Content
Garlic is a tasty and vitamin-rich product. But it is harvested in the summer, in July-August, and in winter, as a rule, imported garlic is sold. How to Preserve Garlic, grown in Russian beds for your own needs, if you live in an ordinary apartment? At first glance, the task seems difficult, but our tips will help even those who are faced with this for the first time.
Choosing garlic for storage
Garlic comes in different varieties. It, like other vegetables, is divided into varieties. The quality of storage and degree of preservation depend on the correct choice of variety and type of crop. Beginners should know that all garlic can be divided into two types:
- spring (summer);
- winter.
The first one is sown in warm spring and dug up at the end of August. O is smaller, but keeps well even in an apartment. Winter garlic is a completely different matter. It is planted in the fall, it is frost-resistant, has large heads and does not store so well.
Varieties of winter garlic:
- Gafuriysky;
- Komsomolets;
- Alcor;
- Sofievsky and others.
Varieties of spring garlic:
- Elenovsky;
- Gulliver;
- Sochinsky 56 and others.
Now there are many imported varieties on the market. When growing a crop yourself, you need to carefully study the characteristics. As a rule, winter varieties are dug up, eaten and then used again for planting for the winter.But the spring variety can be preserved for a long time. This does not mean that winter varieties cannot be stored.
The easiest way to distinguish a winter bulb from a summer one is to look for the presence of a thick stem that starts from the roots. The spring variety does not have such an arrow; instead, only soft leaves are present. Below is a video on this topic.
Preparatory work
Those who have a cellar or an insulated shed in their home have nothing to worry about. This vegetable is perfectly stored throughout the winter at a temperature of 2-4 degrees in a suspended state. If it is well dried and has not been exposed to disease, it will remain tasty and juicy until spring.
But how to store garlic in a city apartment? Is it possible? Yes, this is a completely doable task. But before we talk about how to store garlic in an apartment, we’ll talk about the preparatory stage.
Initially, the vegetable must be properly collected and dried. Let's give just a few tips:
- the bulbs should not be damaged;
- dry them in the sun for at least 5 days;
- heads with empty grains should be removed to the side;
- if roots are present, cut them off (you can also do the same with the stem).
That's it, the bulbs are ready, we can talk about how to preserve garlic until spring.
Storage methods in the apartment
There are practically no conditions for storing this vegetable in the apartment. There may be a small storage room or a glassed-in balcony. The temperature in such rooms can vary significantly during the winter. The air can also dry out greatly during the heating season.
Based on all these conditions, we will offer the best proven methods for storing bulbs in an apartment. First, determine the place where to store the garlic. It is very important.Now you can choose one of the methods.
In a refrigerator
Storing garlic in the refrigerator is a simple and convenient way to preserve the vegetable until winter. In this case, there are two options from which you can choose the one that suits better:
- freezer;
- vegetable compartment
Many people talk about the benefits of freezing. This vegetable can be stored in the freezer for several months. To do this, just wrap it in a simple package. It will retain all useful qualities. Garlic from the freezer can be enjoyed at any time.
But not everyone has large freezers. The vegetable compartment is also suitable for storing garlic. The optimal storage temperature for it should not exceed 5 degrees. In this case, the garlic is kept wrapped in paper for the winter or placed in a container with flour or sawdust. The main problem with such storage is high humidity. This product can only be stored well if completely dry.
In glass jars
Many people prefer to store garlic in the apartment in glass jars in winter. There are several proven methods that you can use. Let's talk about the main ones:
- grinding cloves into powder;
- storage in oil;
- storage in salt or flour.
The air temperature in apartments in winter increases significantly, the air becomes dry, and garlic can quickly lose moisture. Be sure to store it somewhere. First, remove the dry peel from the garlic. It is best to take a large jar, place dry material at the bottom, and then start laying out the bulbs, adding layers. As bulk material you can choose:
- coarse sea salt;
- flour;
- sawdust.
The jars are pre-sterilized. It is difficult to find the best way to store in an apartment. During the winter, garlic will lie in jars on a shelf in the pantry, and flour, sawdust or salt will absorb excess moisture.
During the entire storage period, you will need to monitor the heads in the jar. If the salt, flour or sawdust becomes damp, the bulbs will need to be removed, dried and refilled.
Storage in oil is a slightly different process. To do this, place peeled garlic cloves in clean and sterilized jars, and then fill them with any vegetable oil. The oil protects the garlic from the harmful effects of microbes that can damage the cloves. In this form, you can preserve garlic until spring, and it will not lose its taste.
You can add rosemary, oregano, marjoram and other herbs to the oil. Then the cloves will be saturated with aroma and become even tastier.
In a canvas bag
Long-term storage should always be approached thoroughly. In an ordinary apartment, you can store fresh heads of garlic in an ordinary canvas bag. However, it is necessary to place onion peels there or to subject the bulbs to processing. It is as follows:
Boil a strong saline solution. Each bulb is dipped into it for a few seconds and left to dry in the sun. Once the product is completely dry, you can place it in a bag and put it in a dark place.
The most important thing when storing this tasty and healthy product in an apartment is to observe it from time to time. The optimal temperature is +22 degrees, but achieving this regime is difficult. During the heating season, temperatures can rise to +28 degrees.
Storing crushed garlic seems difficult.To do this, you need to dry the teeth, depriving them of moisture, and then grind them in a coffee grinder. This method is simple in enterprise conditions, when garlic can be deprived of water using a technological process. Remember that in this case the product loses most of its beneficial qualities.
Conclusion
Today we learned how to properly store garlic in an apartment. Using the suggested tips and methods, you can eat only summer juicy vegetables all winter. This will allow you not to spend money on an expensive imported product.
