Storing Garlic

[Helsbells]

I have just dug up lots of garlic, I have left it on a table outside to dry off because it was very muddy, I have brushed off the mud, it is still a little moint inside, how should I store it? It is probably enought to ast a year, would it keep that long?

Thanks,
Hels

[Durgan]

I have just dug up lots of garlic, I have left it on a table outside to dry off because it was very muddy, I have brushed off the mud, it is still a little moint inside, how should I store it? It is probably enought to ast a year, would it keep that long?

Thanks,
Hels

My method.
I store in a cold room in the basement, and the bulbs keep about eight months. The criteria is through drying, and a good seal meaning dug at the right time of growth.

http://www.durgan.org/URL/?XCLZE 3 July 2010 Garlic Harvest

The garlic was dug today and the curing process was started, which will take about three weeks to complete. This is hard neck garlic and I use cloves from year to year from the current harvest. There are 88 bulbs total and ten were culled due to small size and some were damaged when digging. I choose to harvest at this time, since some of the leaves were changing color to brown, and usually the beginning of July is the time to dig in my area. This bed was planted in October of 2009, heavily mulched, and not touched until this harvest. There was still some moisture present at the root level. The quality and size is typical for this type of garlic.

http://www.durgan.org/URL/?NTYRF 16 July 2010 Hardneck Garlic further drying.
Garlic has been drying in the shed for about 15 days, and was trimmed today for further drying (curing). Adequate drying insures long storage life. Four bulbs equals one pound weight. The bulbs are almost uniform in size. The largest bulbs were selected for seed stock to be planted in October 2010. There are five to six cloves in each bulb. There are about 60 bulbs or about 15 pounds for consumption.

[Helsbells]

Hmmmmm
My garlic does not look like that.
All the green bits have gone, I must have dug them up too late they are all brown and muddy with no tops (to tie them up)
Plus they are falling apart, the cloves are not staying together.
Will they still store?

[Durgan]

Hmmmmm
My garlic does not look like that.
All the green bits have gone, I must have dug them up too late they are all brown and muddy with no tops (to tie them up)
Plus they are falling apart, the cloves are not staying together.
Will they still store?

They will not store for long. The bulbs were left in the ground too long. The garlic is still good, but mostly for relatively immediate use.

[prison break fan]

HI, I asked this question a little while ago, as my garlic was in the same condition as yours. I think we left it in the ground a bit too long. I usually just hang it in the shed, but someone very helpfully said to separate the bulbs and to freeze them. I did this and it seems very successful. Hope this helps. pbf.

[Helsbells]

Thanks pbf, I will do this.

[battybird]

Hi Helsbels, a friend uses her garlic to make a type of pesto with parsley, salt and olive oil. I should think this would be a good immediate use for it if it is too far gone to freeze. Very useful for soups, jacket spuds, seasoning and pasta. Just pour a little olive oil over top of paste after using some and this reseals it and keeps it for months. I suppose you could make proper pesto too with basil and pinenuts. Freezing sounds like a good option. We live and learn some things the hard way, next year your garlic will be harvested perfectly!