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Growing garlic is one of the common activities people do when they own a garden. Home-grown garlic is much better than the store-bought kind. It has a sharper taste, a more pronounced aroma and many more valuable substances. But we harvest it all at once, so it’s necessary to come up with a way to use it. You can store it in crates, or use it in various recipes (garlic in salt, flour, oil) or be clever about it and keep it until you harvest new garlic.
Harvest when the right time comes
For your garlic to have the longest possible shelf life, you need to harvest it at a time when the conditions are right. That is, when the garlic is just ripe. It must not be too early, because the garlic is still too moist, nor too late, because various diseases and drying out of the garlic may occur. As soon as the aboveground green part of the garlic begins to fall over, it’s a sign that the garlic will soon be ripe. Only after the leaves have dried can you dig it up and let it dry in the shade – for example tied in bunches.
How to store
Garlic that is well dried and shows no signs of disease can be placed in a mesh bag, which ensures sufficient air circulation. At this point the garlic should have a stem 10 cm long. So cut back any stems that are too long. Hang this bag in a dark, cool place – ideally in a cellar. A dark hallway or pantry can also help. If we stored garlic in high heat, it would sprout.
Further storage
At the beginning of January, shorten the garlic stem so that it is 2 to 2.5 cm long. Burn the roots with a lighter. This will prevent the garlic from rotting. Now prepare a wooden crate. Line its bottom with a polyethylene bag and then paper. Place the garlic heads on it. You can store them this way in the pantry or in the cellar (which is the ideal option). Thanks to this measure, the garlic will last until next spring or even summer.
