Dried garlic: benefits and harms, recipes. Dried garlic

Even a beginner will be able to grow garlic. gardening. It is much more difficult to determine the time of harvest and carry out preparatory work for storage.

Grow garlic on garden plot is not difficult, and even novice gardeners can cope with this task. But not everyone can keep their harvest as juicy. In this article you can learn how to dry garlic after digging, and when it is necessary to harvest.

Storing in braids

Its safety greatly depends on the time of harvesting. The garlic should be fully ripe, but not overripe. There are reliable ways to determine the ripeness of garlic.

Garlic can be spring or winter, and the ripening time for these types of garlic differs.

  • The ripening of spring, or autumn, garlic is directly proportional to its growing season. You can determine the time of harvest by the condition of the foliage. Yellowing foliage becomes the first sign that the crop is ready for harvest. As a rule, this happens in the last ten days of August, but the date may shift due to the characteristics of a particular variety and climatic conditions. Such varieties do not produce arrows.
  • The ripening of winter, or winter, garlic can be identified by cracked inflorescences and yellowing lower leaves. You can calculate the readiness of garlic for harvesting by looking at its protective scales. They become thinner and stronger. Before drying winter garlic after digging, you must wait until it is fully ripe. This usually happens in the second ten days of July.

It is not recommended to delay harvesting garlic. A sign that the garlic is overripe is cracked scales. If the garlic bulbs easily fall apart into cloves, this may also indicate that the garlic is overripe. This type of garlic stores very poorly and should be used first.

Sun drying

Unripe garlic will also not store well. During storage it becomes soft and crumbly. It also responds well to various bacteria and fungi.

How to dig up garlic

An important point when harvesting garlic is the choice of weather. It should be dry and preferably out of the sun. Watering garlic before digging is also not recommended.

  • You can dig up the garlic with a shovel, but using a pitchfork is preferable as it reduces the likelihood of damaging the garlic bulbs. You should dig a little under the garlic bush and pull it out of the ground.
  • The soil is removed from the roots and bulbs by hand so as not to damage their integrity. If the weather promises to be rainless, then the garlic can be left to dry directly in the garden for 3-5 days. If there is no such confidence, then dry the bulbs in a covered place or in a well-ventilated room. Knowing how to dry garlic after harvesting from the garden, you can ensure its good preservation in winter. Very hot weather Garlic should also not be left in direct sunlight. Garlic bulbs should be shaded. Otherwise it will fry.
  • Garlic is dried directly with leaves and roots. After it has dried, it should be moved to a warm, ventilated place for another 2 weeks of drying. Only after this the roots are cut off, leaving only 2-3 mm. The garlic stems are also trimmed, leaving a small part 10 cm long.
  • Garlic must be sorted by size and removed from total mass garlic bulbs damaged and diseased specimens. They store very poorly and must be used first.

Performing these simple steps of digging up and initially drying the garlic will help to ensure maximum preservation of the garlic in the winter and until it is planted in the soil or for other purposes.

Drying garlic

Digging in rainy weather

As a rule, garlic is not dug into rainy weather. High humidity can promote the development of fungi and rapid rotting of garlic. In addition, dry soil is separated much easier than wet soil.

However, the weather is not always favorable to gardeners, and the time for garlic to ripen may coincide with the rainy season. In this case, there is nothing left to do but dry the garlic after digging it up in rainy weather.

After digging up the garlic and carefully separating the bulbs from the dirt, you should use dryers with the ability to change the temperature. The starting temperature for drying should be 25 degrees Celsius and gradually increase to 40 degrees.

Once completely dry, garlic bulbs should be sorted and inspected for damage in the same way as garlic dug up in sunny weather.

Garlic in a fabric bag

Saving requirements

After the garlic heads are finally dried and prepared for storage, it is necessary to provide all the conditions for this. In unsuitable conditions, garlic cannot be stored for a long time and will very quickly lose all its qualities.

The main conditions for storing garlic are air temperature and humidity level. And here they may differ in the types of garlic.

  • Keeping warm is optimal for spring varieties. The temperature regime for this type of storage should be maintained close to 18 degrees Celsius.
  • Cold storage involves maintaining a low temperature environment. Optimal temperature conditions for storing winter varieties of garlic is 3 degrees Celsius. But even at this temperature, winter garlic is very poorly stored. You can often see damage from various diseases on it, and before spring it can completely dry out. This is one of the reasons why it is planted in the fall.

Knowing how to dry garlic after harvesting in rainy weather and sunny conditions, it is necessary to ensure the humidity level. Optimal level The humidity for storing garlic is 50-80%. Higher humidity can trigger the emergence and spread of dangerous diseases. Garlic that has 3 layers of protective scales is best stored.

Bunches of garlic

Storage methods

There are many known methods for preserving garlic. Some of them have been used since ancient times, while other methods use modern technologies.

  • Storing in bunches is considered the simplest and oldest method of preserving garlic. To store this way, leave a little extra when trimming the stems. The stems are tied into a kind of broom. For tying, you can use twine, twine or the stems themselves. Such bundles can be easily stored at home.
  • Storing in nylon stockings can be used not only for storing onions, but also garlic heads. This method is very popular among gardeners post-Soviet space. Garlic should be stored in this way in ventilated places and regularly inspected for signs of disease. It is useful not only to understand how to dry garlic after digging (video), but also to ensure its storage so that the crop does not die.
  • Containers with good air circulation are an excellent way to preserve garlic. An example of such a container would be a wicker basket. As in other cases, when storing garlic, it should be periodically transferred and individual specimens checked for diseases.
  • Storage in banks. This method is used quite rarely. The garlic heads are sprinkled with salt, but the protective covering is not peeled off. Before this, the garlic must be dried very well. The jars are sterilized, after which garlic bulbs are placed there.
  • Storage in salt. To do this, you will need a wooden container in which to store the garlic. The first layer of garlic is placed on the bottom and covered with salt. Another layer is laid out on this layer of salt and again covered with salt, and so on. Salt retains moisture and prevents the spread of bacteria. There is a lot of controversy about this method, but it is used quite often in dry rooms.
  • Some gardeners store their garlic harvest in linen bags. They provide sufficient ventilation. Before storing the garlic, rinse it in concentrated solution salt and then dry it completely. This procedure helps retain moisture and keep the garlic in its original state longer. It is very important to both dry garlic after harvesting and store it according to correct and proven methods.
  • There is a rather labor-intensive storage method using liquid paraffin. Each garlic bulb is dipped in paraffin, and only after that the garlic is sent for storage.

Problems with storing garlic


Secrets of growing garlic

To get a good harvest of garlic every year, you should know and adhere to some planting and care rules. Using them when growing, you can get surprisingly large and healthy yields.

  • Knowing how to dry garlic after harvesting is very important. However, if you neglect the simplest planting rules, there will be nothing to dry. Winter garlic should be planted a month before the onset of cold weather so that it has time to take root. Spring garlic is planted immediately after frost, around mid-April.
  • Garlic does not require special care, but some agricultural practices should be used regularly. Pre-prepared and fertilized soil will not require additional fertilizing when growing garlic. In the spring, when active weed growth begins, weeding should be carried out periodically. In the future, weeding is carried out simultaneously with loosening. Watering should be moderate. It should be completed a month before harvest.
  • Crop rotation is the main agricultural technique for any garden crops, including garlic. Garlic grown in the same place year after year becomes more prone to diseases. The optimal predecessors for garlic are cabbage, legumes and cucumbers.

To summarize, it should be recalled that digging and drying garlic is a very important task. Garlic that is not dried enough will not be stored for long, but will become susceptible to dangerous diseases. You can learn how to dry garlic after harvesting in the video below.

Kira Stoletova

Garlic is one of the popular food additives, which can retain its properties for a long time healing properties. There are several ways to prepare this seasoning, but before drying the garlic, you need to follow the cleaning rules and prepare the storage area.

Otherwise taste qualities cloves will be lost due to rotting. To avoid this, you must adhere to a certain algorithm of actions.

Rules for harvesting bulbs

Digging up the crop is an integral part of preparing plants for storage. Improper harvesting of fruits can affect the integrity of the heads, which will cause rapid spoilage of the bulbs.

  • The main indicator of crop ripening is the foliage of the plant. As soon as most of it has turned yellow, the garlic can be dug up.
  • Also, to determine the ripening of the bulbs, one arrow is left on the bed. The appearance of seeds indicates the readiness of the variety.
  • Species that are planted for the winter are usually dug up closer to August. Spring varieties can ripen until mid-autumn.

Plants should be dug up as carefully as possible. First, the bulb is dug up, after which the garlic is pulled out of the ground by the base of the stem. After harvesting the garlic, the soil should be dug up and planted with green manure. If this is not done, the soil will lose many useful substances.

How to prepare crops for drying

Before drying garlic after harvesting, it should be subjected to primary processing. The heads should be cleaned from the soil by hand and dried for a week. Afterwards, the shoots and roots are removed with a knife or pruning shears, leaving a stem 2 cm long.

There are also several rules that must be followed during primary processing. These include:

  1. Preserving foliage after digging. This will allow the bulb to gain maximum nutrients after drying.
  2. Accuracy in relation to the harvest. It is not recommended to knock the heads together to shake off the soil. Any mechanical damage to the husk affects the shelf life of the bulbs.
  3. Lack of moisture. After digging, you cannot wash the garlic - this will lead to rotting of the bulbs.

These recommendations will help you properly prepare the harvest. When cleaning the heads, you can remove top layer husks. There are several ways to dry garlic. Their choice depends on the means at hand and the amount of harvest.

Drying outside

This type of heat treatment is the most popular because it does not require additional materials. After initial processing, the crop should be dried outside, weather permitting. The drying process can only be carried out during the day; it is better to hide the garlic at night, since the amount of precipitation increases at night.

Drying garlic lasts from three to five days. This method is also welcomed by farmers due to the increased resistance of fruits to various diseases. However, you need to keep an eye on sun rays– under direct ultraviolet light, the heads can get burned.

Experts also advise not to remove excess foliage from the stem. This will keep the cloves from drying out and increase beneficial properties bulbs.

Drying indoors

This method of drying crops for the winter is used if the weather does not allow leaving the bulbs outside. Rooms with good air circulation are suitable for drying.

It is also desirable that the room is darkened and the air is moderately humid. For these purposes, you can use a balcony or attic.

Oven drying

IN modern world To dry the crops in the apartment, they use an oven - a dryer. Before drying garlic, it should be completely cleaned of excess leaves and roots, and then rinsed thoroughly under running water.

The cloves are cut into plates a couple of millimeters thick. The slices are laid out on a baking sheet, having previously covered it with parchment or foil. The plates are stacked in one row. The oven temperature should not exceed 50 degrees, otherwise the slices may burn and acquire an unpleasant brown tint. Once dried, the garlic can be ground into granules and stored as a powder. A similar method is used in industrial production, since storing the onion in powder form is convenient and practical.

Drying in an electric dryer

This method of drying garlic at home is considered the simplest, since its use minimizes the risk of spoiling the harvest. To dry garlic in an electric dryer, you should thoroughly peel it and wash it under running water for a while. After this, each clove is cut into two or three parts and placed in special containers in an electric dryer.

The slices should be laid out with the cuts facing up. This will allow the bulbs to dry out faster. Using this method, you can dry the crop in ten hours. This method takes the least time and allows you to dry large number harvest. Once dried, the slices can be ground and stored as a powder.

Storage at home

Before drying homemade garlic, you should prepare a place for storage during winter period. It will determine how long the harvest will last. Dried garlic can be stored for several months in an apartment or special storage areas. However, for the strength of the cloves, you should use different additional materials. The most effective are considered:

  • kitchen salt;
  • paraffin;
  • onion peel;
  • a mixture of oil and iodine.

Salt

Table salt is placed at the bottom of the jar, after which the container is filled with garlic. Add another layer of salt on top and pull a nylon cloth over the neck of the jar. In this form, the bulbs are stored for several months. You can also add a handful of wheat flour. These components remove excess moisture and help prevent rotting. In addition, they protect the cloves from pests and diseases.

Dried garlic– one of the most favorite seasonings in the whole world (see photo), without it it is impossible to prepare almost a single dish.

The history of the origin of garlic goes back to BC, but then this vegetable was used only for medicinal purposes.

True gourmets and lovers of such a piquant and spicy seasoning can say that garlic not only surpasses all other spices in aromatic and taste properties, but also contains a large amount of minerals, vitamins and amino acids. Some people are confused by the smell of garlic that is present after eating, but there is always a way out. It is enough to eat a small amount of parsley or drink a little milk - and the smell will disappear completely.

On store shelves you can see various types dried garlic. It can be granulated, ground, or in the form of flakes. Everyone chooses the option that he likes best.

The calorie content of this product is quite high, therefore, it is not recommended to consume it excessively, so as not to harm your health. According to the documentation, the current standard for dried garlic dates back to 1971 and has not been changed since then. The table below shows the main documented criteria for dried garlic.

Indicator

Granulated

Powder

Appearance

Pieces various shapes and sizes

Consistency

Taste and smell

Exclusively garlicky, without foreign impurities or added odors or tastes

Shades from cream to gold

Cream

Beneficial properties and harm to health

The beneficial properties of garlic are fully preserved when it is consumed raw, and it can be used in various forms to create dishes.

But, no matter how beneficial garlic is, it can still cause harm to health. Let's look at the reasons why this product is contraindicated.

  • pregnant women;
  • if you have liver or kidney disease;
  • for hypertension;
  • for epilepsy;
  • people suffering from asthma, stomach ulcers.

Uses of dried garlic

The use of dried garlic is quite widespread not only in cooking, but also in medicine and in everyday life. And also, thanks to its regenerating ability, it is also used in cosmetology.

In cooking

In cooking, it is believed that dried garlic rightfully takes first place in the list of seasonings used for cooking. The most important thing is the correct dosage, because excessive use of garlic can spoil the taste of food. Dried garlic is best suited for meat and poultry dishes, for preparing hot dishes (soups, borscht), as well as jellied meat. It will also be indispensable for seafood (shrimp, lobsters and crabs). Dried garlic has also found its use in baking in the making of buns and bread: these finished goods sprinkle with fried garlic.

In medicine

In medicine he also distinguished himself with the best side in the fight against bacteria. It is also used as a disinfectant against cholera, typhoid, diphtheria, malaria, and garlic is also used for delayed menstruation and swelling of the legs. Indispensable in the treatment of purulent wounds, helps remove warts from the human body, disappears calluses, and is effective against insect bites.

You should not use garlic if you are prone to allergies, suffer from anemia, or have sensitive skin.

In everyday life

In everyday life, dried garlic is necessary to get rid of garden pests, as well as ants and aphids. It contains an organic component that is lethal to insects.

For example, gardeners use garlic infusion against aphids. You need to take a couple of heads of garlic, grind them, mix with warm water and let stand for a day. After this, filter the infusion and thoroughly spray the plants for several days. This procedure can be repeated several more times after a certain period of time.

But how can you prevent the appearance of ants, which not only plague your garden, but can also appear in your home? And this problem can also be solved. Ants are very afraid of garlic, they simply cannot stand its smell, therefore, in order to get rid of them, in the room it is necessary to generously sprinkle garlic on possible places where they accumulate, and also treat the baseboards.

In garden plots, garlic powder is poured directly into the anthill, after which your garden will be completely free of pests. There is another way to get rid of ants: you need to place arrows and cloves of garlic on the beds, which will also be effective.

The most important thing is that this powder is safe for the health of people and animals.

In cosmetology

In cosmetology, the use of garlic has also found its niche. Throughout life, every girl or woman strives to maintain her beauty. in various ways(going to a beauty salon, physical training). But sometimes, due to certain circumstances, we cannot afford to go to the salon one more time. And grandmother’s advice on how to improve the condition of her face and strengthen her hair at home comes to the aid of any woman.

If you have problematic skin face (pimples, acne), then a garlic mask will help you. It easily relieves inflammatory processes. But before you apply it to your face, you need to first conduct a test for allergic reaction(it is enough to apply the mask on your wrist for 10 minutes, then rinse with water, if there is no redness, then you can safely apply it to your face).

To prepare the mixture according to this recipe you will need the following ingredients:

  • one egg yolk;
  • a few cloves of garlic;
  • one tablespoon of cabbage juice;
  • two teaspoons of heavy cream;
  • one teaspoon of almond oil;
  • carrot juice.

Mash the garlic and mix with all the other ingredients until smooth. Then apply half of this mixture to the skin, and after five minutes - the remaining mixture and after another five minutes, rinse your face with water. The effect will not take long to arrive.

Garlic oil is used to treat hair. It helps strengthen hair, reduces hair loss, and also gives hair shine.

To make your hair grow faster, you need to mix one part of kefir with two parts of this oil and apply it to your hair. Wrap your head in a bag, put a towel on top and leave for 2 hours. After this, rinse your hair with water.

How to dry and store at home?

There are three ways to dry garlic at home and still preserve its beneficial properties and aroma. But not all varieties of garlic are suitable for drying. The most suitable are “Creole” and “Silver-white”, because only they can retain their full taste. Digging up garlic should only be done when the weather is dry outside; the beds should not be watered beforehand.

Procedure

In an electric dryer

Garlic cloves need to be peeled, cut into rings or slices, and placed on a drying tray so that the cut is at the top. The temperature should not exceed 60 degrees, otherwise everything will disappear aromatic properties and benefits for the human body. Heat treatment takes approximately 5 to 18 hours depending on household appliances.

In the oven

The garlic must be cut into slices and placed on a baking sheet. If you don't want it to get dirty, place it on a baking sheet parchment paper, and already chopped garlic on top. The temperature should be 60 degrees, do not close the oven door, but leave it slightly open so that fresh air can get inside. Cooking time is 40 minutes, and you need to periodically stir the garlic slices so that they do not burn. After this, let the garlic cool and then put it back in the oven. The total cooking time in the oven is 3 – 6 hours.

In the sun

The garlic should be cut into slices and placed on a flat surface with the core facing up. Place in a well-ventilated room to keep out sunlight. Due to this, everything is saved useful substances. Periodically you need to check the readiness of the product, but everything takes about two weeks.

You can dry garlic either as whole heads, slices, or chopped. If you don’t have time to make dried garlic at home, you can buy it at a reasonable price in stores. On at the moment Many people are involved in the production of this seasoning. trademarks and companies.

It is important to know that it is best to store dried garlic in powder form for no more than a month, otherwise it will lose its aroma and nutritional properties, and will also become unsuitable for food.

The main value of dried garlic as a cooking spice lies in its aroma. That is why storing dried garlic is primarily aimed at preserving its smell. To contain the seasoning, it is best to use glass jars that can be sealed airtight. It is advisable to leave the container with the spice in a cool, dry place.

As a result, we can conclude that dried garlic is useful not only in cooking as a spice, but is also used in other sectors of human activity.

Gardeners pay great attention to drying garlic after harvesting it from the garden, since only dried garlic according to all the rules will be stored for a long time. Contrary to all logic, well-dried and stored garlic is still considered not dry, but fresh. This vegetable is consumed during the winter, used in canning, and added to various dishes. From it, zealous housewives prepare an aromatic spice - dried garlic. Let's find out how to properly dry it for the winter without losing a single milligram of healthy carbohydrates, essential oils and phytoncides, which this crop is rich in.

First of all, garlic must be removed in time. The heads overexposed in the garden will begin to disintegrate into individual cloves and sprout. This garlic will not last long. In order not to be late with harvesting, the flower arrows on several plants are not broken off, but are left as guides. The optimal time for digging up a crop is considered to be the time when the arrows are completely straightened and the shell on some of them begins to burst.

The garlic is carefully dug up, trying not to damage the heads, the soil is shaken off the roots, laid out on the garden bed and dried for several hours in the sun. It is highly undesirable to wash the bulbs, since the gardener’s task during this period is to dry the vegetable as quickly as possible. In the evening, the dried heads are tied into bunches and hung for final drying in the shade under a canopy. The place should be well-ventilated, then the bulbs will dry faster and better. Drying time lasts from a week to a month depending on weather conditions.

Dried garlic is tied into braids or cut at a height of 4–8 cm from the root collar. The roots are cut off with a sharp pruner, then the heads are stored in a cool, dry room with good ventilation.

Can it be dried in the sun?

This issue remains controversial among vegetable growers. Many of them notice that after prolonged drying in direct sunlight, the garlic seems to be baked and is stored worse in the future. Some summer residents best place For drying garlic, use only well-lit sunlight.

The last option will certainly suit residents northern regions with dim sun and cool weather. And in southern regions it is better to shade this culture.

In any case, in the evening, the bundles of garlic are removed under a canopy, since dew falls in the morning, which makes drying difficult.

How to prepare dried garlic for spice

Well-dried garlic has the following characteristics:

  • the tops have turned yellow and dried out and make a rustling sound;
  • the roots became thread-like;
  • thin dry scales similar to tissue paper have formed on the heads.
  • The weight of the dry product is reduced from the original by 40–60%.

In this form, the vegetable lasts well for several months. Before storing, the heads are inspected and those damaged during excavation, with a broken shell or signs of deterioration are set aside separately. Such specimens must be used up first - put into conservation, used for food, or dried again.

The teeth are first cleaned, damaged areas are cut out and crushed. In this form, garlic turns into an exquisite spice that does not lose its aroma for a long time and is ready to be added to various dishes - borscht, pilaf, salads, snacks.

There are many ways to get this spice. Let's look at the most popular of them.

Drying methods

Garlic, along with apples, pears, tomatoes and other fruits or vegetables, lends itself well to drying. Moreover, not everyone’s home conditions allow them to preserve the beneficial properties of the vegetable. long time, so housewives prefer to dry it for the winter. In dry form, garlic reserves do not lose their aroma for a long time, do not require space in the refrigerator and are compactly stored.

How to dry indoors

Garlic for drying is peeled, washed, allowed to dry and chopped. sharp knife onto thin plates. They are laid out on drying trays, which can be easily made from scrap materials as follows:

  • cut four boards 10–15 cm wide;
  • a box of arbitrary size and height is knocked together from boards;
  • one side is covered with a thin mesh fabric that allows air to pass through well and does not absorb odors.

Garlic cut into slices is laid out on a cloth in one layer and placed in a shaded, ventilated place. To protect from dust and flying insects, the top of the box is covered with a second layer of fabric, placing the product between them. From time to time the plates are turned over, ensuring uniform evaporation of moisture from the surface.

When fully dried, garlic is brittle, breaks easily, and is cream to light brown in color. Some of the plates can be crushed with a blender and a little table salt added. You will get garlic salt, a popular spice, ready to use. Due to salt, which absorbs excess moisture, this spice remains dry longer and does not spoil.

The finished product is poured into jars, covered with lids and stored in a dry, dark place. Dried garlic supplies should be inspected periodically. If the spice is caked and a musty smell appears, it is scattered on a tray and slightly dried in the oven at a temperature of +50°C.

In electric dryers or ovens

Garlic is dried in electric dryers in the same way. In them, the product dries much faster, since electrical drying appliances are equipped with light heating and forced ventilation. Under such conditions, the product is quickly and evenly brought to the desired condition.

In the absence of an electric dryer, garlic can be dried in the oven. The baking sheets are covered with baking paper and the chopped cloves are laid out on it. The product must be dried at a temperature not exceeding 40–60°C. With more high temperature the lobules darken, phytoncides are destroyed, and essential oils go rancid. As a result finished product has much worse taste properties, and its benefits are reduced.

How to keep garlic arrows fresh for the winter

Garlic lovers know well that not only the underground part of this plant is edible and useful, but also the stem and leaves. First of all, they use young shoots for food, which they break out in June. They also contain more vitamin C and are extremely necessary at the beginning of summer. Some of the arrows can be prepared for the winter by any in a convenient way– freeze, dry or sprinkle with salt.

Young leaves are also suitable for harvesting greens. After cutting, they should be washed and yellowed and coarse feathers sorted. The rest are prepared together with the arrows.

For drying, washed and finely chopped greens are laid out in one layer on pallets and brought to a loose state. Dry for several days, depending on air humidity and temperature. Then they are crushed and poured into jars.

For freezing, the arrows are also washed in running water, dried on napkins, cut and laid out in plastic bags or containers. IN freezer in this form the product is stored indefinitely.

A recipe with salt is suitable for storing in the refrigerator. The prepared arrows are placed in clean glass jars, interspersed with layers of salt, and sealed tightly.

If the room where dried garlic is stored is too humid and it is not possible to reduce it, it is better to put the finished spice in the freezer. Freezing will allow you to preserve your favorite seasoning for much longer. In this case, it is packaged in small portions, for “one time use”.

Drying is an environmentally friendly and labor-intensive way to preserve garlic for a long time. Subject to storage conditions, it does not lose its quality throughout the year and is convenient to use. Additive small quantity at the end of cooking it will give the dish a subtle aroma and protect against colds.

Garlic, produced in large quantities, always pleases gardeners. But harvesting is only half the battle, because all this goodness also needs to be preserved for a long time. winter months. Today we propose to talk about how to properly dry this vegetable immediately after harvesting, so that it can be stored in whole heads all winter, and we will also talk about how to make garlic seasonings at home, in the form of chips and powder, from peeled garlic cloves .

Before harvesting this vegetable, you should avoid watering it for several days so that the soil remains dry and crumbly. If the day before passed heavy rain, then you should also wait a bit with cleaning.

Having pulled the heads out of the ground, they are laid out in one layer on the ridge and allowed to dry for 3 to 4 hours. After this, the crop is harvested under a well-ventilated canopy and dried there for 5 to 10 days.

After the green part of the plant dries, it is partially cut off, leaving a small stump of 5 - 6 centimeters. The garlic heads are placed in mesh boxes in a small layer and stored in a cool, dry place.

If you plan to store garlic in bundles or braids, then the tops are not cut off, but used for fastening. Bunches of garlic are hung at some distance from the ground in a dry room.

Watch the video from the channel " Useful Tips» — How to dry garlic

How to dry garlic cloves

Before you start drying, you need to prepare the main product. The head of garlic is disassembled into individual cloves, each of which is then peeled. If the slices are darkened or damaged, they should be cut off with a knife.

There are several ways to chop garlic:

  • Grind the garlic through a coarse grater. This method not desirable, since when chopping, too much juice is released, which interferes with high-quality drying. In addition, the aromatic substances from such a product will disappear much faster.
  • Grind with a food processor. The disadvantages of this method are the same as in the previous recipe.
  • Cut the garlic cloves into thin slices. This is the optimal grinding option for drying in ovens and electric dryers.
  • Cut the cloves in half lengthwise. This method is ideal for drying garlic in the fresh air.

Natural way of drying

Garlic cloves cut in half are laid out on a flat surface, cut side up. The pallet is placed in a dry and very well ventilated area. Important rule: Drying should not be exposed to sunlight. Drying in the shade will help preserve maximum quantity useful substances.

From time to time, garlic cloves should be checked for readiness. On average, the entire process takes from 10 to 14 days, provided it is dry warm weather. If the garlic cloves were initially large, and the weather was not good during drying, then you will have to wait much longer for the product to be ready.

Dry in the oven

Chopped into plates, the garlic is placed on a baking sheet. To keep the dishes clean, the bottom of the container is first covered with baking paper. The oven is heated to a temperature of 50 - 60 degrees and the garlic is sent there. To avoid excessive heat and ensure access fresh air, keep the oven door ajar.

40 minutes after the start of drying, the baking sheet is removed and the slices are turned over. After the garlic has cooled completely, it is sent back to dry.

The total oven drying time is approximately 3 – 6 hours. This mainly depends on the thickness of the original product.

How to dry garlic in a vegetable and fruit dryer

Garlic petals are laid out on drying racks in one layer. The heating temperature is set on the unit to 55 - 60 degrees. You can’t go higher, as excessive heat will destroy all the aromatic and beneficial substances of the vegetable.

The average drying time is 4 – 6 hours. This, in to a greater extent, depends on the size of the cut and the humidity of the room in which dehydration is carried out.

The Ezidri Master channel in its video will talk about how to properly dry garlic

How to make garlic powder

Well-dried garlic can be used to make an excellent seasoning in powder form. To do this, garlic chips are placed in a blender or coffee grinder and beaten for 1 - 2 minutes. The crushed mass is sifted through a sieve in order to achieve a uniform consistency. If you grind the product for less time, you will get a coarse granular powder. It will be more noticeable in the finished dish.

How to store dried garlic

Fragile, crumbly garlic cloves are stored in jars, preferably made of dark glass, under a tightly screwed lid. This preparation is stored in a dry, dark place for a year, until the new harvest.