QUESTION : Do I have to look , or can I consume garlic directly from the footing in my garden ? I ’ve heard about letting garlic juiceless , or cure , but I ’m not certain whether this is necessary . — Sara C.
ANSWER : Yes , you could deplete your homegrown garlic immediately after harvest home . Keep reading to find out what cure is and why some gardeners choose to cure their garlic . Then we ’ll discuss thestorage options for fresh and cured Allium sativum .
What Is Curing Garlic?
cure garlic is a simple process of sit the point of garlic out to dry . The reduced moisture degree in the garlic heads means they will stay fresh for recollective . As the garlic dry , its skin forms a nasty protective layer to keep out mold and moisture .
Why Do Gardeners Cure Garlic?
Curing garlic results in caput that last a dandy mint longer than when garlic is used fresh and not cure . Fresh garlic has a shelf life of about three weeks maximal , whereas cure ail remains fresh for up to six month . By curing garlic , nurseryman are ensure they ’ll have access tohomegrown garlicthroughout the wintertime month instead of enjoying a gravy of reinvigorated garlic in the eye of the summertime .
How to Cure Garlic
The first footmark to take when you ’re curing garlic hap as you collect the harvest : do n’t lop the leave of absence or stem of your garlic plant life . You ’ll need them attached for the cure stagecoach . When garlic is being harvest for more straightaway use , these parting of the industrial plant are removed for tidiness .
Next , you ’ll need to opt a location to keep your garlic while it cure . For best results , prefer a dry location that ’s umbrageous or protected from the sun and get good air circulation . But you ’ll start the garlic in another location : somewhere lift that arrive indirect or dappled sunshine . Too much direct sun will wangle garlic or scald it , which has a really negative effect on flavor . Consider using a table or extort indoors a service department or under a tree for this first step .
There ’s no need to pick your garlic to take out dirt before it move through the curing process . Lay them out on the high-minded surface you chose in a single layer , with good deal of space around each top dog of ail . Do n’t cluster them too closely together or pose them in a heap .
The curing process can take anywhere from two weeks to two months , depending on your climate and the smear you choose . Locations that are affectionate and dry can heal ail more quickly than those that are wetter and more humid . Garlic that is all cure will have leave that are brown and dried out and roots that are shrivelled and palpate pie-eyed .
How to Store Fresh Garlic
This may come as a surprise , but you do n’t need to keep medulla of garlic smart from the garden in the refrigerator . Exposure to the lighter and moisture your garlic would see in the fridge can have the bulbs to get moldy or start germinate .
Instead , keep garlic at room temperature in a dark , dry spot where it will get lots of air circulation . example include a paper bag ( left exposed ) or wire basket that you keep on the ledge in the pantry or in a cupboard .
Garlic stored this way will stay novel for up to three weeks , if the skin is intact . However , once the papery skin has been open up and cloves of garlic have been taken off the medulla , the garlic will only last for seven to 10 day . Whether you crack up loose a head of garlic yourself or the pelt is damage another way of life , you ’ll still need to use the Allium sativum within seven to 10 day .
You do have more selection when it fare to storing the garlic you grow . At the ending of our article onways to habituate homegrown garlic , you ’ll determine a inclination of ways to preserve garlic that are a little more unexpected . For example you may make your own garlic powder , use ail in dry rubs or seasoning blends , and make ail - infused oils or acetum . you’re able to even make decorative ail braid if you get out the foliage intact .
We hope this clause has assist do your question and give you some more information . To review in inadequate , yes — you’re able to eat ail immediately after harvesting . However , you also have the selection of bring around Allium sativum , or allowing it to dry , to make it last up to six months or else of just seven to 10 twenty-four hours .
Learn More About Harvesting and Storing Garlic
Related
