Garlic - aromatic spice, which will make any dish more appetizing and tastier, and is also a wonderful natural remedy for colds and viral infections. Planting and growing fragrant garden crops is not accompanied by any particular difficulties. It is much more difficult to solve the problem of how to store garlic at home in an apartment so that most of the harvest does not go to the trash bin in winter. Careful storage of garlic is largely ensured by timely and high-quality harvesting.
Don't miss the deadline
There are two varieties of garlic: winter and spring garlic (summer), which is planted in the ground in the spring. It usually ripens, depending on climatic and weather conditions, by mid-August. Its maturity is determined by its yellow, fallen leaves. The same factor also indicates the readiness of winter garlic, as well as cracks on the stems near the inflorescences and scales covering the heads. If they are thin and fit tightly to the bulb, it means that the winter garlic has reached its condition and it’s time to start harvesting. They remove it from the beds in early July.
It is advisable not to delay the harvesting campaign; overripe winter and spring garlic have low shelf life. In addition, the quality of the product deteriorates. The heads look sloppy: the lobules fall apart, the scales peel off, and fresh roots are visible on the bases of the bulbs (bottoms). Long-term storage of garlic in this form, without processing (canning), is impossible.
Remove according to all rules
How to store garlic at home in an apartment if it was damaged during cleaning? Place in the refrigerator and eat as soon as possible. True, this is unlikely to succeed if there are a lot of rejected fruits. To prevent this from happening, the heads are dug up not with a shovel, but with a pitchfork. Shake off the soil, carefully clean with your hands and lay out to dry. The sun's rays kill fungal spores and harmful bacteria. After such disinfection, you don’t have to worry about how to keep garlic from mold and rot. The bulbs should bask in the sun for at least 5-6 days. In the evening they are brought into the warm, dry room. 
Garlic, unlike other vegetables, is dried directly with the stems. They are cut off later (after 2 weeks), leaving necks 3-4 cm long for winter garlic and up to 15 cm long for spring garlic bulbs. This difference is caused by one of the old ways of preserving garlic for the winter and decorating the kitchen interior.
How to properly store spring garlic
It is not difficult for him to find a comfortable place for wintering in a city apartment. Three conditions are important: air temperature 15-20 degrees, humidity from 50 to 70% and the absence of light, which may not “awaken” the capricious spice in time. Garlic collected at the end of summer is stored in the pantry, toilet, or bottom shelf of the kitchen table. 
The “grandmother’s” method of storing garlic at home in an apartment has proven itself well, without resorting to additional tricks. The heads are braided into braids or wreaths using long stems and twine (rope). In the old days they were hung on walls as decoration and a talisman against evil forces. To prevent the garlic from drying out and becoming moldy, the surface of the heads is lubricated with vegetable oil. It (200 ml) is boiled for half an hour, then seasoned with 3-4 drops of medical iodine. The only disadvantage of this method is the accumulation of dust, which is not easy to get rid of.
Garlic is well protected from drying out and spoilage by a paraffin “shirt”. To put such an “outfit” on bulbs (7 kg), you will need approximately 270 g of candles. They are cut and melted in a water bath. When the mixture has cooled a little, put the garlic heads into it for a second (so as not to cook it). Then dry and store in a shoe box, sprinkled with dry pine sawdust. Instead of paraffin, a two-layer wrap with cling film is used, which is secured to the necks of the bulbs.
How to properly store winter garlic
The same “storage” options are quite suitable for winter garlic, but it is a supporter of the “cold”, and until the New Year it will not spoil only at 2-4 degrees of heat. So you have to think about how to store garlic at home in an apartment that is not equipped with an insulated heated loggia. If the harvest is small, it can be placed in the vegetable compartment of the refrigerator, packed in canvas, paper or plastic bags (holes are made in them), interspersed for reliability. onion skins. By the way, to prevent winter garlic from sprouting, the bottom is burned with a candle flame. 
The summer season is over, the harvest of vegetables and fruits has been harvested. And stands before the gardeners actual question: how to preserve products so that they do not rot or deteriorate, do not sprout or dry out. For example, garlic. In winter, it can replace many expensive medications, and is simply necessary in the kitchen. Almost every day when preparing lunch, we add it to various dishes, because it not only gives them a piquant taste, but also supports our health. We will share some secrets and talk about the nuances of how to store garlic correctly.
This vegetable can be called a record holder for long-term storage. If certain conditions are met, it lasts well all winter and we can use it until the new harvest.
In order for garlic to be stored well, you need to properly prepare it. Already during harvesting, you should pay attention to important points, which will have a direct impact on quality storage:
Garlic that has not passed the suitability test long-term storage, can be dried, frozen, pickled or salted.
Summer varieties have a higher shelf life than winter varieties. This is due to the number of covering scales: winter crops have much fewer of them, so they dry out faster when they lose moisture, and can also begin to mold or rot when high humidity and air temperature. Therefore, part of the winter garlic harvest is used for autumn planting, some are processed and a small amount of put into storage for use first. Usually winter crops are stored well until the New Year, then they begin to sprout and deteriorate.
It is very simple to distinguish winter garlic from spring garlic: the winter bulb has a false stem in the middle, while the summer bulb does not have one.
Winter garlic (left) differs from spring garlic (right) in the presence of a strong stem, the number and size of cloves, and their location
The main factors that affect the preservation of garlic are:
These rooms are considered optimal for storing vegetables, including garlic. The cellar or basement must be prepared for the vegetable storage season. To do this, they clean here, examine for the presence of rodents, insects, mold and take appropriate measures to eliminate these problems: they set traps and traps, correct ventilation defects, and treat them against fungus and other pathogenic bacteria. Basement storage methods:
If the temperature in the cellar does not exceed +2 degrees, then in such conditions chopped raw, dried, and oiled garlic will be well preserved, the methods of preparing which we will describe below.
In a city apartment, spring garlic is stored better and longer. If you grew this variety only for individual use, then its volume is most often not very significant, so it will not embarrass the owners and will not take up much space. It can be hung in braids or nylon stockings, or placed in boxes on kitchen shelves. By the way, garlic braids perfectly decorate the kitchen interior.
For beauty, you can weave blades of grass and dried flowers into a garlic braid, whose petals do not lose color or fall off, for example, marigolds, cornflowers
Many housewives use glass jars for storage. Step by step process bookmarks is as follows:
Garlic placed in jars can be sprinkled with coarse salt, which acts as an antiseptic and moisture absorber. In this case, first pour a layer of salt onto the bottom of the jar, then lay a layer of garlic, sprinkle it again with salt, and repeat layer-by-layer laying and sprinkling until the top of the jar. It is important to ensure that all the spaces between the heads or cloves are sprinkled with salt.
Filled jars can be covered with paper or cloth napkins and kept in a dark place.
Instead of salt, some gardeners prefer to sprinkle garlic with flour or ash, which absorb excess moisture very well and allow you to preserve a high-quality harvest for 5–6 months.
Garlic will be well preserved in linen bags if you first dip them in a highly concentrated saline solution and then dry them. Fabric soaked in salt is an obstacle to pathogenic bacteria, so the vegetable will be stored in such packaging for about 5 months without any problems.
You can also store garlic in small portions in fabric bags without impregnation. In this case, the shelf life will be reduced to 3 months, but an original bag with interesting embroidery or appliqué will decorate your workplace in the kitchen.
The bag can be sewn from any natural material
The essence of this method is as follows:
A similar effect can be achieved by using cling film in which garlic is tightly wrapped. If the head has been well dried and not affected by pathogenic bacteria, then the head will also be stored in a cocoon made of film for up to 6 months.
Simple and reliable way long-term storage of garlic - drying. This can be done in an electric dryer or oven:
Dried garlic can be used to make garlic powder. To do this, dry plates are crushed using a blender or an ordinary mortar, mixed with a small amount of salt and placed in small glass jars for storage. The advantages of this method include the following:
Garlic powder retains flavor but loses some useful qualities fresh product. This is practically the only but significant drawback of dried garlic.
In addition to salt, you can add dried herbs, pepper, paprika to the finished powder - and as a result you will get an original seasoning of your own production
If your city apartment has an insulated balcony or loggia, then you can store garlic prepared using the methods indicated above. At the same time, it is important to protect it from sunlight by covering it with a dark, opaque cloth, and to ensure the required temperature conditions.
For storage, you can build special boxes, line them with foam and foil, and thus protect them from sunlight and cold.
You can build a small cellar on the balcony for storing vegetables, including garlic, with your own hands
The most a big problem problem that occurs when storing fresh garlic in the refrigerator is air humidity. Most often, the vegetable is damp there, so the maximum storage time in the refrigerator is no more than 2–3 months. To prevent the cloves from spoiling, dried garlic is placed in paper or linen bags and the heads are sprinkled with salt or onion peels. As a container, you can use a flat glass jar, which is best placed on the refrigerator door.
Small amounts of garlic can be stored in the refrigerator for 2-3 months.
Garlic mass is stored without loss of taste and beneficial qualities for not very long - 2-3 months, but its advantage is that garlic is always at hand, which can be added to prepared dishes without additional processing.
Garlic soaked in oil also requires storage in the refrigerator:
The shelf life of garlic prepared in this way is up to 3 months. At the same time, it does not lose its properties, and the oil acquires a pleasant aroma, thanks to garlic phytoncides, and can be used for dressing various dishes- soups, sauces and salads.
There are different opinions about freezing garlic. Some housewives actively use and praise this method. Others note that the texture and flavor change when frozen, so it should not be used. As you know, everything is known only through personal experience, so here are the recipes for freezing, and it’s up to you to decide whether to use them or not:
Often, when storing garlic, problems arise that can be prevented if you follow the rules, clearly evaluate the available options and choose the most suitable method for preserving the vegetable. The presented table will help systematize information and navigate possible problems And external signs manifestations of storage errors.
| Problem | Why does it occur | Solutions | |
| Drying out | Drying of garlic occurs due to improperly created conditions. The room is too dry and warm air, due to which there is intense evaporation of moisture. As a result, the slices wrinkle, lose mass, and become brittle |
| |
| Mold or rot | |||
| Storage in closed containers without sufficient air access |
| ||
| The garlic was poorly dried or frozen | Compliance with the rules of preparation for storage, in particular, high-quality drying | ||
| Germination | Storage at high humidity and temperature |
Unfortunately, it will no longer be possible to completely stop the development of seedlings in the cloves; they will gain strength and draw out juices from the mother clove, so such heads should be sent for processing or immediately consumed as food | |
| Yellowness on the cloves | Unsuitable storage conditions | Ensuring the necessary storage conditions described above | |
| The vegetable is infected with fungal diseases |
|
If, during storage, a poor-quality selection was carried out, and heads infected with fungal or bacterial infections ended up in the storage, then after a short time they will begin to deteriorate, rot and, most importantly, infect healthy garlic pathogens. Therefore, it is important to periodically inspect crops sent for long-term storage and promptly remove and destroy infected bulbs. The presence of diseased heads is a signal that the seed may be infected, so effective and adequate measures should be taken to disinfect it.
During storage, the infected head becomes soft and watery and acquires a pinkish color. 
A black coating similar to dust forms on the cloves 
Light yellow or brown watery spots appear on the heads (mainly on the outer scales and bottom), which eventually become covered with bluish-green mold 
In case of defeat green mold Garlic cloves become limp and sunken spots appear on them. yellow color 
Neck rot appears as a gray coating at the base of the garlic head.
The methods for storing garlic are varied, so each housewife will be able to choose the most suitable one for herself in terms of conditions and execution. And if there is bountiful harvest If you resort to several methods at once, you will always have a fragrant vegetable in the house.
There is still a lot of work in the garden in September, but it’s time to think about winter. Do you know how to store garlic? How to extend its shelf life so that it does not dry out, rot or sprout. What is the best way to store garlic? You will learn about all this from my publication “How to Store Garlic” and the results of my experiment on storing garlic.
If you have a vegetable storehouse, then it is best to store garlic there, at an air temperature of - 1 to - 3 degrees and a humidity of 85-90%. Garlic is stored well in storage along with potatoes. But, if there is no such storage, then you can store garlic in a city apartment.
Garlic can be stored at room temperature subject to the following rules:
To extend the shelf life of garlic, you can use the following tricks:
The choice of storage method depends on the weather conditions in which the garlic grew. Last fall, I conducted a simple experiment - I studied 4 ways to store garlic. I wanted to know the best way to store winter garlic that grew during the damp summer.
You can learn about the results of my experiment from this video.
Having conducted such an experiment, I can confidently say that if the summer was damp, then it is best to store garlic in salt. absorbs moisture better, garlic sprouts less, remains juicy and elastic for 6 months (my experiment lasted from September to March).
I really like it when garlic is stored in braids in the kitchen, but, unfortunately, I never learned how to braid them. Previously, this is how my grandmother Anna Nikolaevna stored garlic.
By spring, the garlic stored in the apartment begins to sprout, and in order not to be left without garlic, I make dried garlic in the fall. I cut the garlic into plastic pieces and dry it at a temperature of 35-40 degrees. Then I grind it through a coffee grinder, put the powder into small jars and store it in the room.
If you want garlic to be stored longer, remaining fresh, juicy and healthy, then you can place it in a plastic bag and bury it in the garden to a depth of 30-40 centimeters (it is better to do this while the ground is not frozen).
If the summer is dry, then I store garlic in the refrigerator in a glass jar, placing it on the refrigerator door. Thus, winter garlic is usually stored until spring.
Sometimes I store peeled and chopped garlic in a jar and vegetable oil. I make sure to cover the jar with a lid with holes so that the garlic does not rot. This garlic stores well, and the oil is imbued with a pleasant garlic flavor. This oil is an excellent dressing for vegetable salads.
If I want to preserve garlic for as long as possible, I use this method of storing it: I peel the garlic, grind it in a blender or meat grinder and freeze it in freezer, using ice containers or simply in small plastic bags, placing the garlic mass no more than 1 centimeter thick. Frozen garlic does not lose its taste and benefits.
Today I told you, my readers, about some ways to store garlic, and you learned how to store garlic at home. I hope that you know other ways to store garlic, which you can tell me about in the comments for my readers.
I store garlic in an open wicker basket in the kitchen away from the radiator, but during the heating season the apartments are always very dry, and therefore the cloves always dry out. It would seem that it is possible to increase humidity to optimal values of 60-70%, and then storage losses will decrease. However, I read in many books that it is also impossible to store garlic at high humidity, as this is fraught with the appearance of rot and mold. It is also not recommended to keep garlic in the same room with vegetables that produce a lot of moisture - for example, in the cellar. Although a situation is allowed when optimal humidity is maintained in the cellar, and potatoes, cabbage, radishes and beets are not stored there. The storage temperature should be about 2-4 degrees Celsius.
Nadya Photos
Many forum users advise storing garlic in a large glass jar without a lid.
photo Nadya
There are different options available:
Photo Nadya to the method of storing garlic described Ir_bis: the length of the stem for a “bouquet” of garlic can be about 20-40 cm, that is, after drying, there is no need to trim anything. Just remove this bunch of garlic with long stems, turn the heads up and put it in a jar.
Photo by dgina
Madame Engineer: “I only plant winter crops; they are larger and tastier, to my taste. I dry the garlic in a dry attic. I dig it up, clear it of soil with my hands and hang it entirely on a rope, after 2 weeks I remove the tops, which have already dried to the point of brittleness, clean them with a knife, cut off all the excess and dry them in boxes and nets for another week. Then I put it in the bottom drawer of the refrigerator and eat it until September next year, it stores perfectly, and in August it begins to germinate in the refrigerator.”
Photo by Bagheera123
Dobrynka Photos
After 8 years of growing garlic, I came to the conclusion that small garlic is stored better, although I still don’t understand why.
Asbuka I also think so: “I keep it in the pantry at home. The smaller the garlic, the longer it will be stored. This is the conclusion I made... I keep the winter ones for a long time, until spring, but only the small ones. The large one dries up before the new year. At home it can be plus 30 in the winter. I don’t wash the garlic; when I dig it up, I put it on something and it dries out. I sit down and trim the mustache and stems with pruning shears. Quite fast and easy. I cut it and put it in a basket to dry, and that’s it. Then into a bag and into the pantry.”
Nadya Photos
Gave excellent advice dgina: “If your garlic began to grow and turn green early in the spring, do not throw it away, take it apart into cloves and plant it tightly in some container, and in May plant it in the garden and forget about it until late autumn. Or you can use it on greens. You need to dig up such garlic together with carrots. They say the heads turn out to be very large. Anything is better than throwing it away.”
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 when proper storage it retains all its valuable qualities.
But at this time it is difficult to buy good garlic, so it's best to grow it yourself or buy it in the fall, when it's inexpensive and fresh. True, in this case, many housewives are faced with a problem: how to store garlic? Many homes don't have this suitable conditions, and not everyone knows how to do it correctly.
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 -5 o, then the garlic freezes and loses all its beneficial qualities.
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 garlic. 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.
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 look at its leaves, and in winter varieties, also the arrows. If lower leaves turned yellow, the tops died, and the heads on the inflorescences 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 in late August - early 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 at this time they turn into heads nutrients. 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.
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 carton 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 fall below 5 o C and that the garlic is not exposed to sunlight. But there are many ways to store it in the apartment itself.
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.
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 fill the cloves sunflower oil, then 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.
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 dry and clean plywood box, pour a layer of coarse salt on the bottom, preferably sea salt. 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 a short time dip your heads into it. Once dried, the garlic will remain fresh for a long time.
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.
Everyone who stores garlic in an apartment faces the same problems. So that all winter and even spring this fragrant and useful product was on your desk, 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.
