Cultivating Garlic

[inchrisin]

I live in Indianapolis (Zone 5)

I planted garlic last fall and I'm just now digging it up. I've wiped all the dirt I can off the bulbs and I've got them resting outside on a wicker basket to help them dry.

Is there any time frame for letting them dry or age, or are they ok to use in cooking as soon as they come out of the ground?

Is there anything else I'm missing that I need to do before using these in cooking?

 

[Cooking Goddess]

Both blissful and bethzaring grow garlic in large quantities. If they don't happen upon this thread, you could always send PMs asking for help. If my memory isn't totally shot, we also have a member who grows it for retail - can't remember who, though, IF they exist.

 

[Steve Kroll]

I grew garlic for years before finally giving up my garden. You can certainly eat garlic right out of the garden, but the drying (or curing) process helps it keep for much longer by eliminating the moisture than can cause spoilage.

When you dig up the bulbs, give them a quick wash them to remove any excess dirt (you don't have to be too fastidious. Just lightly use a vegetable brush under running water) and then hang them up in the basement to dry for 2-4 weeks, or until the skin is papery. Then you can remove most of the stalk and roots for storage.

 

[GotGarlic]

I put mine in a mesh bag hanging in the kitchen (basements are rare here). I have a lot of garlic left from DH's teacher retreat trip, so I'll just let it hang out till I need it.

I don't wash it. I just brush the dirt off. As it dries, another layer or two of the papery covering will come off and then they're clean enough.

 

[blissful]

Curing

Curing the garlic. Why cure it? If it is cured (dried) it will last many more months than uncured garlic. How do we cure it? We harvest the garlic, bundle it, tying it with twine, power wash it, label it, and we hang it in a spot that is not in the sun, and where it will not get wet from the rain. We cure ours outside, in the wind. Curing takes about 4-5 weeks. If you don't cure it can become moldy and unusable. The paper holding the bulb will dry, the top of the garlic stem will close off. Then we cut the stems, where they are closed, and put them in labelled storage, dry conditions with ventilation (we use fans). During the curing process, moisture evaporates, the garlic loses weight compared to freshly dug garlic. You can eat uncured and cured garlic, the cured garlic just lasts longer in storage.

from -- Joy's Garlic
We've also dried it hanging in the garage with fans, which works but the aroma is pretty strong!

 

[inchrisin]

Thanks for the tips. It looks like this will be difficult to mess up.

Also, if I want to replant this fall will I have any issues?

 

[larry_stewart]

I actually dry/ cure mine ( along with the onions) on top of the air conditioning fan outside, which is constantly blowing warm air. Ive done this for years and it works great.

I plant every fall ( around October), and harvest usually first week of July.
My bulbs are usually smaller than the commercial ones that I get in the store.

My biggest bulbs are the ones that were left in the ground by accident when harvesting, and come up the following year

 

[blissful]

You can replant in October or in the fall. I can't see any issues. Check them all for mites, we've never had a mite problem but I wouldn't want to introduce the problem into the soil with mite infested garlic. If you can replant in a soil that hasn't seen garlic in the past year, not a bad idea if you have the space. Replenish the soil with composted manure if you have it. Garlic uses a lot of nitrogen. I've had years of so-so size on garlic, and then if the weather cooperates, really nice big bulbs too. Last year was a banner year for us. Enough water and sunshine at the right times.

 

[StuartCooks]

I actually dry/ cure mine ( along with the onions) on top of the air conditioning fan outside, which is constantly blowing warm air. Ive done this for years and it works great.

I plant every fall ( around October), and harvest usually first week of July.
My bulbs are usually smaller than the commercial ones that I get in the store.

My biggest bulbs are the ones that were left in the ground by accident when harvesting, and come up the following year

Here I was wondering if a dehydrator set on low would do the trick when I came across your post. You just saved me from making my entire house smell like garlic lol

 

[Kaneohegirlinaz]

I know that I'm late to this party, but I have further questions in regards to Garlic.

Mrs. Dear Friend planted Garlic on the Fall Equinox and pulled them up about two weeks ago. She said she tried some in a dish, cooked, and they were MUCH too strong in flavor for her, so she gave them to me.
My question is:
Mrs. DF snipped of the stalks, will the bulb's flavor "mellow" over time?
I'm kinda leery to crack one open yet.

 

[blissful]

I know that I'm late to this party, but I have further questions in regards to Garlic.

Mrs. Dear Friend planted Garlic on the Fall Equinox and pulled them up about two weeks ago. She said she tried some in a dish, cooked, and they were MUCH too strong in flavor for her, so she gave them to me.
My question is:
Mrs. DF snipped of the stalks, will the bulb's flavor "mellow" over time?
I'm kinda leery to crack one open yet.

The HOTNESS in garlic happens when you cut through it, some of the allicin is activated and it gets quite hot, it is a chemical reaction from cutting through it. (it is the plants protection against animals eating it) If you chop it, and use it in say, pesto, or in garlic butter, give it 24-36 hours in the refrigerator, the HOTNESS will mellow during that time. You will end up with a lovely warm garlicy flavor. The bulbs uncut by themselves, will not mellow by themselves.

 

[Andy M.]

... You will end up with a lovely warm garlicy flavor. The bulbs uncut by themselves, will not mellow by themselves.[/QUOTE]



Dropping cloves into boiling water or microwaving then briefly has the same effect.

 

[GotGarlic]

... You will end up with a lovely warm garlicy flavor. The bulbs uncut by themselves, will not mellow by themselves.

Dropping cloves into boiling water or microwaving then briefly has the same effect.

Roasting them makes them quite delicious, too

 

[bethzaring]

I know that I'm late to this party, but I have further questions in regards to Garlic.

Mrs. Dear Friend planted Garlic on the Fall Equinox and pulled them up about two weeks ago. She said she tried some in a dish, cooked, and they were MUCH too strong in flavor for her, so she gave them to me.
My question is:
Mrs. DF snipped of the stalks, will the bulb's flavor "mellow" over time?
I'm kinda leery to crack one open yet.

Freshly dug garlic needs to cure because freshly dug garlic is hot and strong. Yes the flavor will mellow as it ages. Let your bulbs cure in a shaded, breezy area. I wait at least three weeks before using. One time I made a pot of garlic soup with freshly dug garlic. It not only was not edible, I thought it may eat through the stainless steel pot. I ended up using a small portion of the gallon of soup, a teaspoon at a time to flavor other dishes.

 

[Kaneohegirlinaz]

Freshly dug garlic needs to cure because freshly dug garlic is hot and strong. Yes the flavor will mellow as it ages. Let your bulbs cure in a shaded, breezy area. I wait at least three weeks before using. One time I made a pot of garlic soup with freshly dug garlic. It not only was not edible, I thought it may eat through the stainless steel pot. I ended up using a small portion of the gallon of soup, a teaspoon at a time to flavor other dishes.

That's what I was thinking, that Garlic bulbs need to sit for awhile before using them. Mrs. DF said that she tried some and it was just way too hot for her taste and gave it to me about 2 weeks ago. I have one more store bought bulb left and that should take to where the those bulbs from her should be ok, don't ya think?