Storing spring garlic in an apartment. How to preserve garlic for the winter in a city apartment
Food preparations do not lose their relevance. Despite technological progress and the latest technologies In the food sector, we still love pickles and preserves, canned and fresh vegetables. Especially since the rhythm modern life It doesn't always leave time for shopping, and home supplies come in very handy. Well, you can’t run to the market for a head of garlic if the recipe only calls for a couple of cloves! It is much more convenient to save the peeled garlic for next time. Don't let the pungent smell bother you - it won't exist if you store peeled garlic correctly.
It is more convenient and easier to store whole garlic; you can stock it for the whole winter and not have to worry about it. But you can also save peeled garlic for the winter if you know a few rules. Our grandmothers coped with this task easily, and we are in a privileged position as owners kitchen appliances. What could be easier than storing peeled garlic in the refrigerator! However, not all young housewives succeed even in this. And we are already rushing to help them with the best and effective recipes storing garlic at home.
Is it possible to store peeled garlic? How long does peeled garlic last?
Capabilities and storage conditions different vegetables directly depend on their composition. In order to not act at random and understand the essence of the technology, let's figure out what determines the shelf life of garlic. This will help you choose and buy garlic heads and cloves suitable for storage:
- Garlic is planted and harvested twice a year; accordingly, a distinction is made between spring and winter garlic. Growing in the cold season and harvested in the spring, winter garlic usually does not last until the new cold weather. Therefore, it is better to preserve fresh spring garlic for the winter.
- The chemical composition of garlic is extremely rich. In addition to plant fibers, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals, garlic contains biologically active esters and phytoncides, which have powerful antiseptic and antifungal effect. This property not only ensures the preservation of garlic, but also makes it a natural preservative for storing other products.
- Fresh, high-quality garlic is more likely to wilt and/or dry out than to spoil, and this must be taken into account when storing it. There is no point in simply putting fresh cloves in the refrigerator or cupboard, where they will not last long and will soon become flabby and unusable.
How to store peeled garlic in winter?
Storing whole garlic – a win-win. But we are not looking for easy ways, and it’s a pity to throw away good, fresh, but already cut vegetables. And don’t throw them away: first try to save them in one form or another:
- Garlic in jars with flour. Prepare the required number of glass jars, the most common ones, with plastic or screw-on lids. Sterilize the jars with boiling water or hot steam, in the microwave or oven, dry and cool. Place garlic in the bottom of the jar and sprinkle dry flour on top, making sure it is not infested with bugs. By the way, this method of storing garlic also serves to store flour, because garlic phytoncides reliably protect it from pests. Close the jars with lids and place in a dry place at room temperature or slightly cooler.
- Fresh garlic with salt. Cooked and/or sea salt– a natural preservative that preserves the freshness and all the properties of garlic. To store it, you will need a food storage box or container that is clean and free of holes. Cover the bottom of the container with a layer of coarse salt, place the garlic tightly on top of the salt, and add a little more salt on top of the garlic. Alternate layers of garlic and salt as the box fills. Then put it in a dry pantry or put it in a closet, if the workpieces there will not be damaged by moisture and high temperature.
- Garlic cloves in oil. The most difficult, but the most delicious and refined method. Ideal for split and fully peeled garlic. You will again need a sterile jar, as well as an appropriate amount of vegetable oil (sunflower, olive or any other). Place the garlic cloves in a jar and fill with oil. Add dried herbs, peppercorns and/or other spices if desired. Take out the oiled slices as needed and use them without wasting time on cleaning them. The remaining oil will acquire a piquant aroma and will be an excellent salad dressing.
- Pickled garlic in wine. A variation on the theme of Mediterranean cuisine: place peeled garlic cloves in glass bottle with a not too narrow neck and fill completely with dry wine, red or white, it doesn’t matter. This potion will have to be stored in the refrigerator, capping the bottle. Wine can be replaced with natural undiluted vinegar, but in this case, when cooking, take into account the pungency and strong taste of the marinade.
- Garlic salt useful as a universal seasoning with the bright aroma of fresh garlic. To prepare it, dry the peeled garlic and chop it in any convenient way (in a blender, coffee grinder or just a sharp knife). For each tablespoon of chopped garlic, take 1 tablespoon of salt and any dried herbs (dill, basil, celery, etc.), mix and pass everything together through a sieve or rub well with your hands. Store in a dry jar with a tightly closed lid.
- Frozen garlic. You can freeze both whole and chopped peeled garlic cloves. A clean freezer bag, special container or cooking foil is suitable for this purpose. Place the garlic in it and place it in the lowest temperature compartment of the freezer. As needed, remove individual cloves and defrost them or break off a little at a time from the frozen garlic mass.
How to properly store peeled garlic?
The described methods seem simple, but they may not work if you inadvertently violate some of the rules for storing peeled garlic. There are not many of these rules, but every housewife should know them:
- Harvest only impeccably high-quality and fresh garlic, without the slightest hint of signs of rot, rot and/or other damage.
- Even properly prepared garlic can deteriorate in the heat, so check its condition regularly and, without regret, throw away cloves that show signs of mold damage.
- Do not store fresh, not frozen garlic in a plastic bag or film at room temperature without access to air. In such conditions, condensation will quickly accumulate on the film, promoting the development of mold.
Garlic is indispensable for cooking all year round and is always needed at hand in fresh.How to store winter garlic at home, why salt is needed for this and what is the essence of waxing - let's look at the secrets of preserving vegetables!
Which garlic is suitable for long-term storage?
The duration of storing garlic depends on the variety, quality of the heads and storage conditions. The best varieties for wintering: ‘Armavirskiy’, ‘Ukrainian white’, ‘Sochi 56’. The varieties ‘German’, ‘Nadezhny’, and ‘Podmoskovny’ have good shelf life.
Preferred are multi-tooth varieties, which have a higher storage capacity compared to small-tooth varieties. The duration of storage of garlic without loss is determined by the timeliness and compliance with agricultural harvesting techniques.
Signs that garlic is ready for harvesting
For non-shooters varieties, the indicator of readiness is the lodging of yellowed lower leaves. At this stage of growth, the bulbs are fully formed and have a complete and strong cover of scales. Such heads are suitable for long-term storage. Garlic that is fully ripened on the vine is not suitable for long-term storage: the heads of most varieties lose their cover and can disintegrate into individual exposed cloves.
Shooters varieties ripen somewhat later. Readiness is determined by the yellow ends of the leaves and the brown color of the lower parts of the stems. The growth of the heads stops by this time.
Traditional harvest time spring planting garlic - August and September. The shelf life of winter harvest is short, so it is used at the beginning of winter. At temperatures above 0°C and high humidity air, such garlic quickly germinates or dries out.
How to store garlic for the winter
Preparing bulbs for planting
Well-dried garlic is stored for storage. The heads are woven into small bundles or braids, hung under a canopy or in a well-ventilated area. After 20–30 days, the degree of readiness of the vegetables is checked. If, under strong pressure, the head breaks into separate cloves, it is considered that the garlic has dried out. Be sure to remove heads with signs of rotting, sprouted, with damage to the cover, and bare.
ON THE PICTURE: The garlic heads are dried and ready for storage.
Garlic's resistance to rot can be increased special treatment. The stems of the dried heads are cut short, the roots are burned on fire. You can use a candle or burner for burning.
Creating optimal conditions
Garlic is best stored at a temperature of -1°C to -3°C and an air humidity of 70–75%. In such conditions harvested will last 5–6 months without loss, varieties with high degree keeping quality - up to 8 months. The room must be ventilated periodically!
Storing garlic for the winter in the cellar
Garlic is placed in small boxes or bags made of thick nylon fabric, the so-called. "mill gas". Will fit nylon tights or stockings. You can braid the bulbs if the length of the garlic leaves allows. The heads are best stored hanging. 
ON THE PICTURE: Garlic “braids” are one of the most convenient storage methods. I cut off the head and went to the kitchen to conquer the household with culinary masterpieces.
Garlic can also be preserved using salt. To do this, pour a layer of coarse salt onto the bottom of the pan, then alternate layers of garlic and salt. Last layer- salt. Close the pan and store it in the cellar.
Methods for winter storage of garlic at home
What method of storing garlic should you choose if the room temperature does not drop below +16–20°C? To prevent the bulbs from drying out, you can hang them in small bags filled with onion skins. It is also permissible to use dry sawdust.
Problem home storage garlic is much easier to solve if you have an insulated loggia. The temperature on the loggia should not fall below -3°C. If the thermometer creeps below this indicator, garlic should be brought into the apartment.
Saving in the refrigerator
The main problem with this method is high humidity. There are several secrets to preserving garlic in the refrigerator with less loss:
- Do not store in plastic bags: vegetables sprout quickly.
- Place the heads in clean, pre-pasteurized, glass jars, covered with polyethylene lids.
- Place the heads in a fabric bag, after treating it with a strong salt solution and drying it. After the saline solution dries, a crust forms on the bag that does not allow moisture to pass through.
Can onions and garlic be stored together? Yes, if we're talking about about stalks of garlic - herbs. Garlic greens are stored at the bottom of the refrigerator, in a plastic bag. They do not wash it before storing it. Unpeeled onions are added to the bag, quartered. Once every 4 days, the bag is replaced or wiped dry. At the same time, new bulbs are laid
Storing in a jar with oil
So that peeled garlic remains fresh all winter and does not lose beneficial features, it is kept in glass jars with vegetable oil. The method is suitable for placement in the refrigerator. The garlic-flavored oil is used as a salad dressing. 
ON THE PICTURE: Storing garlic in oil allows you to “kill two birds with one stone”: keep the hot and healthy spice fresh, and get a delicious, aromatic salad dressing.
Place in glass jars with salt
You can place the garlic heads in a clean, dry glass jar and sprinkle with coarse salt. The top of the jar is covered with a cloth treated with saline solution.
Waxing
If there are only a few heads, the easiest way to preserve them in winter is to treat them with paraffin. The safety of the harvest is guaranteed until spring. You need to melt the paraffin in a water bath, dip the heads in it, let the paraffin harden and place the garlic in cardboard boxes.
Drying
It happens that during harvesting some heads are damaged. To properly store such garlic in an apartment, you need to clean the heads, cut into thin slices and dry. Garlic is laid out for drying on a mesh over gas stove, no closer than 70 cm from the surface, or into an open oven. 
ON THE PICTURE: It is best to dry garlic in an electric vegetable dryer. The ability to set a constant temperature and duration of the process will not allow the garlic cloves to burn.
Garlic slices dry completely in a few hours at a temperature of +60°C. Then they are ground and mixed with salt in a 1:1 ratio. Subsequently, the dried and ground garlic is stored at room temperature in a glass jar.
One of the most important products that every housewife uses is garlic. After harvesting, it must be properly stored so that it does not lose its properties until winter.
Storing garlic at home is not difficult; there are several proven and effective methods.
What causes garlic to spoil?
Before we talk about direct storage, we need to look at the reasons why it deteriorates. The main reason is improper storage of garlic, but there are others:
- fungal infection;
- nematode larvae.
Therefore, before storing the garlic crop, you need to carefully inspect each head and select those that have stains, dents, cuts, or palpable emptiness.
Garlic cloves spoiled by fungus
The main signs of spoiled garlic:
- unpleasant odor, it appears if the vegetable begins to rot;
- unhealthy appearance: wrinkling, dry or wet rot on the slices;
- If you take the head in your hands and press on the cloves, you can feel the inner emptiness.
Vegetables with any of the above symptoms should be rejected.
Effective storage methods
Before you start detailed description How to properly store garlic, you need to understand the storage tasks:
- protection against moisture evaporation;
- create conditions to prevent increased humidity and dampness;
- provide protection against germination;
- protection against mold and rot.
No need to remove stems for storage in bundles
Winter garlic is best stored at temperatures between +4 and -2 degrees Celsius.
The storage environment should not be very dry, but too wet will promote rotting.
Safe storage
Braids and buns
One of the oldest methods is braiding. To do this, it is necessary for the harvested crop to dry out a little, after which you need to leave the head and false stem. Weaving begins with three garlic cloves, from bottom to top. For strength, you can weave a cord. Gradually weave in one garlic bulb at a time; one bunch should contain about 20 pieces. Thanks to this method, it can be stored in the basement or attic until spring.
Storing in braids is a strange recipe
Using the same principle, you can store it in bunches. Bunches of 10–15 pieces are collected and tied with a rope, and then hung.
In cans and boxes
Storing garlic in glass jars is no less effective. Sterilize the jars and place dry heads in them. For better storage, they are sprinkled with flour. Cover the containers with nylon lids, and so the vegetable is stored until spring.
Storage in jars can be done with heads or individual cloves
Storage in a wooden box is common. The box should have small holes in the side walls for air circulation. To preserve the juiciness and freshness of the vegetable until spring, add a small layer of ash, sawdust or salt to the bottom of the box. Garlic heads are laid out on top and covered again with the same component. According to this principle, the box is filled to the top.
Storage in boxes is only suitable for a cellar or basement
In order to prevent drying out when stored indoors, wrap each head tightly with cling film in two layers.
There is no need to wrap the tail. After this, the vegetable is placed in a glass jar, the lid is not closed.
Wrapping the heads in film keeps them from drying out
Waxing
This method preserves the freshness of the crop and prevents any fungal diseases garlic The paraffin is melted and each head is dipped into it. After the excess paraffin has drained and cooled, the garlic is placed in a box.
Paraffinizing garlic - long but reliable
Canvas bags
They are ideal for storing onion plants, which include garlic. Before placing the vegetable in the bag, you need to rinse each head in a concentrated saline solution. After this, dry the garlic in the sun and only then place it in a bag. If indoors low humidity, the heads are sprinkled with onion peels.
Storage in nets prevents them from rotting
If a person lives in own home, it has an attic or cellar. If such places are available, wicker baskets or nylon stockings are used for storage.
There are a lot of storage methods, so how to store garlic at home depends on the room and personal preferences of the person.
Storage in vegetable oil
Problems that may arise during storage
It happens that during storage, garlic begins to rot or sprout, although all storage conditions are met. There are reasons for everything and any problems that arise during storage can be eliminated:
- Mold - most often occurs on damaged heads. And if there is high humidity in the room, then rot and mold can spread to healthy heads. To avoid the spread of this problem, after harvesting, garlic should be dried outdoors in the sun. The sun protects the vegetable from bacteria of any kind, and the vegetable is stored all winter without problems.
Storage problems: drying out, mold, germination
- Germination. How to store garlic in winter and prevent it from sprouting? Many housewives are puzzled by this question. To avoid this problem, it is enough to burn the bottom of the head in the place where the root grows. If this was not done and the garlic has sprouted, then peel it and place the cloves in a jar with vegetable oil. The slices can be used for cooking, and the oil in which they are stored is imbued with garlic aroma. This oil can be used as a sauce for dishes or a salad dressing. And also this perfect way storing garlic in an apartment where there are no unheated rooms.
- Drying of the teeth. This disease appears when the vegetable lacks moisture. In very dry rooms, garlic cannot be saved without paraffinizing.
Sprouted garlic can be fried or baked and stored in oil
The refrigerator is a place that is protected from light, with ideal temperature conditions for storing vegetables. Vacuum containers are suitable for this.
Storage in vacuum bags in a refrigerator
Considering the information provided above, we can summarize. Storage efficiency directly depends on the location, conditions and method of storage. How to store garlic in an apartment is no longer a secret. Considering the above tips, you can use autumn harvest all winter.
When you buy garlic one head at a time and use it for several days, you don’t even think about how to store this vegetable. And if you have your own garden where garlic grows, then sooner or later the question arises: how to preserve it until the next harvest?
Which garlic can be stored?
Unfortunately, not all garlic can be stored for a long time.
- If it is young, then it is better to use it for food as soon as possible, since its shelf life is low.
- For long-term storage Only well-ripened heads are suitable. But even here you need to stick to the golden mean. After all, unripe garlic has loose, loose bulbs, while overripe garlic has bulbs that easily crumble.
- When storing garlic, the main condition is the integrity of the heads and cloves, which have many common external scales that protect the garlic from exposure to the external environment.
- Garlic stored for storage must be dry, strong, without signs of rot or lethargy.
- When pressing on the cloves, you should not feel softness or feel voids.
- Garlic is usually harvested at the end of summer. It is then that its stems droop and its leaves turn yellow, which indicates its maturation.
- Garlic that is going to be sent for storage is not watered for several days; it is dug up in dry weather.
- The digging is carried out very carefully so as not to damage the necks of the bulbs. Otherwise, such garlic will quickly rot.
- Immediately after digging, the bulbs are dried for several days. Most often this is done right in the field, leaving the garlic on the ground.
- But if it starts to rain, then the garlic is dried under a canopy, or even better, in a room where it is warm and dry.
- Then the leaves of the garlic are trimmed, leaving only a small stump, and sent for storage. A basement, cellar, pantry or vegetable store is suitable for this purpose.
How to store garlic in a bunch
Garlic can be stored in bundles. To do this, the bulbs are freed from the leaves, leaving only the stem, and braided into braids, gradually adding one head at a time. In this way, bundles of 12-15 onions are made. Garlic is hung by the braids, heads down, in a dry, cool, dark place and stored in this form.
Garlic storage temperature
The best temperature for storing food garlic (which will be used as food) is minus 1-2°, but seed garlic is stored at 0°.
Many people believe that garlic should be stored in a warm, dry place. But with this method of storage, it quickly dries out, shoots out and is affected by various diseases.
Humidity when storing garlic
The humidity in the room in which garlic is stored should not exceed 70 - 80%.
Therefore, it is stored separately from potatoes and other vegetables that need higher humidity - up to 90%, which is unacceptable for garlic.
For the same reason Garlic should not be stored on the balcony. Firstly, there is a strong difference in day and night temperatures. And secondly, in damp weather, high humidity can cause garlic to rot.
If there is high humidity in the room where the garlic is stored, then in the following way: place a container with quicklime, which, when extinguished, will take away excess moisture from the air, and it will become drier.
How to store garlic
- Garlic is placed in nets and stored in a suspended state in a dry and cool place without access to light, since in an undarkened room the bulbs begin to sprout together.
- Garlic heads can be placed in boxes or trays, stacking them on top of each other, stacking them up to two meters in height.
Storing garlic in a paraffin coating
- A composition is prepared from 97% paraffin and 3% monoglyceride.
- Heat it to 80-85°.
- The garlic is placed in synthetic nets and immersed in a heated paraffin mixture for two seconds.
- The bulbs are removed. When the paraffin hardens, a thin film forms on the garlic, which will protect it from drying out, rotting, and also protect it from disease.
Such garlic is stored in small boxes, trays or cardboard boxes, installed in stacks, or on racks.
This garlic is stored for about six months longer compared to the usual storage method.
How to store garlic in an apartment
- The garlic is sorted out, leaving only whole, strong and clean bulbs. Place them in glass jars, sprinkle with salt. To do this, pour a layer of salt on the bottom of the jar, place the onions on it, and also pour salt on top, shaking so that it is evenly distributed throughout the entire container.
- Garlic is stored in canvas bags along with onion peels. The heads must be intact. And so that the roots and remains of the stems do not sprout and rot, they are first burned with fire.
- Garlic does well in the refrigerator in the vegetable drawer. It is placed in a canvas bag or placed in a box covered with paper napkins. In this form, garlic bulbs are stored for quite a long time, without drying out or sprouting. The main condition is that the heads must not be damaged, and they cannot be disassembled into cloves. Therefore, half onions are used as food first.
And here Garlic cannot be stored in a plastic bag, since moisture accumulates in it, from which the bulbs begin to shoot arrows or deteriorate.
During storage, garlic must be periodically checked in order to notice spoiled heads in time, the presence of which will negatively affect the storage of the rest of the crop.
How to store garlic in oil
- The garlic is sorted, discarding damaged heads.
- Divide into cloves and peel.
- Place in clean, dry jars.
- Fill with vegetable oil.
- Cover with plastic lids and put in the refrigerator or cold cellar.
Note to the hostess
- For long-term storage, it is better to store spring garlic, which can be distinguished from winter garlic by its core, or rather by the absence of a false stem in the center of the bulb. Spring garlic is harvested in August.
- It is believed that garlic dug up during the waning moon is stored better.
- Garlic does not like freezing. Although many housewives store it this way. They clean it, wash it, and then grind it in a meat grinder. After this, the garlic mixture is laid out in molds for freezing ice and sent to freezer. As needed, they remove the frozen briquette from the refrigerator and add it to any dish without defrosting.
At proper storage garlic remains strong, juicy and aromatic almost until the next harvest.
Garlic is a vegetable with remarkable properties. It adds spiciness and a special aroma to many dishes, is simple and accessible means strengthens the immune system, is used to treat a wide range of diseases in folk medicine. Its beneficial properties are most pronounced at the time of ripening and may be partially or completely lost if the garlic is not stored correctly. Create good conditions Storing garlic is not difficult, you just need to know some nuances, which will be discussed below.
Before storing garlic for long-term storage, it must be collected. If you do it on time, not ahead of time and not later, then save it long time It will be easier. Signs of garlic ripeness are yellowing of the leaves and lodging of the tops. As soon as both signs appear, the garlic must be harvested.
There are two types of garlic: winter and summer. Winter ones are planted in the fall and harvested in July, summer ones are planted in the spring, and they ripen at the end of August.
Garlic can be stored for a long time in winter only if it has been properly prepared. After harvesting, the garlic must be thoroughly dried. In dry weather this is done right outside, in rainy weather - in a well-ventilated room. Drying garlic takes three to five days. You need to dry the garlic together with the leaves, then that’s it. useful material from the leaves will pass into the head. The roots of the dried bulbs are removed, leaving a short tail, about three millimeters, and leaves, keeping a dry stem of short length.
How to properly store garlic in winter
There are two main methods for storing garlic: warm and cold.
Warm way– garlic bulbs are stored at a temperature of sixteen to twenty degrees, with little humidity. This storage method is used for summer garlic.
Cold way– storage temperature is from two to four degrees, humidity is slightly higher than with the warm method. It is easiest to create such conditions in the refrigerator. Winter garlic is often stored this way, although it is also suitable for summer garlic. In general, winter garlic is stored worse and is more susceptible to various diseases.
Ways to store garlic in winter
- In a pigtail. It's traditional and beautiful way, which our grandmothers used. The garlic stalks are braided, with a rope woven into it for strength. Make a loop at the end and hang it in a cool place. Usually no more than twenty heads of garlic are woven into a braid.
- In the basket. Garlic stays fresh for a long time if you place it in a basket and place the basket in a cool, dark place. Instead of a basket you can use wooden box or cardboard box. You need to make holes in the box for air circulation. And don’t forget to sort through the garlic from time to time and remove spoiled bulbs.
- Double bagged. Dried garlic is placed in a canvas bag, tied and placed in an open plastic bag. This double shell allows you to maintain the correct level of humidity if the temperature does not exceed twenty degrees.
- In glass jars. The jars are sterilized, dried, dry heads of garlic are placed in them and covered plastic lids. Another option is to flour the garlic. Wherein upper layer flour should be large enough - about two centimeters - to prevent air from penetrating into the jars. In this case, a lid is not needed.
- In nets and nylon tights. Also a well-known method. The garlic should lie freely in the nets, that is, there should not be too much of it in one net. It is best to use this method for storing garlic in the cellar.
- In salt. A layer of salt, two to three centimeters, is poured into a wooden box, the heads of garlic are laid out in one layer, the salt is poured again so that the heads are completely covered and the salt rises no less than a centimeter above them. Then again a layer of garlic and a layer of salt. This continues until the box is full. The last layer of salt should be the same thickness as the first. If you store garlic in a cool room this way, it will retain all its desired properties for eight months. If the box will be in a room with room temperature, then no more than four.
- Oil coated. To protect garlic from premature spoilage and disease, it is coated sunflower oil. The oil is first boiled and a few drops of iodine are added to it. Garlic heads (unpeeled) are dipped in this oil and quickly removed. Or apply oil to the garlic using a brush or cotton swab. The garlic is laid out in the sun so that the oil is absorbed and dried, after which it is transferred to storage boxes.
- You can store peeled garlic in oil. Peel the garlic cloves, place them in a jar in dense rows and fill them with any vegetable oil. In this state, garlic retains all its qualities, as well as taste and aroma.
- In wax or paraffin. To keep garlic longer, its roots are dipped in melted wax or paraffin. You can cover the entire head, then it definitely won’t spoil. This garlic can be kept in open glass jars.
- In a paper bag. But it should be kept cold, for example in the refrigerator.
- Burn the roots. This is an old village method of increasing the shelf life of garlic. After the excess roots are trimmed, the garlic is held over the flame for a few seconds to char the roots a little.
- In bags with onion peels. Small fabric bags are taken, filled with dry onion peels, then garlic is placed in these bags. It is better if these bags are stored in a suspended state.