“Have you ever eaten garlic before going to work?” 🧄😅 If not, your coworkers are probably grateful! 😆 But for those who appreciate the health benefits of garlic and want to know how to store it properly at home, we’ve got some great tips! 🏡✨ In the article below, you’ll find detailed advice and useful tricks for keeping this amazing ingredient fresh 📖👇
Garlic is one of the most popular seasonings, widely used in cooking and as a natural remedy. This article shares tips on how to store garlic properly.
Many people store garlic in the refrigerator, but if you leave it there for too long, you might find withered or moldy cloves instead of fresh, fragrant ones. There are a few important things to know about garlic storage, including the differences between spring and winter garlic.
Spring garlic is smaller and denser, while winter garlic is larger, with juicy, big cloves. Winter garlic contains more vitamins and beneficial compounds but should be used up faster, as it dries out and molds more easily, even in the cold. Garlic can also start to sprout if it’s stored in the wrong conditions.
For the best storage, winter garlic will last longer if stored in a room with temperatures between 0 and -1 degrees Celsius. The humidity should be between 55% and 75%. Spring garlic, on the other hand, can be stored at temperatures up to 20 degrees Celsius, but the humidity should stay below 70%.
Garlic heads will stay fresher if wrapped loosely in plastic wrap, leaving some space for air circulation. This helps prevent spoilage caused by condensation.
It’s best not to stockpile garlic if you can buy fresh garlic regularly. If you find mold on any cloves, use them as soon as possible or separate the moldy ones from the healthy ones.
If you want to save garlic from your own harvest, start by drying the heads outdoors or indoors, ensuring good air circulation. To prevent sprouting, you can treat the roots with a mixture of sunflower oil and iodine. To make this mixture, heat half a liter of sunflower oil, let it cool, and add ten drops of iodine. After soaking the roots, let the garlic dry again. The dried garlic can be tied into braids or bunches for easy storage.
Another way to preserve garlic is by using table salt. Place garlic heads in a container with ventilation holes and layer them with salt. You can also use sterilized glass jars. Start by putting a 3 cm layer of salt at the bottom of the jar, place the garlic on top, and cover with another layer of salt.
A similar method involves using flour instead of salt. Before placing each garlic head in the flour, dip it in the flour first.
