The golden rule is that garlic stocks are eaten up, starting from the smallest to the largest heads, since small garlic spoils faster. You can store garlic in several ways:

In braids

• After digging, long dried stems are not removed, but woven into braids. In garlic, they are not as strong as those of onions, so you will need twine or rope for weaving. Bundles are hung in a dry, well-ventilated area, to prevent moisture from getting on them. The heads dry out quickly enough, it is better to choose a cool place for storage. Garlic is stored the longest at 1-4°C. But if the duration of storage is not very relevant, garlic braids can become an original decoration of the kitchen.

In glass jars

• Try storing ripe and well-dried garlic in glass jars sprinkled with flour or salt. Above the top layer there should be a layer of "bulk products" of about 2 cm. Banks can be removed to the kitchen table, put on the shelves.

With pre-waxing

• The garlic is well dried, the upper scales are removed, the stem is shortened to 3 cm, the roots are cut off and the heads are dipped in warm paraffin.

In a canvas bag or kraft paper bag (parchment)

• Winter garlic is best preserved in this wayif you place it in the vegetable compartment of the refrigerator.

In an open jar or basket

• For bulbs prepared for storage, the roots are gently scorched (more conveniently over a candle flame). The only but - planting such garlic is already pointless.

Ways to store onions

For long-term storage (until January-February), onions of late varieties are suitable. Stop watering two weeks before harvest. Dig up the onion carefully, trying not to damage the bottom and covering scales. Before storing, the onion is sorted out, dried, the feathers are cut at a height of 4 cm. They are dried at a temperature of +24 ... + 26 ° C for 10-15 days, not forgetting to stir and turn over.

The attic is the most suitable place for storing onions, if the temperature there fluctuates between 0 ... + 2 ° C, and the humidity is 70-80%. There you can sprinkle it on a newspaper on the floor, put it in low boxes, baskets, hang bundles on stretched ropes.

The onion cellar is too damp, but if there is no other option, you need to arrange buckets of ash, shavings or lime to absorb moisture. You can store onions in an apartment, at room temperature not higher than +20 ° C and humidity about 50%. Just consider the specific smell and do not place it in the living room.

It is better to harvest onions in dry weather, before the onset of the rainy phase. There is no need to wait until the tops fade and turn completely yellow - it will be better if the onion ripens in braids. Onion braids or wreaths are both a storage method and decoration of the kitchen interior (veranda). After digging, the leaves are not cut off, but braided into braids after they dry well (so that cervical rot does not start). So that they do not break off, they are woven together with twine, narrow ribbon or straw. The braids are hung.

Storing green onions

The green feather of perennial onions can be harvested from early spring to late autumn, cutting as needed. The leaves are sorted, removing damaged and stale. The roots are slightly moistened and the bulbs are wrapped with a wet rag, and the feathers with paper towels. Tie with twine, place in a plastic bag and put in the vegetable compartment of the refrigerator (shelf life - 3 weeks).

How to save leeks

Leeks are harvested until late autumn as needed. Dig up the leek carefully, trying not to crush the stems. Damaged and yellowed leaves are removed, and the remaining ones are cut off, leaving two-thirds of the length (for better transpiration), the roots are cut to a length of 1 cm.

It can be kept in the vegetable compartment of the refrigerator for two to three weeks by packing 5-10 pieces in a perforated plastic bag. The optimum storage temperature is +2°C.

If the basement is maintained at a temperature of 0 ... + 1 ° C and a humidity of 80-90%, it will lie all winter if the lower part is dug in buckets of peat in half with sand (vertically so that the shoots are less curved). Leek can also be stored on the balcony in a mini-cellar or insulated boxes - it can withstand frost down to -5 ... -7 ° С.

Frozen leek is stored for about 3 months at t -18°C. Before putting it in the freezer, it is better to cut it into portioned pieces (about 2-3 cm) and put it in a pan or blanched for one or two minutes, let the water drain and cool, and only then place it in containers. Otherwise, after defrosting, it will be slightly rubbery (like a freshly frozen zucchini).

It has long been believed that garlic is one of the most miraculous natural medicines and at the same time a spice. It is especially useful to use it in autumn and winter, when the body is more susceptible to infections and colds. It is extremely clear that in order to enrich your diet with fresh garlic throughout the winter and even spring after its summer and autumn harvest, you need not only to harvest on time, dry the heads, but also create favorable conditions for its long storage, choosing the right one way. You can read about the positive experience of storing garlic at home below.

Rules for storing garlic in the cellar (basement) and in the apartment at home

The main condition and rule for the good preservation of garlic for a long time is to maintain a constant storage temperature.

The best place to store garlic heads in winter is naturally basement (cellar), but it must be dry and well ventilated, and the air temperature should always be around 0, the maximum fluctuate within -1..+4 degrees.

However, if you do not have a cellar or basement, then garlic can be stored at home at room temperature (for example, in the kitchen, it will always be at hand), which should be within +16..+22 degrees.

It's important to know! When garlic is stored at home, the heads may shrink more, which is quite natural. Therefore, the place of storage should not be too dry, but not too damp: the optimal humidity of the room is in the range of 50-80%.

It is easy to guess that garlic is best stored, which was previously well dried and properly prepared for storage. That is why approach this action with all seriousness and responsibility. All necessary information is detailed.

By the way! Spring garlic is better stored than winter garlic, so it can be stored in an apartment, while winter garlic is best kept in the basement at low temperatures.

It is also worth considering the fact that small heads and slices deteriorate much faster, so it is better to use them for food and cooking in the first place.

Possible storage problems and errors

It often happens that in winter the heads can rot (mold) or dry out, and those that can live until spring begin to sprout and take root, although you don’t seem to violate all the conditions for harvesting, preparing and directly storing garlic. What is the problem, and how not to ruin the crop?

Rot or mold

As a rule, the heads rot either damaged during the collection and preparation for storage, or frozen already in the cellar. First of all, it is the mold that becomes the result of high humidity, and if the temperature also goes up, then the death of the crop cannot be avoided. Therefore, it is very important to maintain stable storage conditions for garlic.

drying out

It is unlikely that garlic will completely avoid drying out, since this is a normal process of moisture loss, especially if you store it in an apartment. But if the drying is rapid, the teeth become stone from drying out, and at the same time turn yellow, then these are already signs of a bacterial disease. Urgently remove such heads from the total mass of the stored product!

Only its special treatment with paraffin will help to retain moisture in the bulbs, thanks to which the heads will have a kind of protective layer. We will talk in more detail about this method of keeping the bulbs fresh and juicy below.

Root sprouting

The solution to this problem is the preliminary "scorching" or burning of the bottom along with the remains of the roots, which can be performed over a candle flame or directly over a gas burner.

If the garlic nevertheless took root, then the method of storing it in oil, which will be described later, will save.

Advice! Check your inventory periodically! If a particular head confuses you, then feel free to use it first, without waiting until the entire crop is wasted due to just one spoiled garlic.

How to store garlic all winter until spring: top 13 ways to store it for a long time

In fact, there are many traditional and new, also very practical ways to store garlic for a long time.

In braids

The most beautiful way to store garlic is to braid its stems.

To make the pigtail strong and tight, additionally use a rope or twine when weaving. And at the end of the rope, do not forget to make a loop so that you can hang it on a nail.

It will be a good solution to hang the pigtail in any suitable place: in the closet, in the kitchen, in the pantry, on the glazed loggia or in the basement.

By the way! Braid storage is ideal for spring garlic, which is harvested later, but keeps noticeably longer and better than winter garlic.

In bundles

One of the easiest ways to store garlic, if you live in a private house or have a large kitchen, is to hang it in bunches or brooms, so to speak, by tying long stems with heads into a kind of panicles.

In a net or in nylon tights (stockings)

If you don’t want to bother and tie the garlic together with their stems into braids or brooms, then you can place the already cut heads in a net or nylon tights, and then again hang them in the corridor, between window frames, in the kitchen or in another dry and always cool place.

Just in the bank

The simplest way, suitable for any premises (and it does not matter where you live in a private house or in a city apartment).

Take any (1.3-liter) dry glass jar and put pre-dried and cut garlic into it, and leave the lid open (although some, on the contrary, close it). Store the jar in a kitchen cabinet, such as under the sink or in any other cool place (but not necessary). When using this method, the shelf life is approximately 2-3 months.

Important! Of course, each house has its own microclimate, but for obvious reasons, there is no ventilation in glass jars, so condensation can form. So, if you close it, it is better to use a lid with holes.

Note! Some summer residents advise pre-sterilizing jars, but most store it perfectly even without it, because you yourself will hardly sterilize garlic anyway.

Video: storing garlic in a jar

in flour

Another way to store garlic in a jar is to use flour (you can buy the cheapest).

At the bottom of a dry glass jar, you need to pour a small layer of flour, then put the garlic heads, pour a small layer of flour again, put the garlic and so on until the jar is completely filled. There must be a layer of flour on top. The jar can be placed inside a kitchen cabinet or on top.

By the way! Instead of jars, you can take enamel pots.

in salt

Another analogue of storing garlic is in a jar with a filling. Again, you need to take a jar, although shallow wooden or plastic boxes are also suitable, pour coarse salt into it, put the heads on it and repeat the process until the container is filled to the brim.

The container is optimally placed in the cellar or basement, although you can again use the pantry or kitchen cabinet. The main thing is that the place is dry and cool, and the temperature is constant.

In wood ash

Instead of salt or flour, you can use wood ash to store garlic, but in this case it will be enough just to sprinkle garlic with 1 tbsp. a spoonful of ash the first time when the container is half full, and then again when you completely lay it.

Video: processing and storing garlic in wood ash jars

in vegetable oil

This method is very effective if you have begun to sprout the roots of the bulbs, or you decide to prevent this process.

You can store garlic in oil as follows:

1. Prepare a sterile container - a glass jar.
2. Rinse well, clean the cloves and put in a container.
3. Pour vegetable oil, and you can use both sunflower and olive or even linseed.
4. Cork and put in the refrigerator.

Garlic can be stored this way for about 3-4 months, taking out fragrant cloves as they are needed in cooking.

Important! Garlic oil is obtained simply with a divine aroma, but the cloves themselves acquire a rather specific taste, which may not be to everyone's liking.

In wooden boxes or baskets

At home, you can store garlic in baskets, wooden boxes and cardboard boxes.

You can also sprinkle the heads with salt, flour or ash for better preservation. Sawdust and even onion peel are also suitable for you, or leave it to be stored in its pure form.

Garlic treated with paraffin can be stored in boxes.

In film and sawdust

If you plan to store garlic in sawdust in a plastic or wooden box, or in a cardboard box, then it would be rational to wrap each garlic in cling film, except for the bottom and top of the left stem.

in paraffin

Waxing garlic is the best and perhaps the only way to keep the heads juicy for quite a long time.

How to carry out the procedure?

1. Pour water into a saucepan, bring to a boil, and then set the temperature to the lowest possible so that the water does not boil.
2. Cut the paraffin into pieces, put in a smaller container, which you put in a pot of boiling water to make a kind of water bath.
3. When the paraffin is melted, take the garlic by the tip of the stalk and dip the head in the paraffin for 1-2 seconds.
4. When the garlic bulbs are dry, put them in a dry box, jar or collect them in a net and hang them.

Important! Don't overcook the garlic in the paraffin, otherwise it will cook.

In a cloth (linen) bag or paper bag

Fabric bags (the so-called linen bags) can also be used as containers for preserving the garlic crop, which should be filled with heads, tied and hung in the room required for normal storage.

underground in the street

A rather original and unusual way to preserve garlic heads is to bury them in the ground. However, they must first be dried well, put in a plastic bag or wrapped in a film and placed in a pre-dug hole a little less than half a meter (40 cm) deep. Then lightly sprinkle with sawdust and shower with ordinary earth. When the soil thaws in spring, you'll have an early "fresh harvest."

Video: the best ways to store garlic

Can garlic be stored in the refrigerator

Of course, you can store garlic in the refrigerator, but it will remain fresh only for a very short time (up to a week), there can be no question of any preservation until winter or even spring. The thing is that in such conditions, the garlic head quickly picks up moisture and can become moldy.

Another thing is if you are going to preserve the cloves in wine or vinegar. In this form, they can be stored for up to 3-4 months.

Marinating garlic for the winter

If you prefer garlic cloves not only fresh, then conservation will significantly increase the duration of their storage until the new harvest.

There are many recipes for pickled garlic. As a rule, cloves and heads are marinated in table vinegar or wine, but you can use whatever spices and additional ingredients you like.

By the way! Storing garlic in oil is somewhat similar to pickling it, only in a lighter form.

Video: pickled garlic for the winter

Remember that the surest option not to be left without spicy garlic cloves in winter is to store them in several ways at once. Try everything - old, traditional, new, but also reliable, and then you will determine for yourself your personal best method for storing garlic.

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FEATURES OF STORING ONIONS AND GARLIC

Long-term storage of garlic and onions is a very difficult task and its solution begins with proper harvesting.

If the conditions for the ripening of onions and garlic were normal, then harvesting begins when about 75% of the plants wither and fall leaves. In case of prolonged rains, three weeks before harvesting, it is necessary to trim the roots under the bottom of the bulbs by 5-6 cm and rake the soil around the bulbs without damaging them. Accidental crushing or trampling of the leaves is unacceptable, as this will weaken the health of the bulbs and will facilitate the penetration of pathogenic bacteria into them.

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Preparing to store onions and garlic

Drying the harvested onion and garlic is a prerequisite for success in their long-term storage. In dry sunny weather, it is enough to spread the bulbs on the beds and dry them in the air at a temperature of 30 to 35 ° C. To avoid reproduction in the scales of pathogens, the onion should be turned over periodically so that it dries out better. Onion drying should be completed at a higher temperature - + 45 ° C for 8-10 hours. This is the only way to destroy the pathogens of cervical rot - the most common and dangerous onion disease that prevents its long-term storage. Optimally dried garlic and onions are considered at 14-15 percent moisture content of the scales. If the neck of the bulbs is not dried enough, then storage losses will be large.

Overdrying the bulbs is also unfavorable for their storage: pathogenic microorganisms easily penetrate through the cracked scales. Yellowed leaves are cut from the dried bulbs, so that the neck remains at least 4-5 cm long. Then the onion is again sent to dry outside or in a heated room. An onion is considered dry if the neck is dry to the touch.

Before storage, onions should be sorted, carefully looking at each onion. Bulbs with mechanical damage, signs of disease or pest damage, cracked outer scales, a thick, dry neck and a non-lodging feather are unsuitable for storage, as they quickly rot. They can be used right away. Bulbs of garlic intended for storage must be whole. Sorting garlic, it can be immediately put into storage in boxes.

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Features of storing onions and garlic

The success of storing onions and garlic depends on the right mode. In these vegetables, the period of deep dormancy is long and well expressed. In this state, the bulbs undergo differentiation of the kidneys, i.e. generative organs are formed at growth points. For the differentiation of the kidneys, the temperature from +2 to +12 ° C is favorable. At an air temperature above +12°C, this process slows down, and at +18°C it stops altogether. Therefore, the optimal temperature ranges for onion storage are from -1 to +2°С and from +18 to +22°С (temperatures above +25°С are unacceptable). The most suitable temperature for garlic storage is from +1 to +3°C. With air humidity in storage not exceeding 70%, onions are practically not susceptible to disease and retain all their useful properties.

The method of storing onions and garlic is selected based on the volume of planned stocks. It is advisable to store a large crop of onions and garlic in mounds no more than half a meter high on shelves in the basement. Shelves should be well ventilated, to avoid the formation of free moisture, the sides of the shelves are not made of solid materials. Wooden boxes with a volume of 25-30 kg are also perfect for creating optimal storage conditions for onions. To combat excess moisture during storage of onions in Russia, a dry straw sheaf was used, which was installed directly into the embankment.

Small stocks of garlic can be paraffinized before storage: garlic, placed in nets, is dipped in molten paraffin for a couple of seconds. Then the heads of garlic with paraffin solidified on them are placed in small linen bags, which are stored in a suspended state in a dry room.

Another method of storing garlic is also widely known: the heads are placed in a glass jar and sprinkled with flour in layers. The topmost layer of flour should be at least 2 cm thick.

From time to time, stored onions and garlic should be checked for disease damage. Sick bulbs should be removed immediately. However, sorting out a stored onion is not worth it, since this does not exclude injuries to the bulbs, which will become the entrance gate for diseases.

Garlic in storage can suffer from green mold, which causes the cloves to wilt quickly and develop yellow-green mold spots and depressions. From diseased heads, the mold quickly passes to healthy ones, and then all stocks can die in a matter of days. When this disease is detected, diseased heads are removed, and the rest are dried at a temperature of +35 to +40 ° C, and then put back into storage in a well-ventilated container.

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It happens that during storage the garlic begins to dry or germinate. In this case, you can save stocks in the following way. The cloves are cleaned, washed and dried, after which they are carefully crushed and placed in glass jars with tight-fitting lids. Jars of chopped garlic are stored in the freezer.

Behind the summer season, harvested fruits and vegetables. And gardeners face an urgent question: how to preserve the products so that they do not rot and deteriorate, do not germinate and do not dry out. For example, garlic. In winter, it can replace many expensive medicines, and it is simply necessary in the kitchen. Almost every day when preparing dinner, we add it to various dishes, because it not only gives them a spicy taste, but also maintains our health. We will share some secrets and tell you about the nuances of how to store garlic correctly.

Laying garlic for storage at home

This vegetable can be called the record holder for the possibility of long-term storage. Under certain conditions, it lies perfectly all winter and we can use it until the new harvest.

How to prepare a vegetable for long-term storage

In order for garlic to keep well, you need to properly prepare it. Already during harvesting, attention should be paid to important points that will have a direct impact on high-quality storage:

• optimal collection time. Timely harvested heads do not break up into denticles and are suitable for storage. Usually, gardeners grow two types - spring (or summer) and winter (or winter). Spring garlic is harvested when its leaves not only turn yellow, but also begin to lie on the ground. This usually happens in the first or second decade of August. The readiness for winter harvesting is determined by the following signs: yellowing of the leaves and bursting of the skin of the inflorescences. Estimated time for harvesting winter garlic is the end of July;

  The signal for harvesting winter garlic is the straightening and cracking of the skin of the inflorescence on the control specimen.

• remove the heads of garlic carefully, trying not to damage them. The plant is not pulled out of the ground, but dug up with a pitchfork or a shovel. The earth is removed from the heads by hand. It is impossible to shake the ground by tapping the heads against each other or against other objects. Damaged heads are suitable only for processing and will not be stored for a long time;
• the dug crop must be thoroughly dried by hanging it with the leaves in a dry, ventilated place with the heads down. In this case, the nutrients found in the leaves and stem will enter the head and improve its taste. Under favorable conditions, the drying time is at least 3–5 days;

  Dry the garlic for about a week and only then cut it off

• during the sorting of garlic, hollow, damaged ones (with scratches, peeled skin, etc.), as well as heads with signs of damage by any disease (spots, growths, etc.) are rejected and divided into groups according to size.

  For long-term storage, large heads of garlic are selected, which are better stored.

Garlic that has not passed the shelf life test can be dried, frozen, pickled, or salted.

Which garlic is better to lay for long-term storage - summer or winter

Summer varieties have a higher keeping quality than winter ones. This is due to the number of covering scales: winter has much fewer of them, so it dries faster when moisture is lost, and can also begin to mold or rot at high humidity and air temperature. Therefore, part of the harvest of winter garlic is used for autumn planting, part is processed and a small amount is stored for storage in the first place. Usually winter is well stored until the New Year, then it begins to germinate and deteriorate.

It is very simple to distinguish winter garlic from spring garlic: the winter bulb has a false stem in the middle, it is absent in the summer one.

Winter garlic (left) differs from spring garlic (right) in the presence of a strong stem, the number and size of cloves, their location

Preservation conditions

The main factors that affect the preservation of garlic are:

• temperature. The optimal storage temperature for winter garlic is from -2 to +2 degrees. Higher temperatures can cause fruits to germinate. At lower temperatures, it will freeze. Significant fluctuations in temperature lead to the fact that garlic loses its taste and beneficial properties. Spring can be stored at a higher temperature (but not higher than +20 degrees);
• air humidity. It should not exceed 80%. High humidity will cause the teeth to rot. If the storage place is too dry, that is, the air humidity is less than 50%, then the garlic will begin to dry out;
• illumination. Harvest is best stored in a dark place. When stored in the light, it is important to avoid direct sunlight on the heads;
• air access. Excessive air access will contribute to the drying of the heads, so it is best to store the vegetable in open containers or boxes, canvas bags.

Where and how to store garlic

In a cellar or basement

These rooms are considered optimal for storing vegetables, including garlic. The cellar or cellar should be prepared for the vegetable storage season. To do this, they carry out cleaning here, examine for the presence of rodents, insects, mold and take appropriate measures to eliminate these problems: they set traps and traps, correct ventilation shortcomings, treat from fungus and other pathogenic bacteria. Basement storage options:

• in braided braids. This old way of storing onions and garlic is popular with many housewives. Braided on a twine or rope, garlic stalks with heads provide moderate air access, take up little space during storage;

  Weaving braids from garlic is a completely simple matter, and a vegetable in this form "breathes", which means it can be stored for a long time

• in nylon stockings. Despite the primitiveness of such a container, it is almost ideal for storing garlic. There are small gaps in the capron through which air flows freely. Such a garlic knit can be placed on a hook, so it also does not take up much space;

  This method of storing both garlic and onions is also convenient because the husk does not get enough sleep, but remains inside the stocking

• in plywood or cardboard boxes, boxes, wicker baskets.

  Garlic should be placed in a box with a layer not exceeding 20 cm.

• They must have holes for air access. In the cellar, it is recommended to place them at some distance from potatoes, cabbage, carrots and beets, since the proximity to these vegetables is undesirable.

If the temperature in the cellar does not exceed +2 degrees, then in such conditions chopped raw, dried, and also oil-filled garlic will be well preserved, the methods of preparation of which we will discuss below.

Video: how to weave a garlic braid

In the apartment

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, it will not take up much space. It can be hung in braids or nylon stockings, placed in boxes on kitchen shelves. By the way, garlic braids perfectly decorate the interior of the kitchen.

For beauty, blades of grass and dried flowers can be woven into a garlic braid, whose petals do not lose color and do not crumble, for example, marigolds, cornflowers

in banks

Many housewives use glass jars for storage. The step-by-step bookmarking process is as follows:

1. Banks are thoroughly washed and dried.
2. Dried and sorted garlic can be put into jars with whole heads or disassembled into cloves.
3. Filled jars are not closed with lids and placed in a dry, preferably dark place.

Garlic packed in jars can be sprinkled with coarse salt, which acts as an antiseptic and moisture absorber. In this case, first a layer of salt is poured onto the bottom of the jar, then a layer of garlic is laid, sprinkled with salt again, and so the layer-by-layer laying and sprinkling are repeated to the top of the jar. It is important to ensure that all the gaps 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 maintain a quality crop for 5-6 months.

Video: processing and storing vegetables in jars

in bags

Garlic will keep well in linen bags if you first dip them in a highly concentrated saline solution, and then dry them. The cloth impregnated with salt is an obstacle to pathogenic bacteria, so the vegetable will be stored in such a package without any problems for about 5 months.

Garlic can also be stored in small portions in fabric bags without impregnation. In this case, the shelf life will be reduced to 3 months, but the original bag with interesting embroidery or appliqué will decorate your workplace in the kitchen.

The bag can be sewn from any natural material

in paraffin

The essence of this method is as follows:

A similar effect can be achieved using cling film, in which garlic is tightly wrapped. If the head was well dried and not affected by pathogenic bacteria, then the head will also be stored in a film cocoon for up to 6 months.

Drying

A simple and reliable way to store garlic for a long time is to dry it. You can do this in an electric dryer or oven:

Dried garlic can be used to make garlic powder. To do this, dry plates are crushed with a blender or an ordinary mortar, mixed with a small amount of salt and poured into small glass jars for storage. The advantages of this method include the following:

• garlic powder takes up little storage space;
• when cooking, you will not need to spend time cleaning and chopping garlic;
• in carefully closed containers, such a product can be stored for up to a year.

Garlic powder retains flavor, but loses some of the useful qualities of a 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

On the loggia

If your city apartment has an insulated balcony or loggia, then you can store garlic prepared in the indicated ways on them. At the same time, it is important to protect it from sunlight by covering it with a dark opaque cloth, and to ensure the necessary temperature conditions.

For storage, you can build special boxes, overlay 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

In a refrigerator

The biggest problem with storing fresh garlic in the refrigerator is the 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 damage to the cloves, dried garlic is placed in paper or linen bags and the heads are sprinkled with salt or onion peel. As a container, you can use a flat glass jar, which is best placed on the refrigerator door.

A small amount of garlic can be stored in the refrigerator for 2-3 months.

Storing minced garlic

The garlic mass is stored without loss of taste and useful qualities for not very long - 2–3 months, but its advantage is that garlic is always at hand, which can be added to cooked dishes without additional processing.

In oil filling

Garlic drenched 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 due to garlic phytoncides, and can be used to season various dishes - soups, sauces and salads.

Freezing

There are different opinions about freezing garlic. Some housewives actively use and praise this method. Others note that the texture and taste change when frozen, so it should not be used. As you know, everything is learned only from personal experience, so we will give freezing recipes, and it's up to you to decide whether to use them or not:

What problems can arise during storage

Often there are problems with the storage of garlic, which can be prevented by following the rules, clearly assessing the options available and choosing the most appropriate way to preserve the vegetable. The presented table will help to systematize information, to orient in possible problems and external signs of manifestation of storage errors.

Table: how storage errors manifest themselves

If poor-quality selection was carried out during storage, and heads infected with fungal or bacterial infections got into the storage, then after a short time they will begin to deteriorate, rot and, most importantly, infect healthy garlic with pathogens. Therefore, it is important to periodically inspect the crop sent for long-term storage, and remove and destroy the infected bulbs in time. The presence of diseased heads is a signal that the seed may be contaminated, so effective and adequate measures should be taken to disinfect it.

Signs of fungal and bacterial diseases that appear during storage of garlic: photo

During storage, the infected head becomes soft and watery, 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 a bluish-green mold When affected by green mold, the garlic cloves become sluggish, sunken yellow spots appear on them. Neck rot appears as a gray coating at the base of the head of garlic.

The ways of storing garlic are varied, so each housewife will be able to choose the most suitable one for herself in terms of conditions and performance. And if, in the presence of a plentiful harvest, you resort to several methods at once, then there will always be a fragrant vegetable in the house.

They begin to think about the safety of onions and garlic even when planting, choosing a variety, preparing a room and a container. Let's leave a couple of onion and garlic wreaths hung in the kitchen, and the rest will have to be taken to a special storage place. How to properly store garlic and onions so that they remain fresh and healthy throughout the year?

Preparing onions and garlic for storage

You can not remove onions and garlic ahead of time, with wet necks that cause rotting. Before storing onions or garlic in the attic, in the cellar or in apartment conditions, they need to be dried in the sun on a windy day. After harvesting in warm weather, the onions are left to lie down in the garden at 30-35 degrees, and if necessary, they are dried in a barn, under a canopy or in a well-ventilated room. Complete drying indoors will take about two weeks. You can dry the crop by placing it for two days near the battery, oven or in a stream of dry hot air for 10 hours, providing a temperature not higher than 35 degrees. Hot drying will protect the fruit from gray or neck rot. Readiness for a long "wintering" can be determined by the rustling onion peel and dry neck.

Temperature, humidity and other features of onion and garlic storage

The norm of humidity for storage is from 50 to 65%. With a humidity of not more than 70%, the onion does not get sick and retains all its valuable properties. Temperatures above 25 degrees are not allowed.

Onions can withstand temperatures from -3 to +20 degrees, but are afraid of a sharp temperature drop, so they wrap it up. Storage conditions for garlic are the same as for onions. According to the recommendations of experienced vegetable growers, the best temperature for storing garlic is from +1 to -3 ° C. If it is impossible to provide a constant cold, then it is better to leave the garlic for the entire period of storage at a temperature of about 16 degrees.

It should be noted that if the temperature drops below 16 degrees, then the garlic vernalizes, and if the temperature rises to 22 degrees, then the mass of the bulb decreases. Average temperatures will affect the fruits worse than the lowest or highest, as well as their difference.

Spicy varieties, characterized by a high concentration of solids and essential oils, are better preserved than sweet ones. For sweet varieties, storage at a positive temperature, not below zero, at a humidity of 80-90%, will be optimal, while bitter varieties can be left at -3 degrees. Such varieties as Arzamassky, Bessonovsky, Rostovsky, Strigunovsky, Ufimsky lie especially long.

Rotting and sprouting bulbs quickly spread bacteria to other bulbs, so they should be reviewed periodically. Do not store vegetables in the light. The thicker the shirt on the heads of garlic and onions, and the larger their heads, the longer the harvest will last.

How to store onions and garlic

1. In the cold Leave dry and undamaged onions for a week in the refrigerator, in a vegetable drawer. Then transfer to a prepared box, wrapped in old coats, in order to avoid a sharp change in temperature, and take it out to the balcony. Take out the bulbs in a few pieces, and defrost in the refrigerator before use.
2. Hanging fabric bags (made of chintz, cotton), nets, stockings, wreaths in a well-ventilated room with a temperature not exceeding 24 degrees. Some advise to dip the heads of garlic in paraffin before this.
3. Shelves and racks, drawers. The thickness of the poured layer is 40 cm (layers of 20 cm on high shelves), in lattice boxes of 25 kg, covered with a layer of dry husk and sprinkled with fern grass.
4. In glass bottles, sprinkling heads of garlic with flour. More suitable for garlic. The top layer of flour is at least two centimeters.
5. On burlap in a mixture of river sand and sawdust, with insulation (mats, blankets). The method is more suitable for stable temperatures without frost.
6. In plywood boxes sprinkled with salt. Suitable for apartment microclimate.
7. Cleaned, in a vacuum container, in the refrigerator.