How to store garlic at home: 7 ways

In this article, we will take a closer look at several ways to store garlic at home in an apartment and not only.

How to store garlic in an apartment and a private house?

There are several of the most common ways to store garlic at home. It is thanks to them that garlic retains its external and taste properties and qualities, and it can be consumed almost until the beginning of the new garlic harvest in the next season.

As a rule, places for storing garlic at home are usually chosen such as:

-underground;
- balcony room;
-refrigerators compartment;
-dry place, which is located directly in the apartment.

If you own a private house, then it is much easier for you to find a place for garlic. Underground rooms are especially suitable for this, because if you need to store several kilograms, then there is definitely not enough space in the refrigerators for this.

The presence of a dark, dry place in an apartment is a big plus for those who plan to store garlic. If there is a glazed balcony, then it will undoubtedly also be suitable for this. In addition, it can be stored in vegetable drawers, or even in jars.

One of the proven ways is to store garlic in so-called braids. It is a braided braid that consists of dried stalks of garlic with their heads. It is necessary to store the braid in a dark and always dry room. A pantry or closet is most suitable for this. They do not take up much space, which is very convenient for home storage. But it is important to have some skill in braiding such braids yourself.

Storage in bunches means that already dried stems with heads on them are tied into a small bunch, and then they are suspended with a rope in a dry room. This method is no different from storing garlic in braids, and bunches can also be used in summer cottages as decorative ornaments. Everything here entirely depends on the tastes of the person who is engaged in the storage of the garlic harvest.

Jars and boxes are containers most often used to store garlic at home. This allows the garlic to ventilate, not dry out, and also not receive excess moisture, which can simply lead to rotting of the crop. Banks can be placed in the refrigerator, or displayed on the balcony. It is undesirable if they are exposed to direct sunlight. It is also recommended to sterilize the jars before folding the garlic.

The next way to store garlic is by waxing. It allows you to avoid any possibility of garlic germination, as well as the appearance of pests or parasites, which can simply spoil the entire harvested and stored crop in a short time.

Waxing is a process in which the young heads are dipped in a paraffin solution one by one. It forms a protective film around the heads, which also protects the product and prevents it from quickly deteriorating. If you use this mechanism, the heads can be stored for up to six months.

Also, among the methods of storing garlic at home, there is storage of the crop in bags, in the refrigerator (if we are talking about a city apartment directly), by canning or freezing. For all this, of course, it is necessary to prepare the crop, which we will talk about in the next part of this article.

How to store homemade garlic: preparing the crop for storage

How to store the garlic further, how much and in what conditions the harvest will be stored depends on the correct preparation. Proper preparation also becomes an unspoken guarantee that the product does not deteriorate in winter, and that it can be enjoyed in such a harsh time of the year, knowing that it is completely natural and very beneficial for human health and the body.

For winter, preparation begins with the fact that the crop is harvested. Of course, experienced gardeners know that today there are two types of garlic, which precisely determine the period of time during which they are harvested:

- winter view, when assembly takes place around the end of July. Garlic leaves gradually begin to turn yellow, the scales become thinner. The storage temperature of this type of garlic varies from +1 to -3, as it is considered the most suitable and comfortable for this type of garlic culture;
- spring garlic, which is usually harvested in the first half of August. The leaves are distinguished by a special degree of yellowing, they begin to gradually tilt or even lie on the ground. The storage temperature differs significantly from the storage temperature of winter garlic - from +16 to +20 degrees.

Dig up the garlic very carefully so as not to damage the heads. If the heads are damaged, then it is better not to store them: they deteriorate quickly enough, microbes and bacteria and fungi start at the site of damage, which can then infect already healthy garlic heads. For digging, therefore, either forks or shovels are used. Accuracy is the responsibility of the gardener himself, his attentiveness and sense of proportion during excavations.

After the garlic has been dug out, dry it thoroughly. It is best to do this under the sun on a clear and dry day, as this will dry the garlic faster and evenly. The stems can be cut off, but if you want to store the garlic in braids or bunches, they should be left to attach.

After the crop has been harvested, it is necessary to consider it extremely carefully. It is worth getting rid of all damaged heads of garlic, from rotten material, as well as from garlic that is damaged by visible bacteria - mold or rot. Also, empty heads should be immediately removed, since they have absolutely no sense at all, and at the same time they will take up a lot of space.

We store for the winter: the main problems in storage

Even with the right storage method and place, gardeners often face some problems. One of the most important problems is that during wintering, the heads can be badly deteriorated. This can happen for a number of the following reasons. The first is that the heads can be contaminated with bacteria, rot, or fungus.

Contamination can be avoided only through careful sorting at the stage of collection and preparation of the material for storage. Also, the product can deteriorate very quickly if you do not follow all the storage conditions that a variety of garlic (winter or spring) implies.

The spoilage of garlic heads is determined by gardeners on several grounds:

- an unpleasant smell that comes from garlic;
- slices that have already begun to rot, as well as heads that exude an unpleasant odor, soft to the touch.

In order for the garlic to be stored longer in an apartment or any other suitable room, it is very important to follow the stages of preparing the garlic for wintering, as well as to prepare favorable conditions so that the harvest does not deteriorate.

Thus, having fulfilled all the conditions and recommendations we have noted, you can delight yourself for a long time with a tasty and juicy vegetable, which, among other things, has a number of useful properties. If necessary, you can alternate these methods in order to determine which of them is more suitable for the gardener.