How to store garlic

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Planting and collecting garlic is not difficult, but storage in winter can be difficult. Consider what needs to be done before storing the garlic so that the vegetable will lie for a long time and not undergo diseases.

Cleaning and storing garlic

Harvest time

It is necessary to carry out the harvest in a correct and timely manner. The vegetable should not be dry or covered with dark spots. It is important to remember that garlic comes in several varieties:

• Spring. Summer variety. It is required to start collecting after the foliage turns yellow. In order for the storage of the vegetable to be successful, you need to harvest in August, from the 15th to the 24th;
• Winter. Winter variety. Ripening is given by the cracked skin of the inflorescences, the yellowness of the leaves. The optimal time for collection is the last days of July.

Collecting must be done in a timely manner, otherwise, the resulting product is suitable only for quick use. If you store overripe garlic, then by the end of spring it will dry out or rot.

If the bulb was damaged during collection, it is recommended to eat it as soon as possible.

How to collect garlic

Forks are better for digging up the garlic. A shovel can damage the onion (for example, cut it in half). It is better to drive the pitchfork into the ground 10-15 cm from the landing site.

After the vegetable has been dug up, you should take each stem separately and shake it off of the rest of the soil. The foliage should be left, cutting off only the yellowed leaves. If the weather is clear outside, the garlic should be taken out into an open space heated by the sun. If it is raining or damp, drying is best done indoors. Drying takes 5-7 days.

After drying, the stem and root must be trimmed correctly. The roots should be cut in half or left 5 mm. The stem is cut by ¾, only 10-12 cm remains. For convenience, before sending the vegetable for storage, it is better to sort it by size and variety.

How to store garlic

The storage method directly depends on how long the garlic will lie in fresh and healthy form, as well as what taste it will have.

Storage methods:

1. Braiding. It is necessary to remove the foliage, leaving only a stalk and a splinter. Then we braid a braid from the stems. Then we wrap the top of the braid with a cord and make a loop so that the garlic can be hung.
2. In bunches (broom). To collect and hang the broom, you should only cut the stems in half and leave 15-20 cm. After collecting the broom, 20-25 stems each and wrap the top with a rope. We hang in a dry and cool place.
3. Grids. Net storage is a proven and convenient way, but garlic quickly deteriorates this way.
4. Wicker baskets. If you weave a basket of birch bark, you can place the vegetable right in the house, in front of the entrance to the residential part.
5. Sterilized jars. You will need to sterilize a liter jar and place garlic in it. Before this, the vegetable should be washed and the roots and stem should be cut off completely. You can put some salt in the jar to keep the garlic from getting sick.
6. Wooden boxes with salt.An analogue of the previous method.
7. Using linen bags. The most convenient option. The bag can hold from 50 to 100 onions. Moreover, the garlic in the bag will be reliably protected from pests, dampness and mold.

You can choose any method, the main thing is that all conditions are met, including the optimal temperature regime.

Temperature selection

Correctly selected temperature will help the vegetable to lie throughout the winter, while retaining the beneficial properties and taste. The temperature regime is selected individually, depending on the type of garlic and the number of harvested bulbs.

Spring garlic should be kept extremely warm. The temperature should vary from 14 to 18 degrees Celsius. The room must be dry, but with good air circulation.

The winter species prefers to lie in the cold, at a temperature of 0 degrees. This type is not suitable for storage in winter, since the slightest amount of moisture can provoke the appearance of mold or blackening of the husk.

A complete excess of moisture also has a negative effect on garlic. To keep the vegetable from outside moisture, but keep the internal liquid, it is recommended to dip each onion in melted paraffin wax. It forms a powerful membrane that retains moisture and protects the bulb from disease.