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storage of garlic

Hi Joan:
There are 2 different kinds if garlic, the sativum (sat) kind, and the
ophioscorodon (oph). If the bulbs are lined up in a circle around the
center stem, they are oph. These will not last anywhere near as long (3-4
mo) as the sat kind (6-8 mo), characterized by cloves hanging off the side
and not in a circle. It is best to dry them in the shade to control the
speed of drying. I dry them on wire mesh suspended in the garage from some
hooks driven into the walls. At that stage the stems have not been cut off.
I don't cut the stems until I'm ready to put them away.
You can try braiding  them which is straightforward with the sats, and not
too bad with others if the stem hasn't gotten too stiff and dry. If you
braid you shouldn't wait too long. An onion bag is good for storage.
If you need to store them in a box, try to avoid card board because the
dryness of the paper seems to dehydrate the bulbs. It is best not to
separate the bulbs into individual cloves until replanting time.  The skin
shields out fungi, etc. Airflow does not seem to be essential in storage. I
have kept oph in a cool room, in an open plastic container for 4+ months.

Ed.

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Hi fellow gardeners,
  I'm about to harvest my second year's batch of Italian garlic, and
it looks like I'll have another bumper crop.  What I'm wondering
about is how to prolong the life of the garlic because I have so much
and won't use it all immediately?

  Last year when I harvested I laid the pulled heads out in the sun
to dry for a few days, then cut off the foliage and stored the garlic
heads in a box in my cool, dark pantry.  Unfortunately, because I had
so MUCH I couldn't use it all so many of the heads dried out and
weren't useable.

  How can I store the garlic and keep it longer?  Should I try
removing the individual cloves and freezing them, perhaps?  I know I
can make flavored vinegars, which will be very nice, but I want to
keep some separate for using in various dishes.

Your advice will be appreciated,
Joan

                        Edward A. Spaans
                       Ascent Technologies

Systems Engineer                        voice: 313-668-4035
525 Avis Drive, Suite 15                  fax: 313-668-2735
Ann Arbor, MI 48108                  internet: spaans@orion-sys.com

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