How to properly store garlic in winter. Boxes, jars, stockings - we choose the best options for storing garlic at home

When the harvest is large, they are stocked up for future use. Therefore, it is so important to know how to store garlic for the winter. Housewives implement this at home. In order not to dry out the crop, it is pre-treated. Let's take a look at the important aspects in order.

How to store garlic for the winter - collecting, trimming, sorting

You can not skip the most important stage - the preparatory. Let's start with him.

1. Consider the collection period, depending on what kind of garlic we are talking about - summer or winter. The first is dug out immediately after the leaves turn yellow (mid-late August). The second - when the shell begins to burst (end of July).

2. In the process of harvesting, use a shovel to dig, remove the soil from the garlic manually. No need to hit the crop on the ground, otherwise such garlic will not lie for a long time.

3. After collection, it is dried. Together with foliage, hang it where air circulates well. Drying time - from 3 to 5 days, no less.

4. It is very important to know how to trim the garlic. For storage for the winter, it is necessary to do this immediately after drying. The roots are removed with a pointed pruner. Then the crop is dried for another day.

5. Now it remains to sort out everything superfluous: cracked, damaged, hollow inside the head. Specimens with spots and incomprehensible growths are excluded from the total mass. The choice should fall on large garlic, which will lie longer.

Which garlic is best for storage - winter or summer?

Since garlic can be stored for the winter in various ways, at home you need to choose the ideal type of crop. To keep dry, follow the advice.

1. The summer look lasts longer, it has more scales covering the slices. They help retain moisture in the structure.

2. The winter species dries up in a short time, often covered with mold, rots. This feature is expressed if the humidity rises slightly or temperature fluctuations are noticed.

3. If you decide to store a winter crop (it has a false stem in the middle), eat it as soon as possible. Otherwise, it will soon begin to sprout.

storage conditions for garlic

In order not to violate the safety, provide the crop with the necessary conditions:

Humidity

It is extremely important to keep the indicators in the range of 60-80%.

Temperature

For summer - 15-20 degrees. For winter - from -2 to +2 degrees.

Airing

It is unacceptable to leave garlic in a highly ventilated place, otherwise it will dry out. It is better to place specimens in bags, open containers, boxes, etc.

Light

Choose a dark place or avoid direct UV rays.

How and where to store garlic for the winter

Since you can store garlic for the winter with great success at home, so as not to dry out, we advise you to consider all the available variations.

Where to store garlic in winter?

No. 1. Storage of garlic in the basement / cellar

Create all the conditions: treat the room, get out, fix the ventilation (if it does not work). Choose the appropriate option:

In a kapron stocking

The ideal and easiest method to save crops for the winter. Place the prepared heads in the stocking and hang on a thread or hook.

In braided braids

Arrange the heads with the stems on the string so that they are placed close enough to each other. Hang in the same way as the previous method.

In a basket/box/crate

Absolutely everything will do: from wicker baskets to cardboard or plywood boxes with sufficient air circulation. Place boxes higher away from potatoes, beets, carrots and other vegetables.

No. 2. Storage of garlic in the apartment

Consider the best methods for storing garlic for the winter at home. The apartment is fine. In order not to dry the crop, you need to choose a method:

in paraffin

Build a water bath, melt the paraffin. Take the garlic by the stalk and dip it into the mixture. Wait for the excess to drain. When the film hardens, the garlic is folded into trays. Paraffin blocks the release of moisture. The vegetable is not exposed to harmful organisms and deterioration, respectively.

in bags

Storage of garlic in the winter is carried out in medium-sized fabric bags. In a city apartment, the vegetable will lie for a long time. Mix a highly concentrated saline solution, soak the bags in it. Dry and place the crop. Shelf life is 5-7 months.

In jars of salt

Wash and dry glass jars. Pour a small layer of coarse salt. Then comes the garlic, you can leave the heads whole or cut into slices.

Drying

We tell you how to store garlic for the winter by drying. At home, there will be no difficulties. Manipulations are intentional, so it will not be possible to make sure that the crop does not dry out.

Peel the garlic cloves and chop into slices. Arrange the plates on an oven tray or in an electric dryer. Set 60 degrees on any device.

Dry until the slices become crispy. Run them through a coffee grinder. You will get garlic powder, which will be an excellent seasoning. To preserve the spice, it is recommended to mix the powder with salt in a ratio of 3 to 1.

On the loggia

If there is an insulated loggia / balcony, storage of garlic is organized here. At home, lay the heads prepared for the winter in trays and cover with an opaque rag. Remember about the optimal temperature and humidity. Protect crops from UV rays.

No. 3. Storing garlic in the refrigerator

Since you can store garlic for the winter in the refrigerator, consider popular methods at home. If everything is done correctly, you will ensure that the crop does not dry out. Due to high humidity, the shelf life is 90 days.

In oil

Wash the container and sterilize. Peel the garlic and pack tightly. Fill with any vegetable oil to the brim. Close with capron. In this form, the slices can lie for 3 months. In the future, aromatic oil is used for dressing salads.

In shredded form

Clean the slices and puree them. Add salt and mix thoroughly. Place the mass in dry jars, close tightly. Such garlic perfectly retains its taste.

Frozen

Wrap garlic cloves in foil or plastic wrap. Send the workpiece in a bag and leave to freeze. Use if necessary.

We looked at the best methods for storing garlic for the winter. You just have to choose the right one for you at home. Follow the recommendations so that the crop does not dry out. The hostess will need the blank at any time.

The benefits of garlic for the human body are great: it protects the immune system from viruses from the outside; it is added to the diet to lower cholesterol levels, heal the heart and blood vessels. At home, garlic is an indispensable vegetable that adds spice to any dish. To avoid rotting or drying out of the product, learn how to properly store garlic at home all year round.

Preparing garlic for storage

There is winter and spring garlic: the first is planted in the fall, and the second in the spring. The winter fruit, harvested in mid-July, is consumed immediately, and the spring fruit, dug out at the end of August, is intended for long-term storage at home. There is no particular difficulty with this product. In order for the vegetable to last all winter, it is important to collect it correctly:

1. The bulbs are harvested with a pitchfork or a shovel when the weather is dry and sunny.
2. For the next two weeks, the heads are left to dry outside in the shade.
3. After that, the plants are cleaned of adhering earth, the roots are cut with a knife, burning them with fire, and the stem is removed. Immediately, the heads are sorted out - empty, rotten, damaged bulbs or individual cloves are discarded.

Storing garlic in the winter at home

The best storage conditions for a vegetable are dryness, darkness, coolness and minimal air humidity. Suitable places for this are the cellar, basement, barn. You can store garlic in the winter in the apartment on the balcony inside the boxes, in the refrigerator. Spring fruits are not as fastidious as winter fruits - they are safely stored at room temperature up to 20 ° C. The main mission of the storage place is to isolate the bulbs from the factors that destroy them: moisture, dampness, mold. For storage of vegetables, they are also used:

• three-liter jars;
• food film;
• linen bags;
• stockings;
• vegetable (linseed or sunflower) oil;
• foil;
• sawdust box;
• a container with salt;
• hanging in the form of bundles.

How to keep garlic until spring in braids or bunches

This "grandfather" method of preserving a plant for winter consumption has been around for centuries. A hanging vegetable takes up little space; can serve as an addition to the interior of the kitchen. To store dried heads in braids or bundles, the stems are not removed. The woven braid is hung over the formed loop, and to make it even, twine is used. The stems of the heads are tied with a rope to form a bundle, which is also stored on the hook.

Storing garlic in glass jars or wooden crates

In a city apartment, you can store garlic inside a three-liter jar or a small wooden box (or shoe box). The main thing is to harvest the crop correctly, throw out the damaged plants, and then create the right conditions for the product. There are several ways in which the heads remain intact for a long time:

• Sterile jar. Dried heads are placed inside the container, divided into previously cleaned slices. Leaving the jar open, it is placed where it is dark and dry.
• Salt. To do this, you can take a jar, box or box. The essence of the method is as follows: the heads of the plant must be surrounded on all sides by salt, which absorbs excess moisture. Bulbs and salt must be dry. Inside the box or box, you should first fill in a layer of salt 2-3 cm, put garlic, cover it again with a salt layer. The lid should have small holes so that the vegetable does not languish, but breathes. It’s easier with a jar: you need to put all the heads there and pour salt inside. Leave container open.
• Onion peel. Having covered the heads with husks, they are placed where it is dry. So they will be stored for a long time.
• Ash. Here the principle is the same as with salt: alternating layers of ash and garlic. You need to fill them up inside a box or box.
• Flour. This product is covered with a layer of 2-3 cm at the bottom of a jar or pan and garlic is placed on top, previously rolled in flour. Then they fall asleep with it, and the garlic heads are stored for a long time.

In mesh or cloth bag

How to store garlic in a cloth bag or mesh? A linen bag made of natural material is soaked in a concentrated solution of table salt, after which it is allowed to dry. Salt, impregnated fabric, reduces the risk of penetration of bacteria, protects the heads from high humidity. To preserve garlic for the winter, the product is stored inside the net. To do this, you need to put dried heads there, and then hang the net on a hook or carnation.

Can garlic be stored in the refrigerator

This is the right place to store the product. The refrigerator maintains a low temperature, darkness is guaranteed, and humidity is kept to a minimum. A winter fruit can lie in an apartment, but its lifespan will be reduced due to stable warmth. The heads are cleaned, divided into slices, which are placed in a sterile jar, and then sent inside the refrigerator. Paper bags are also used - the dried vegetable, divided into cloves, is well stored there. You can also sprinkle the bulbs with salt. Thanks to this method, the plant will retain its properties and appearance for a long time.

How to Store Frozen or Canned Garlic

Freezing and canning are suitable for those who rarely eat this vegetable, but want it to be always at home. To freeze, the heads or slices are wrapped in cling film or foil and sent inside the freezer. To properly preserve the bulbs, you need dry wine and white vinegar. The slices are placed inside a sterile glass jar, then they are poured with a mixture of wine and vinegar, tightly sealed with a lid. Often black pepper and herbs are added for taste.

Video

And when it comes time to harvest, the question arises about its storage. In our article we will tell you how to store garlic for the winter at home so that it does not dry out, we will consider various ways to do it.

Harvesting

Harvesting for harvesting it for the winter must be carried out at a certain period. A clear sign that it is ready for harvest is the appearance of yellowness on the leaves and lodging of the tops. Approximately the collection period falls on the second half of August.

After thorough drying, it is necessary to cut off the roots, leaving 2-3 mm, just remove the stem. After that, it is worth sorting the bulbs and decomposing them in selected storage facilities.

Better storage conditions

Before telling where to store, we suggest that you familiarize yourself with the necessary conditions for its placement.

Choose a dark place for storage. You can leave the plant in the refrigerator or on the balcony.

It is important to ensure the following conditions:

• Humidity. Storage areas with high humidity are not suitable - this will lead to decay. Low humidity is also not suitable - the bulb will simply dry out. The ideal indicator should be 70-80%.
• Air access. When storing a plant without a container, excess air will contribute to its drying out, harmful microflora will develop. It is recommended to divide into portions of 300-500 g, put in cardboard boxes, plastic containers, wooden boxes, boxes.
• Temperature. It is better to choose rooms with a low temperature. However, it does not tolerate cold, so you should not freeze it. The optimum temperature is 2-5°C.

How to store garlic

In this section, we will tell you how to save in different ways until spring at home.

In pigtails

This is a fairly popular method, as it does not require additional packaging. Also, "garlic braids" can become an original decoration of any kitchen. To weave a braid, you need to take an ordinary twine and weave the stems of the plant into it. When you cut it, leave about 15 cm.

in banks

To do this, dry thoroughly. The roots should be set on fire a little, and then disassemble the heads into cloves. This must be done very carefully so as not to leave damage on the shell, and also not to miss the diseased or unsuitable for storage garlic.

After that, the teeth must be dried for 7 days, put in a three-liter jar. Do not cover it with a lid - leave the container in a dry, warm place.

In the fridge

Using this method, it is better to store winter, as in a dark room it will not tolerate wintering well. There are several storage methods:

Refrigerator storage is very convenient, but unfortunately not suitable for a bountiful harvest.

stockings

Our grandmothers always used this method - they put the vegetable in nylon stockings and hung it on the walls. Due to its simplicity, this method is still relevant today.

in salt

The principle of storage in salt is to "wrap" it as much as possible. You can put the heads in a box with holes, and sprinkle the layers with salt, you can mix with salt and put it all in sterilized jars. It is important to follow the rule - there must be a thick layer of salt on top of the plant, about 3 cm.

" Garlic

Garlic has long been an essential ingredient in many dishes and folk recipes. In order to have fragrant and fresh heads on hand all year round, you need to know how and where to properly store them at home in the winter.

There are several common ways to store this vegetable that will keep it fit for consumption until the next harvest.

As a rule, the following places are chosen for this:

• underground;
• balcony;
• fridge;
• dry places in the apartment.

It is more convenient for owners of private houses to choose a subfloor, since there may not always be enough space in the refrigerator. Having a dry place in an apartment or house is perfect for placing garlic braids and bunches or hanging a net. A glazed balcony is a great place to "winter" this vegetable in jars and boxes.

Storage in braids

The time-tested method it is a plaited braid of heads dried with a stalk. The finished braid is left in a dark and dry room. For this, a closet or pantry is suitable. Garlic braids take up very little space, but require skill and skill to weave the stems together well.

Storage in bundles

Dried heads with stems are tied into a bundle with a rope and hung in a dry room. The method is practically no different from the previous one, and the beams can also act as interior decoration.

Use of jars and boxes

Many people choose three-liter jars for overwintering vegetables without filling their heads with anything. This allows it not to dry out and germinate. Banks must be placed in the refrigerator or on the balcony.

To keep the garlic in the box, it is necessary to sprinkle its bottom with salt, then lay out some of the heads, sprinkle with salt again and lay out in this way layer by layer. This option allows the vegetable to remain fresh and juicy for a long time.

Waxing

Storage in bags

For this, bags made from natural materials are used. R It is recommended to periodically sort out the contents of the bag to remove damaged heads.

To reduce the risk of mold and bacteria, soak the garlic in a concentrated saline solution, let it dry, and then place it in a bag.

Storage in the refrigerator in a city apartment

To leave a vegetable for the winter in the refrigerator, it dry well, put into paper bags and put separately from other products.

To prevent spoilage of the product in the refrigerator, it is recommended to sprinkle the contents of the bags with salt or onion peel.

Freezing and canning

You can freeze both whole peeled cloves wrapped in foil or cling film, or finely chopped to reduce the cooking time when using them. This option is suitable for those who use the vegetable in cooking less often, since freezing changes the taste and structure of this product.

For preservation, you can use wine or vinegar. To do this, peeled cloves are placed in a jar and poured with dry wine or white vinegar. A tightly closed jar is placed in the refrigerator. The method allows the garlic not to deteriorate for up to four months.

How to properly prepare crops for storage?

Proper preparation is a guarantee that the product will not deteriorate in the winter in a city apartment.

Preparation for wintering should begin with the harvesting stage. It is important to know that there are two types of garlic that determine the timing of its collection:

• Winter:
  • collection time: end of July;
  • determination of readiness: the leaves turn yellow, the scales become thinner, the skin of the inflorescences begins to crack;
  • storage temperature: +1-3°;
• Spring:
  • collection time: first half of August;
  • determination of readiness: the leaves turn very yellow and begin to bend over and lie down on the ground;
  • storage temperature: +16-20°.

Digging must be done carefully, since damaged heads deteriorate much faster than whole ones and are more susceptible to the development of bacteria. For this purpose, a pitchfork or a shovel is used.

After digging the garlic, dry it well. Do it better in the open sun. The stems must be cut off, except in cases where weaving braids or bundles is supposed.

After harvesting, you need to get rid of all:

• damaged heads;
• rotten or affected by bacteria;
• empty heads.

Unsuitable garlic can be dried and used as a condiment.

After carrying out all of the above manipulations, you can begin to send the vegetable for the winter.

Storage issues

The most important and practically the only problem that can occur during wintering is damage to the heads. It can happen for several reasons.

First of all, it is a fungal infection. This can be avoided by very careful sorting. Also, the product may deteriorate due to improper storage conditions.

The following signs allow you to determine the corruption:

• an unpleasant smell, reminiscent of overcooked garlic;
• the presence of rotten lobules or whole heads.

In order for garlic to remain usable in the winter season as long as possible, it is necessary to strictly observe the algorithm for preparing for wintering and the conditions of the method chosen for this purpose.

Preserving garlic for the winter at home is quite simple. The main thing is to follow all the preparation measures and choose the most suitable method for yourself. Having followed all the established recommendations, you will be able to delight yourself with a tasty and juicy vegetable until the harvest of a new crop.

Foreword

Perhaps everyone knows that garlic is useful and necessary for canning, pickling, and cooking so many dishes. Therefore, naturally, almost every housewife tends to stock up on them for the winter. One way to store garlic is to use a refrigerator for this.

To store any vegetable, it is necessary to create certain conditions and garlic is no exception in this regard. However, this culture can be of two main types, and in accordance with belonging to one of them, you should choose how to store it. If such selectivity is not adhered to, then garlic, placed in conditions unsuitable for it, will not mature for the expected period and will not only lose its presentation and aroma, but may also become less useful, healing, and even completely deteriorate. Therefore, you should know that this vegetable plant is spring and winter. From the name it is obvious: the first is planted in the spring, and the second - in the fall, with the approach of winter.

In addition to the planting time, it differs from the spring crop in higher yields and in that it is stored worse.

If the garlic is from your own plot, then there should be no doubt whether it is spring or winter. The owner already knows what and when he planted, collected, and also how it should look. If garlic is purchased, then you should know how externally one species differs from another. In spring, non-shooting, stemless varieties predominate, and the cloves are arranged in several rows around the center of the bulb and usually in a spiral. Winter garlic must have a stem (arrow). The teeth around it are arranged in 1 row, and they are usually larger than those of the spring, but they are much smaller. If a clove is cut across the winter garlic, then in its core one can clearly distinguish the rudiment of the future arrow-stem.

Depending on the type of this vegetable, one of the following main ways of storing it should be chosen, which differ in the level of humidity and temperature:

• for spring - humidity 50–70% and 16–20 o C;
• for winter - humidity 70-80% and 2-4 o C.

It should be noted right away that spring garlic can be stored in conditions suitable for winter, but vice versa - no. However, at the same time, it will lose its freshness, aroma and will be stored for a shorter time. Winter in the heat quickly begins to germinate, and is also susceptible to easy damage by various diseases and drying. When the necessary conditions are created, the storage of spring garlic can last all winter until spring itself without a significant loss of its aroma, taste and vitamin component. Winter in its own storage environment will lie much less than its spring counterpart in its own. It is possible to increase this period, however, with a noticeable loss of aroma and taste of garlic, by freezing.

For storage, especially for the winter, only healthy garlic is suitable, which does not show signs of damage and disease. Ripe, but not overripe, strong bulbs should be selected, which have strong, tight-fitting scales. Such root crops are guaranteed to lie their shelf life.

Based on the foregoing, only long-term storage in the refrigerator should be. It is possible for a short time both it and spring. These are the cases when extra teeth remain, cleaned for consumption or use in cooking or preparations for the winter. Such garlic should be put in a separate container or plastic bag and stored in the refrigerator. You should also deal with spoiled teeth, which must first be cleaned of the husk and cut off their withered and rotten places. If unripe bulbs were bought or dug out, they should also be placed in the refrigerator, but with whole, unpeeled heads.

In all the above cases, garlic can be stored in the refrigerator without loss of aroma and taste for 6-7 days, and it will not go bad. If he has to lie down longer, then he will gradually begin to rot and may even become moldy in places. Such areas will need to be trimmed periodically.

Ripe winter garlic before long-term storage in the refrigerator must be sorted out, leaving only healthy bulbs, and dried well. Then it can be:

• arrange in small cardboard boxes or paper bags;
• treat the bulbs with vegetable oil and place in a bag made of silk or other natural fabric, but soaked in a cool saline solution and then dried;
• pour into a glass jar with a tight lid or a plastic bag, where the vegetable will need to be sprinkled with flour, onion peel or coarse salt.

After that, the container with garlic is placed in the refrigerator. During the entire period of storage of the vegetable, it must be periodically checked and, if necessary, the onions that begin to deteriorate should be removed from it, as well as the filler should be changed. These methods allow 3-4 months in the refrigerator.

Cleaned teeth can be preserved in vinegar or wine. Such garlic can be stored in the refrigerator for about 4 months or even longer. Suitable for canning:

• white distilled vinegar or white wine vinegar;
• dry white or red wine.

Peeled teeth should be poured into a glass jar, and then poured with vinegar or wine. Then the container is closed with a tight lid and put in the refrigerator. You can add salt to the jars (1 tablespoon of liquid for 1 glass of liquid) and red pepper, dried herbs, such as rosemary, oregano or bay leaves. This will give the canned garlic a special piquant flavor. After filling the seasonings, the jar must be shaken so that everything is mixed. If, during storage of garlic in a container, any signs of mold formation appear on the surface of the marinade, then all its contents will have to be poured out.

Freezing is considered not the most suitable way to preserve garlic. At the same time, it somewhat loses its aroma and taste, and after defrosting it becomes mushy and spreads. However, for winter garlic, there is no other alternative to harvest it for the winter and store it until the next harvest. Freezing can also be used for spoiled spring bulbs - they also do not stay warm for a long time. This harvesting method allows you to store garlic for 6-7 months.

Considering the form in which garlic comes after thawing, it is not recommended to freeze it with whole heads, since it will then be very difficult to clean the teeth and then use them for culinary purposes. They must be freed from the husk before freezing. It will turn out even better if after that you make a garlic mass from the cloves, which will need to be frozen. Below are some options for storing garlic in the freezer.

Whole, even or with cut out spoiled places, the teeth are laid out in plastic bags, tied loosely and placed in the freezer. Place in the bags is left due to the fact that the garlic expands when frozen. You can also use small plastic containers with airtight lids, or wrap the cloves in foil or cling film. Another option is to cut the teeth into small plates, and then arrange them in bags or containers. Finely chopped parsley, dill, any other herbs, and even chopped carrots can be added to chopped garlic. All this will need to be mixed with plates of teeth, and the resulting mixture should be distributed into packages, which, again, should not be tightly packed.

To freeze the garlic mass, the cloves are first crushed through a meat grinder or in a blender. Moreover, it is not necessary to achieve mashed potatoes, small pieces of garlic should remain. Again, you can grind along with different greens and even carrots. Then you can add just a little bit of olive oil to the resulting mass. Then the garlic mixture is spread with a teaspoon in portions on a tray covered with baking paper, or in molds for making ice and placed in the freezer. The resulting briquettes will be approximately like 2 cloves. When the garlic mixture freezes, it is transferred to bags and stored in the freezer. Used in cooking or added to ready-made dishes.