Many gardeners grow garlic in their area, and when harvest time comes, the question arises about its storage. In our article we will explain how to store garlic for the winter at home so that it does not dry, consider the various ways to store it.
Harvesting
Harvesting for harvesting it for the winter should be carried out in a certain period. A clear sign that the vegetable is ready for harvesting is the appearance of yellowness on the leaves and lodging of the tops. Approximately the period of harvesting spring garlic falls in the second half of August.
Important! Winter garlic is not recommended for storage, as it will deteriorate quickly. If you plan on storing bulbs for a long time, choose only those intended for this variety.
The readiness of harvesting winter garlic is indicated by the appearance of small cracks in the wrapper in the inflorescences. The scales that cover the bulbs become thin and dry out. Approximately the collection period falls on the end of July.
To determine the degree of ripening of the vegetable, you need to inspect the covering scales. If they are subtle and durable, you can harvest. A warm and dry day is ideal for this procedure. Vegetable harvesting is recommended to be carried out quickly and in a timely manner. If harvesting is done later, it will not in the best way affect the quality of the plant:
- cracking of covering scales will begin;
- onions will begin to disintegrate into cloves;
- new roots will begin to appear on the bottom, which will lead to the rooting of the bulbs;
- These onions are not recommended for storage, as they will not be able to lie for a long time.
Storage of garlic in the winter at home is preceded by its cleaning, which must be done in accordance with certain rules.
To do this you will need a shovel or pitchfork. With their help, it is necessary to undermine the bulbs, collect them and spread them out for subsequent drying. Harvesting should be done carefully so as not to damage the bulbs with a tool. Land with vegetables must be removed by hand.
Did you know? The largest head of garlic was grown in California by Robert Kerpatrick in 1985. Her weight was 1.19 kg.
For drying, you must choose warm days and dry the plant for 3-5 days. If rain is forecast for this period, it is worthwhile to place the crop in a room that is well ventilated (attic, veranda).During the day it can be left in the sun, and at night it is recommended to transfer them to a warm room.
Find out the best ways to harvest garlic for the winter.
It is necessary to dry the bulbs along with the tops - you should not break it off. This will be the flow of nutrients from the leaves into the bulb, which will affect the weight and quality of the vegetable.
After thorough drying, it is necessary to cut the roots, leaving 2-3 mm, also remove the stem. After this, it is worthwhile to sort the bulbs and arrange them into selected storages. 
Best storage conditions
Before we tell you where to store garlic, we suggest that you familiarize yourself with the necessary conditions for its placement.
Choose a dark place for storage. You can leave the plant in the cellar, the refrigerator or on the balcony.
It is important to ensure the following conditions:
- Humidity. For storage, rooms with high humidity are not suitable - this will lead to rotting. Low humidity also does not fit - the bulb just dries. The ideal figure should be 70-80%.
- Air access. When storing the plant without packaging, the excess air will cause it to dry out, harmful microflora will develop. It is recommended to divide garlic into portions of 300-500 g, put in cardboard boxes, plastic containers, wooden boxes, boxes.
- Temperature. It is better to choose rooms with a low temperature. However, the plant does not tolerate cold, so you should not freeze it. The optimum temperature is 2-5 ° C.
How to save garlic
In this section, we describe how to preserve garlic until spring at home in different ways.
In pigtails
This is quite a popular way, as it does not require additional packaging. Also, "garlic braids" can be an original decoration of any kitchen. To weave a braid, you need to take the usual twine and weave the plant stalks into it. When you cut it, leave it about 15 cm. 
In banks
To do this, carefully dry the garlic. Roots should be a little on fire, then disassemble the heads on the teeth. This should be done very carefully so as not to leave damage to the casing, as well as not to miss the sick or unusable garlic. 
Important! Milled garlic can be stored no more than 2 months. After that it spoils and is not subject to the use in food.
After that, the teeth must be dried for 7 days, put in a three-liter jar. Do not cover it with a lid - leave the container in a dry, warm place.
In a refrigerator
With this method, it is better to store winter garlic, since it will not tolerate wintering in a dark room. There are several storage methods:
- In the bank. This method is suitable for a small amount of vegetables. It is necessary to clean the teeth, put them in a jar, close the lid and send to the refrigerator.
- In a vacuum. It is necessary to clean the cloves and put them in a plastic container, then draw out the air and create a vacuum. In this package, the plant will feel great on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator.
Cold storage is very convenient, but, unfortunately, it is not suitable for a bountiful harvest.
In stockings
Our grandmothers always used this method - they put the vegetable in kapron stockings and hung it on the walls. Due to its simplicity, this method is still relevant. 
You will probably be interested to read about how and where it is better to store cucumbers, carrots, pumpkins, onions, tomatoes, apples in the winter.
In salt
The principle of storage in salt is to “wrap” it as much as possible. You can put the heads in a box with holes, and pour layers with salt, you can mix the garlic with salt and put it all into sterilized jars. It is important to adhere to the rule - there must be a thick layer of salt on top of the plant, about 3 cm. 
Ground
This is another common method of how to properly store garlic at home for the winter. It can be used in case the heads start to deteriorate.
It is necessary to choose good teeth, and those that spoiled should be thrown out. Then you should peel the garlic and pass it through the meat grinder. It is recommended to slightly salt the mixture and put it in jars. After that, they are covered with lids and sent to the refrigerator. 
In the ground
For this method, you need to select medium, healthy bulbs, which should be packed in a thick bag (no more than 1 kg). Then a hole is dug, the depth of which is about 50 cm.
Did you know? The American city of Chicago got its name in honor of this plant - in translation from the Indian language, it means "wild garlic".
The package must be wrapped in a newspaper in several layers and dripped. Stick a stick to this place to find where you buried garlic. Dig up stocks not earlier than spring.
Storage difficulties
During storage of garlic, the following difficulties may occur:
- Drying the bulbs. The process of evaporation of moisture often leads to the fact that the bulbs begin to dry. To prevent this, they often resort to waxing. The method consists in melting the wax, and the heads of garlic are in turn dipped into it. Paraffin hardens and creates a protective layer that prevents moisture from evaporating. Under paraffin, carbon dioxide is actively accumulated, which contributes to the death of harmful microorganisms.
- Mold. During storage, the bulbs may become covered with green mold or mold rot. Most often, these fungi infect garlic with injured or frozen onion. To solve the problem, it is necessary after harvesting to carefully dry the garlic in the sun. It acquires resistance to diseases.
- Germination. To the bulbs do not germinate, it is necessary to burn them on the gas. This technique will allow long-term storage of garlic.
After reading our article, you learned how to keep garlic peeled, and now you can choose any way to store the bulbs in the winter.
