care and harvesting. In order for the heads to be healthy, and the storage of garlic at home ensures that they save all its useful qualities, it is necessary:

• use of healthy planting material;
• avoiding growing in one place for several years in a row;
• destruction of diseased and weak plants during the growth period;
• storage decontamination;
• maintaining a moderate positive temperature and air humidity of about 70% in storage areas.

Destruction of diseased and weak plants during the growth period

The best keeping quality is observed in the heads of garlic, which have three protective layers of scaly coating.

Good advice: the best keeping quality is observed in garlic heads that have three protective layers of scaly coating.

The principle here is the same: all heads must be in the same conditions. It is necessary to strive to ensure that all of them come into contact with the surrounding atmosphere, do not experience great pressure on each other, and rationally use the space of the room in which they are stored.

All heads must be in the same conditions

In limbo

1. Our great-grandmothers also knew how to weave braids from garlic. For this case, the stem must be left almost completely, after removing all the leaves. For ease of storage, it is recommended to weave a strong twine in order to make a loop out of it at the end of the pigtail. For a loop, it is convenient to hang such a design in a pantry, closet, on an insulated balcony, in a basement or cellar. The main conditions for storage are listed above: coolness, darkness, not too much humidity.
2. Can you go to simplified version. Tie heads with stems into small bundles or brooms and hang under the top of the roof in an insulated attic or winter garden. In this place, the storage of garlic at home has been tested by many gardeners who are satisfied with the result. It is convenient to reject suspicious heads during storage.
3. Many summer residents lay dried and short-cut heads in nylon stockings, tights or nets. This option is similar to a pigtail of a simplified design and allows you to rationally use the space in the closet or under the roof, in the closet or in the basement.

1. Our great-grandmothers also knew how to weave braids from garlic

2.Tie heads with stems in small bundles and hang under the top of the roof

3. Lay dried and short-cut heads in nylon stockings, tights or nets

in containers

1. Putting well-dried heads in sterilized three-liter glass jars under nylon lids is very popular among urban residents. Practice has shown that bulbs preserved in this way retain their beneficial features very long, until the end of spring.
2. Many housewives store heads in low boxes, cardboard boxes, baskets, linen bags, perforated bags. The main thing here is the presence in the containers of a sufficient number of holes for good ventilation. Onion husks, a little ash or sawdust are usually placed at the bottom, which absorb excess moisture. For the winter, filled containers are placed in dry and cool places. This method is convenient in that garlic bulbs are easily accessible and can be sorted out periodically, discarding spoiled heads.

Storage in sterilized glass jars

Storage in low boxes, cardboard boxes

Without air access

1. A proven way to store peeled teeth in vegetable oil. This method is suitable for a small part of the crop. First, the jar is prepared. It is steam sterilized and allowed to cool. Then cooked slices are placed in it and poured with olive, corn, linseed or sunflower oil until complete immersion. The jar is closed with a polyethylene lid, in which there are holes. This method is good because the garlic is immediately ready for use. And on the fragrant oil that has absorbed its smell, you can fry cutlets, fish or vegetables. It is also suitable for dressing salads, sauces, cold appetizers, vinaigrettes.
2. To original way storage of garlic can be attributed to the way it is buried in the ground. For this, a part of healthy, dried heads is selected. They are wrapped in several layers of old newspapers and placed in a plastic bag. Right in the garden, they dig a hole 40-50 cm deep, put bags there and cover it with earth. They trample down with their feet and throw the tops of potatoes, tomatoes or tops of beets, carrots. Dig up in spring or summer. The security is very good though.
3. Verified folk recipe good preservation of garlic - immersion of the heads in molten paraffin. Its dried film well protects the bulbs from evaporation of the moisture contained in them.

1. Method for storing peeled teeth in vegetable oil

2. The method of burying it in the ground

3. Immersion of the heads in molten paraffin

Under a layer of flour or salt

1. Pour 2 cm of salt on the bottom of the plywood box and lay out a layer of heads. Then again salt and a layer of garlic heads. And so to the very top. Salt protects the heads from pests and takes in excess moisture.
2. Garlic heads in glass jars fall asleep with flour. First, the jar with them is shaken so that the heads are more dense, and then the flour is poured a few cm above the upper bulbs. The goal is to protect against pests and absorb excess moisture.

1. Salt protects the heads from pests and absorbs excess moisture

2. Garlic heads in glass jars are covered with flour

Chilled

• A small number of heads are wrapped in several layers with cling film and placed in the refrigerator. The best way- in a container for storing vegetables. The temperature should be maintained from +2 to -3 degrees Celsius.
• In the cellar, basement in pans or hanging. Usually these places high humidity and the garlic may start to sprout. You can fight excess moisture with salt, onion peel, flour or sawdust.

Having understood how to preserve garlic until spring in one way or another, we choose an affordable option. We hope that all winter garlic will be used for cooking, and will not be thrown into the trash. We always remember the rule: garlic is much easier to grow than to keep it at home in the winter.

Garlic is one of those vegetable crops that require special storage conditions. Otherwise, it will begin to germinate and deteriorate. One of the main conditions for its preservation until spring is the correct and timely harvesting. It is time to remove the garlic if the leaves turn yellow at the bottom and begin to dry, and the scales of the head pulled out for testing are dry and thin. If the bulbs began to disintegrate, then you were late with the cleaning. Such garlic is unlikely to "live" until spring.

Garlic ripening time middle lane Russia falls in mid-July - the first decade of August. Harvesting is carried out on a warm, dry day. Each bulb is dug carefully, trying not to damage. The stems are not broken. The dug garlic is laid out under a canopy for 5 days, and then hung in a dry, ventilated place until it dries well. Then the roots and stem are cut off from the garlic at a height of 8-10 cm.

An ideal place to store garlic is a dry, ventilated basement or cellar with a constant temperature of 0 to 5C and an air humidity of 70-80%. Therefore, for owners of private houses with a cellar or basement, it will not be difficult to keep garlic until spring.

But what about the residents of city apartments?

Often housewives try to store garlic on the balcony. Needless to say, it's not the best The best decision. Temperature fluctuations have a bad effect on garlic bulbs. At temperatures below 0, the garlic will simply freeze and, upon subsequent thawing, the heads will rot. When the weather is warm, the garlic begins to sprout. Garlic is no less demanding on air humidity. The optimum humidity for its preservation is 70-80%. Below 70% humidity, the garlic will dry out, and high humidity can cause it to sprout or rot.

So, how to keep garlic until spring?

1. Storage in the kitchen

Garlic is placed in a regular grid and hung on the wall. Previously, the roots of the heads of garlic are cauterized with a candle. This is done so that it does not germinate in heat. You can also store garlic in a regular kitchen drawer by putting it in a paper bag. But you need to keep in mind that with this method, garlic can be stored for a maximum of up to the end of winter.

2. Storage in a salt box

The bottom of the box is filled with large table salt. Garlic is laid on the salt. If the box is shallow, the garlic should be placed in one row. Several layers of garlic can be placed in a deep box, sprinkling each layer with salt. The box is placed in a dark place. Since salt is an excellent preservative and, in addition, retains moisture well, garlic can be stored this way until the summer.

3. Storage in paraffin

Paraffin must be melted in a steam bath and cooled slightly. Each head of garlic is dipped into the resulting liquid paraffin, holding it by the cut stem. The "shell" of paraffin will perfectly protect the garlic heads from external influences. Garlic processed in this way can be stored in open form until spring without fear that it will deteriorate or lose its taste or aroma.

4. Storage in vegetable oil

Boil vegetable oil, add a few drops of iodine to it and treat dry garlic heads with the resulting composition. Dried garlic is placed in boxes, baskets or other containers made from natural raw materials. Film vegetable oil will protect the heads of garlic from drying out and spoilage until spring.

Garlic is one of those vegetables that require special storage. If you do not create optimal conditions for it, it will quickly begin to germinate, and even rot. There are two ways to save garlic until spring - cold and warm. Each housewife can choose for herself the best way to store garlic. In addition, fresh heads are preferred for some, while others prefer simple blanks.

Before planting garlic for the winter, you need to preparatory work. By this time, the garlic roots are usually completely dry. They need to be set on fire to the very bottom. You can use both a candle flame and a regular lighter for this.
With a warm method of storage, dry heads of garlic fit tightly into cardboard box and left in a dry room at a temperature of 13-17 degrees in a dark place with a humidity of 70-80%. minus this method storage is that garlic loses some of its meatiness due to slight drying. But at the same time, all the beneficial properties of garlic, the pungent taste and specific smell are preserved until spring.

With a cold storage method, a room is needed in which the temperature is constantly maintained from plus 2 to 3 degrees and the humidity is 70-80%. In a city apartment, one of the departments of the refrigerator is suitable for this, where such temperature regime. Garlic is placed there in cardboard boxes. With cold storage and properly cauterized roots, garlic retains its fleshiness and all its beneficial properties until spring.

An excellent place to store garlic is the cellar. Therefore, in the village or on suburban area where it is, garlic is much easier to keep until spring. In such a cellar, the temperature is usually maintained at 0 plus 2 degrees with a humidity of 70-80 percent. To keep garlic breathing, it is best to store large supplies in wicker baskets or wooden crates.

In urban areas, you can try to store garlic on the balcony in the same way, constantly checking the temperature. At temperatures below 0 degrees, the vegetable will simply freeze. In addition to temperature, humidity must also be monitored. The fact is that this indicator is very important for garlic. At a humidity of less than 70%, it begins to dry intensively, and at a humidity of more than 80%, it begins to rot.

To keep garlic until spring, you can use this method. Burn the garlic roots. Melt several paraffin candles in a saucepan. Let cool. Quickly dip the head of garlic into warm paraffin. Let dry. Put in a cardboard box and place in a cool place. A thin layer of paraffin will keep the garlic from drying out and rotting, even if the necessary moisture cannot be provided.

Garlic perfectly retains its taste and a full range of nutrients in some forms of canning. The simplest is next way storage of the finished product. Peel clean garlic, place in a glass jar, pour fresh olive or sunflower oil. You need to store the jar in the refrigerator. Garlic is used as needed, and the remaining oil can be used in sauces or salad dressings.