Garlic grows underground and it is not easy to tell when the bulb is ripe. How do you know when to harvest garlic? How should you store it and how do you braid a garlic braid?
Garlic is a healthy food that is loved by many thanks to its delicious taste. But you should know a few important tricks for harvesting garlic. Once grown, harvested and stored correctly, you can have tasty vegetables all winter long.
Garlic is one of the best vegetables for long-term storage, used in cooking as a flavorful seasoning for a variety of dishes. It is very easy to grow, but when it comes to harvesting, you have to know the right time. In this article you will find out when it is ripe and how to properly dry and store it.
When should you harvest garlic?
For most root vegetables, it is difficult to tell when it is time to harvest. If you harvest garlic too early, the cloves will become smaller and they will not store well. But if you leave them in the ground for too long, they will burst out of their shells, making them more susceptible to disease. Therefore, it is very important to recognize the right time.
The simple rule of thumb is that when the leaves of garlic start to turn yellow and dry out, then it's time.
The garlic leaves begin to die from the bottom up and when 3 to 4 of the plant's leaves are dry, you should prepare to harvest.
Start by checking one or two plants to make sure the tubers are large enough. Just remove a little soil from around the stem to get a good look.
Then stop watering for a few days to allow the soil to dry out a little and make harvesting easier.
How is it harvested?
Garlic bulbs are not very easy to pull out of the ground. Therefore, choose a dry day and carefully loosen the soil with a digging fork to dig up the bulbs. Pull out the tubers by the stems. Gently tap off most of the dirt, but wait until the bulbs have hardened to completely clean. Be careful not to damage the bulbs as this may affect storage.
Dry garlic and store it properly
Drying garlic is very important for its preservation. You need a lot of air and a cool place.
Tie the tops of the stems with twine into bundles of five to ten and hang them in a dark, dry, well-ventilated place for about three weeks. Another way to dry the onions is to place them on a rack.
When the entire stem is brown, cut the stem about an inch above the bulb and remove the roots.
After the garlic has dried, clean it carefully, removing dirt, debris, and the outer dried layer.
Store the dried onions in a cold and dry place. Don't forget to set aside a few of the largest, healthiest tubers to useto plant in autumn.
Never store garlic in the refrigerator as light and moisture will cause it to mold and sprout.
Braid garlic braids
Braiding is a traditional method of storing garlic that makes it last longer and looks much more aesthetic. To make a garlic braid, you should first dry the garlic but do not remove the stems.
- Take three of the larger dried and cleaned tubers, cross them over and tie them together. Two of the onions should form an X over the middle one.
- Add a fourth onion by placing it exactly in the middle and crossing the right stalk over it. Repeat the process with two more onions.
- When all the stems are lined up, start braiding. Take the two stems from the right side and cross them under the middle two stems. Then take the two stems on the left and cross them under the two middle leaves. Repeat the process once or twice more.
- Once you've started the braid, add another three onions and repeat until you've used all the onions.
- Then braid the remaining stems into a simple braid and tie it with a piece of string.
