So that it does not dry out and spoil, does not lose weight and juiciness, so that it does not sprout, so that the clove is juicy - it turns out that storing garlic correctly is simple. Ancient tricks and tricks - take note for the hostess.
Background: why garlic is poorly stored
Garlic does not spoil - this natural process. And the culprits are essential oils, phytoncides, alliin, amino acids that oxidize in light and fresh air. Garlic does not spoil - it is preparing to sprout.
How to store garlic? Just don't let it grow.
In winter varieties, which are more juicy due to thin integumentary scales, more essential oils, which determine sharpness, shelf life is 4-5 months, for spring garlic - about six months.
Suitable for long-term storage are mid-late, late varieties any type.
Spring garlic is stored for up to 5-6 months, until May, at +15...+17 °C with humidity - 50-70% - the so-called. “warm” storage.
It is believed that winter garlic requires “cold storage” of +2...+4 °C and humidity of 70-80%.
But rumors about its unsuitability for storing at home are exaggerated: healthy, undamaged, harvested and dried winter garlic will last for six months.
The suitability for storage of purchased garlic of an unknown tribe is determined by the color of the scales and the shape of the head. In winter, the teeth are located in one row, in spring - in several rows. Winter garlic often has light scales with a small number of lilac stripes; spring garlic has scales that are often colored intensely lilac.
Have you properly prepared the garlic for storage?
We clean on time
Garlic with stems that are beginning to lie down, withered leaves, and softened false stems is suitable for sampling.
Garlic harvested at the wrong time will not be stored: even hanging, even in salt, or in paraffin.
If the stems are dead and the head begins to unfurl, it’s too late: it won’t last long.
Drying correctly
Garlic is dried for about 10 days at t +25 C in a thin mound. In properly dried garlic, the root lobe is overdried and can be easily separated with your fingers.
If possible, hang it in a bundle: nutrients and moisture will descend to the bulbs.
Leave the stem
Do not trim the garlic until the end of September - until October, and when trimming, leave a stem 10-15 cm long: it will protect it from drying out and prevent the scales from peeling off, which means the cloves will not sprout.
He needs roots!
The best time for pruning is October. The roots are cut to at least 3-5 mm: the appearance is “not marketable”, but the preservation is excellent. And garlic is stored even better if the roots are not cut at all, as experienced summer residents assure.
Scales are the key to storage
Do not remove the upper covering scales if they are “disheveled”. They may not be beautiful, but they protect them from drying out.
The roots and tops are the key to storage. Long storage.
He doesn't like the light
The apartment has a storage room, mezzanines, warm balcony– any place is good where there is little light. Garlic sprouts in the light - verified.
Advice! To prevent garlic from sprouting, burn the bottom of the bulbs using a burner or candle. The method is old-fashioned and labor-intensive, but it will be useful for total germination.
...and don't store different varieties together
Varieties with short term storage spoils earlier, contaminating all the garlic.
How to store garlic in an apartment or private house
You can store garlic in a dry basement, cellar, on the veranda of a house, or just in an apartment. Well dried, properly trimmed, it will be stored in any dry room. And it doesn’t matter so much whether it is winter or spring.
Store in braids beautifully, compactly and for a long time.
1. In boxes. Plastic lattice, wooden boxes fill with a layer of 20-30 cm. Spring is stored warm - in the apartment in the kitchen, on the veranda of a private house. It is better to send winter crops in large quantities to a cold cellar.
2. In braids. In addition to being decorative, braids save you from drying out, prevent the scales from delaminating, and make it difficult for air to reach your teeth. Braids are woven when the stems have not withered, are plastic and flexible.
3. In a bundle. With stems 20-25 cm long, tied in 10-12 pieces or clamped with a staple, hanging garlic is stored for a long time both in the kitchen at home and in a warm basement.
4. In boxes, cardboard boxes, wicker baskets, sprinkled with shavings, sawdust, onion peels. Sand is poured only in dry cellars with low humidity.
Advice! Plastic bags and others made of synthetic non-breathable material are not suitable: this is condensation and rotting.
5. In a bag. Linen, canvas bags. They are not laid tightly, and not tied tightly - so that there is access to air.
6. In the grid. Suspended higher in ordinary nylon nets - best method: and ventilated, and compact, and scales in place.
7. No trimming. The method is good for busy housewives: after drying, the stems are dry and the roots are not cut off. And even the soil should not be cleaned too much. Garlic is placed in cardboard, lattice boxes in bulk, laid crosswise (jack).
The best method for storing garlic in winter: both the top and the root will save it from drying out.
The box is stored in a warm, dry veranda, kitchen - where it is out of the way. Garlic is selected as needed. The simplest and most the right way save garlic from sprouting, drying out and turning green.
Unusual storage methods
Storing garlic in salt is boring, storing garlic in paraffin is much more interesting!
- Storage in salt. The heads are placed in a box and sprinkled with salt. Salt absorbs moisture and is a preservative, preventing rot.
- In the ashes. Owners of bathhouses and fireplaces find the use of sprinkling garlic with ash in layers. Rumor has it that it stores well, but what about peeling garlic in ashes?
- In onion skins. They are sprinkled with husks that absorb moisture and contain phytoncides that suppress the growth of fungi and bacteria.
- In paraffin. The heads are dipped in melted paraffin, which forms protective film. The method is good for garlic deficiency and excess paraffin.
What if he doesn’t want to be stored?
The following methods for storing already peeled garlic will come to the rescue.
In oil. The heads are peeled and filled with oil. It will last a long time - up to 3 months, and is an excellent quick preparation.
In salt. The cloves are placed in jars, sprinkled with salt, not hermetically covered, and stored in the refrigerator.
Storage in flour. The teeth are rolled in flour and placed in glass containers. One problem: it’s easier to buy fresh garlic than flour.
You can also store garlic in the refrigerator in a city apartment if you have free space. The heads are wrapped in paper, foil, and placed separately from other vegetables.
And no polyethylene: it will quickly deteriorate due to condensation.
And the peeled teeth are frozen, dried, ground into powder, crushed and frozen - but that’s another story, culinary.
We all know what garlic is. Everyone knows about him beneficial properties and how it transforms taste characteristics almost any dish.
But not everyone knows how to properly store garlic so as not to lose their harvest and money spent. If all conditions are met, this vegetable can be preserved for a long time. nice view and not spoil.
To store garlic for a long time, it must be properly prepared. This process begins with harvesting. Garlic can be spring or winter. The timing and characteristics of collection depend on its type.
Spring garlic is harvested at the end of August. To understand when a plant should be harvested, you need to look at the tops. If it has fallen and turned yellow, then it’s time to remove the garlic. Spring garlic is not picky and can be stored until the next harvest.
Winter or winter garlic meets in July. It is quite capricious and can only survive until winter (very rarely until spring). If collected big harvest of this type, it is better to grind the garlic into spices or make a paste from it. You can tell that winter garlic is ripe by its dry and yellow tops, thin scales and cracks on the skin of the inflorescences.
You should dig up the garlic carefully so as not to damage the heads, since cut plants cannot be preserved for a long time. After extraction, it is necessary to dry the garlic under a canopy or under the sun (if outside good weather) for several days.
After drying, the dry stems need to be trimmed (if you are not going to store the garlic in braids) and the heads sorted.
Under no circumstances should heads be left empty, scratched, damaged or rotten. They will not be stored for long. Moreover, they can infect other garlic with rot or disease.
After preparatory work You can start choosing a storage method. The garlic that has been sorted for one reason or another can be ground for seasoning or frozen in the freezer.
According to its characteristics, garlic holds the record for shelf life. It is stored both warm and cold, and the timing does not change much.
To understand how to store garlic in a city apartment, you need to understand the storage location and packaging (container).
What is the best container to store garlic in?
- Box. There is no need to peel garlic in a box; whole heads should be placed in boxes and sprinkled with salt or flour if desired. Best to use wooden boxes, and there should be gaps in them for the passage of air for the garlic.
- Storage in baskets. This is the simplest container and one of the most simple ways how to preserve garlic. Due to the weaving, air constantly circulates in the basket. This has a beneficial effect on storing vegetables.
- Stockings or tights. Our grandmothers used this method. But it still remains popular for storing garlic in homes. Due to the small gaps, air enters the tights, and the garlic can survive the winter remarkably well. Knitted tights are hung on nails, thereby saving space in the apartment.
- Banks. In such a container you can store both peeled and unpeeled garlic. It can be placed in a jar in its pure form, with salt or oil, and depending on the contents, it can be closed with a plastic lid or left open. Garlic in a jar can be placed in the refrigerator or on the balcony.
- Without packaging. If you do not want to store garlic in boxes, jars, baskets or other containers, good option- braids. With this method, the garlic must be well dried and constantly kept in a dry place. The heads are woven with feathers and twine or rope. This option will not only allow you to store garlic for a long time, but will also be a wonderful element of decor for your apartment.
If you don’t yet know or haven’t decided where to store garlic in your apartment, here Some of the best options:
- loggia or balcony. Suitable for storing garlic in jars or boxes if the premises are insulated;
- cellar or underground Don't know how to store garlic in your apartment in winter? The underground will become ideal option. There moderate humidity, good air permeability, and garlic will not lose its properties in the spring;
- any dry place. Garlic will be perfectly preserved in braids, drawers or tights;
- fridge. Many people ask, is it possible to store garlic in the refrigerator? In principle, this device is being considered as an option. Garlic keeps well in the cold. If it doesn’t bother you in the refrigerator and doesn’t take up much space, then you can store it there too.
So that you can finally decide how to store garlic at home, we offer you several ways.
Let's look at them.
- In salt. To do this, you need to sort the garlic and dry the selected heads. Place salt on the bottom of the plywood box. Place a layer of garlic on this salt, then add salt again. There can be several of these layers, at your discretion. It is important that the garlic cloves do not touch each other, and that the salt covers the layers well.
- In the refrigerator. This method is the most common, as storing garlic in the refrigerator is simple and practical. It's important to have space in it. For preservation, you need to dry the garlic well and place it in paper bags. If you wish, you can sprinkle with salt. Garlic must be stored separately from all vegetables, then it will be stored until spring and even summer.
- In banks. This is one of the favorite storage methods among housewives. If you have already peeled the garlic or the husks have fallen off on their own, then the option with a jar will be the best, since you can store peeled garlic in it without losing the properties of the plant. To do this, we sort out the garlic, if necessary, peel it, dry it for several days and put it in jars. You don't have to close the lid. The main thing is to put it in a dry place.
- In ground form. If the garlic has spoiled, then processing it is an indispensable option. To do this, choose good, unspoiled cloves, clean them and grind them in a meat grinder. Then they salt and put in jars, which are covered with lids and placed in the refrigerator. This is one way to store garlic for a short time, but you will always have garlic dressing on hand.
- In oil. Peel the garlic, pour it into a jar and fill it with oil (olive or vegetable). Then you need to close the lid. Where to store garlic preserved using this method? You can just keep it in the refrigerator.
- In sawdust. Also, instead of salt or flour, you can sprinkle the garlic with sawdust (it is better if it is coniferous trees). Garlic should be stored in wooden or plywood boxes in a cool, dry place.
Many people grow garlic in their garden. Assembled bountiful harvest- always a joy for a gardener, but you need to know how to preserve it. If you create the conditions necessary for a vegetable, it will last for quite a long time, and you can use it all year round. Of no less interest are the recipes for canning garlic, which allow you to make tasty and useful preparations for future use
All varieties are divided into two types - spring or winter. In addition to differences in taste and head structure, they have different terms growing season. Spring garlic is planted in garden beds in the spring and harvested in August. Dig up the crop after the plants bend to the ground and the leaves dry out. This vegetable stores well (until spring), does not germinate for a long time, but has small heads.
Winter garlic is large and has large cloves. Different short period peace. It is planted in October - November. The cloves remain in the soil all winter, and sprout in the spring. It is removed in June - July when it turns yellow. lower leaves plants. Such vegetables are good only until the New Year.
In order for garlic to be stored well in winter, it should not remain in the soil for a long time after it has ripened. Start digging out the heads when the integumentary scales on them become thin and matte. They should not crack. If this happens, it means the vegetable is overripe.
Dig up the crop on a dry, sunny day. Garlic intended for storage must be dried. If the weather permits, just leave it on the beds for 5-7 days, turning it over periodically. You can dry it under a canopy, in a barn, or in the attic, spreading the plants out in a thin layer.
Next, review and re-sort the harvest. Set aside completely healthy heads separately, and they will go into storage. Those that have visible signs of damage by diseases, pests or tools are suitable for processing and consumption in the near future. 
At the next stage, cut off the roots of each garlic by 2/3 with scissors or pruning shears. On the other side, leave a part of the stem 3-5 cm high, 10-15 cm high, or do not touch it at all. It all depends on the chosen storage method. To prevent the vegetable from sprouting, scorch the roots over a fire or carefully cut the bottom.
After cleaning and pruning is completed, you need to take care of the right conditions saving the product. Temperature and humidity are important here. Spring garlic thrives in warm conditions. The optimal temperature is 16-20˚C. Winter crops need cold. The heads will remain fresh only at a temperature of 2-4 ˚C. Humidity indicators are important for all species. Spring garlic is stored for a long time and without loss at 50-70%, winter garlic at 70-80%.
How and where to store fresh garlic at home
The volumes of garlic stored at home may vary. The product must be protected from drying out, rotting, and spoilage. This can be done in different ways.
Traditional options
Garlic braiding is the most old method. They are made from plants whose stems are not cut; the bundles are kept suspended all winter in the basement, attic or simply in the kitchen. Not large number heads 5-10 pcs. tie into bundles, after leaving medium length arrows. Store anywhere convenient location. Place 1-2 kg of garlic in polypropylene nets, tie and hang in storage or living space.
Storage using flour, salt or ash
Prepare dry, clean containers for it. Take salt, flour or ash. Pour it onto the bottom in a layer of 3-5 cm. Place garlic with short-cut stems on it. Position the heads so that they do not touch each other. Then cover them completely with preservative. Repeat this until the container is full. Over the last layer garlic, also add a 3-5 cm layer of salt, flour or ash. In such an environment, the product does not dry out or rot, and retains its freshness well. 
In onion skins
Left over from last season onion peel Can be great for preserving garlic. If you put the heads in boxes or boxes, pouring them with such contents, they will be better protected from damage. Keep such preparations in a dry and cool place.
Storing garlic in a linen bag
So that the product does not disappear in winter time, he needs good ventilation. If there is not much garlic, it can be placed in linen bags, thereby ensuring a good air flow. If you first soak the container in a strong saline solution and then dry it, this will increase the shelf life of fresh cloves.
How to store garlic in jars
Keep garlic heads in winter in regular 3 liter jars. They must be clean, dry and sterile. Simply fold the product into them to the top. Do not cover with lids. Store the workpiece in a dry place.
Film and paraffin for long-term storage
The following options can help prevent your teeth from drying out quickly. The heads can simply be wrapped in 2 layers of cling film, leaving the stem free. It will prevent moisture from evaporating quickly and the product will remain fresh. The same effect can be achieved when using paraffin.
To do this, first melt it in a water bath. Quickly dip the garlic cloves into it and let them dry. Place the finished products in a convenient container and keep them in a cool, dry place.
How else to preserve garlic so that it remains as if it came from the garden, you can learn from the video.
How to properly store young and peeled garlic in the refrigerator
The refrigerator is a place that is perfect for keeping young heads of garlic or preparations from it prepared for future use. Such products are often used at home, so it’s worth saying a few words about them.
Packaging for garlic to prevent it from drying out
Young garlic has a special taste that many people like. However, in room conditions it quickly loses its freshness, dries out and spoils.
You can keep it in the refrigerator much longer if you wrap each head in cling film and put it in the vegetable compartment.
If there are special vacuum containers or zip bags, they will also come in handy. Dry, clean heads just need to be placed in these containers and also placed in the refrigerator. The product will remain there without loss of quality for 1-2 months. 
Garlic in oil: problems and solutions
An excellent salad dressing and simply delicious product is garlic in oil. Such preparations can be made from substandard, which remains after harvesting and storing the main batch of garlic in fresh.
Keep preserved in the refrigerator for no more than 3 months. But even during this time, the contents of the jar may disappear. The main problem is that a bitter taste appears in the oil. You can get rid of this disadvantage using the following methods:
- applications for canning small containers;
- use of refined oil;
- adding salt or a few beans;
- Minimum exposure of the started jar to heat.
In addition, this product can be prepared throughout the winter. Therefore, it is better to preserve garlic in oil exactly as much as the family will eat in 1-2 months.
How to cook and preserve garlic in vinegar and wine
This recipe takes a minimum of time, but allows you to get the original delicious preparation for preparing a wide range of dishes. You will need peeled garlic and fill it into clean, dry, sterile jars. Fill the contents with white or red natural wine or wine or regular vinegar. Close the jars with lids and store in the refrigerator.
The method allows you to extend the life of the teeth up to 4 months. To give the preparations a richer and piquant taste, spices, herbs, hot pepper, salt. The combination of products can be any at the discretion and taste of the housewife.
Frozen garlic: pros and cons
Freezing vegetables and fruits as a way long-term storage, is very popular today. The product remains ready for use for 1 year, and does not deteriorate at all. However, when it comes to garlic, things are not so simple.
The main advantages of such blanks are:
- ease of use;
- the ability to have a product out of season;
- no preparation required for cooking;
- 100% safety.
Despite the fact that frozen garlic retains its properties and vitamins, with this storage method it:
- changes its taste, becomes less spicy;
- loses its pronounced garlic smell;
- After defrosting, it loses its shape.
The conclusion suggests itself - for gourmets who, first of all, appreciate taste qualities vegetable, it is better to refuse freezing and give preference to any other storage method. 
Garlic salt is simple and convenient
If you have a small amount of garlic, you can always make an excellent dressing from it, which is always useful in the kitchen. There are two cooking options. Clean your teeth, rinse, dry and pass through a meat grinder. Add salt to the resulting mass in a 1 to 1 ratio, mix everything well and package it in clean, dry jars. Close the containers tightly with lids. Store the product in a cool place - in the refrigerator, on the balcony, in the basement for 6 months.
If you need to preserve the product longer, first dry the garlic, then grind it into powder, add salt. Keep in sealed glass jars on the counter or kitchen cabinet at room conditions 1-2 years.
Garlic arrows in marinade
When growing winter garlic you have to cut off the arrows so that the heads grow large. Such greens are often thrown away, but this is a big mistake. Garlic arrows contain a lot of vitamins and other substances that will undoubtedly be useful in winter. Preservation also lasts a long time, up to 2 years, so you can use it at any time.
Preparing garlic arrows is quite simple:
- Wash the greens, dry them, remove the peduncle, cut into pieces of arbitrary length. Prepare dry, sterile jars.
- Place on the bottom bay leaf, cloves, pepper, mustard seeds.
- Place the arrows tightly into the jars.
- Pour hot marinade and roll up the lids.
After cooling, store as usual canned food in the pantry, basement or any other place. Special conditions and such a workpiece has no temperature requirements.
The keeping quality of garlic heads is largely determined by agricultural cultivation techniques and proper harvesting of the spicy vegetable. But creation favorable conditions maintenance in winter is the most important factor to keep garlic fresh long time.
The main conditions for successful storage: temperature, humidity and room
There are two options winter storage garlic heads:
- warm - temperature within +16…+20 °C, humidity levels do not exceed 40–50%;
- cold - temperature about +2...+5 °C, humidity not lower than 70–80%.
It is important not only to grow and harvest garlic correctly, but also to properly preserve it in winter.
You can keep vegetables in the following places:
- in a house or apartment;
- V basement or cellar;
- on an insulated balcony or loggia;
- in the refrigerator.
There are many ways to store garlic in winter
Spring varieties of garlic can last until June; winter garlic, as a rule, is stored in any case for no more than 3–4 months.
In containers (boxes, boxes or baskets)
Garlic is poured into shallow containers in layers, sprinkled with sawdust, hay, salt or any other bulk substance that can absorb excess moisture. Boxes or baskets are put away in closets, lowered into the cellar or placed on the balcony.
Garlic can be stored in a wooden box
Required condition is the presence in the container of holes for ventilation.
In fabric bags or nylon stockings
Canvas or linen bags are pre-impregnated with very strong saline solution. After drying, garlic heads are placed in them. Salt impregnation extends the shelf life to 5 months, since salt absorbs moisture and prevents pathogenic bacteria from penetrating inside.
Garlic can be kept in a salted bag made of natural fabric
Many housewives use nylon tights or stockings for storage, which are perfectly breathable and convenient to hang from the ceiling (in the pantry, cellar, etc.).
Nylon allows air to pass through well, so garlic in nylon stockings stays fresh for a long time
In vegetable nets
Nets for storing vegetables and fruits with a fairly fine mesh are classic version placing garlic for the winter in a basement or cellar.
On sale you can find special nets for storing garlic and onions.
In braids or wreaths
The stems are woven together or a central rope is used around which the stem of each garlic clove is wrapped.
Garlic braids look very colorful
In banks
Dried garlic is placed in glass jars(well washed, sterilized and dry). The heads can be sprinkled with moisture-absorbing bulk material:
Many gardeners and gardeners store garlic in glass jars in winter.
Filled jars are placed in the pantry or in kitchen cabinet. This stock is kept for about three months.
In paraffin
Each garlic head is carefully dipped into melted paraffin, cooled and placed in boxes. The paraffin shell allows the vegetable to remain fresh for 6–7 months.
Garlic can be treated with paraffin so that it is stored for a long time and does not spoil
In cling film
Cling film protects garlic from drying out. Each head is tightly wrapped in at least two layers and then placed in the vegetable compartment of the refrigerator.
Garlic heads wrapped in film are best stored in the refrigerator.
In a vacuum
Garlic is perfectly preserved in special plastic bags, containers or jars from which air can be pumped out. With good sealing, vegetables are stored in them for at least four months. But you need to keep them in the refrigerator.
IN vacuum packaging It is better to store peeled garlic
Late in the fall, when the ground is already beginning to freeze, I bury garlic heads, wrapped in cloth and placed in a hole 30–40 cm deep. plastic bag. I sprinkle mown grass or sawdust on top and cover it with garden soil. Garlic stores well, remaining strong, crunchy and flavorful.
There are a large number of ways to store garlic crops in winter. Of these, you can always choose the most suitable and optimal one for yourself.