Waxy Breakdown....wahhhh...my garlic

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Bookbrat

Senior Cook
Joined
Jan 26, 2014
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Location
Idaho
We've had extremely above-normal heat this summer. I harvested 500+bulbs of gorgeous garlic and got it all cured, only to find many of the bulbs have something called waxy breakdown. Some cloves on many of the bulbs are like they were roasted in the ground. Edible and not bad tasting but they won't store well and affected cloves probably won't sprout.

For years I've been cultivating several varieties with the goal of huge cloves that peel easily and store until May. And I was down to 10 or so varieties (from 39!) Argh. I guess I'll be making garlic jam or something and we'll dehydrate what we can. At least the cloves are big, sighhhhh....
 
Sorry to hear that the garlic went wonky for you. One use for all those cloves: some stores around here sell peeled cloves in oil. Haven't a clue how they process them to make them shelf-stable, but if you have refrigerator space or a cold-enough cold storage area you might be able to keep them safe. Sorry, that's all I got. Better luck with next year's crop.
 
Sorry to hear that the garlic went wonky for you. One use for all those cloves: some stores around here sell peeled cloves in oil. Haven't a clue how they process them to make them shelf-stable, but if you have refrigerator space or a cold-enough cold storage area you might be able to keep them safe. Sorry, that's all I got. Better luck with next year's crop.
You have to be really, really careful about garlic in oil because of the risk of botulism. I vaguely remember something about max one week in the fridge. I would guess that garlic infused oil might be safer, but I would do some research first.
 
You have to be really, really careful about garlic in oil because of the risk of botulism. I vaguely remember something about max one week in the fridge. I would guess that garlic infused oil might be safer, but I would do some research first.

I always put a couple of tablespoons of lemon juice in the oil. The acid helps hinder the development of botulism. I also will soak the cloves in lemon juice first. And no, it doesn't affect the taste of the garlic at all. But it does give me a small piece of mind. :angel:
 
Commercial garlic in oil preparations have to be treated with acidifying agents, like citric acid, or antimicrobial agents.

Addie, unless you're testing the pH of your mixture, a couple of tablespoons probably isn't enough to make it safe. Also, since oil and water-based liquids like lemon juice don't mix easily, there are probably pockets of the oil that aren't treated where botulism can grow.

Bookbrat, sorry to hear about your garlic. One preservation method you could try would be to bake chopped garlic in oil with lime juice, to essentially make roasted garlic in oil, then refrigerate it.

http://www.rickbayless.com/recipe/slow-roasted-garlic-mojo/
 
I would probably roast the whole waxy shebang, then freeze it smooshed flat in a ziplock. Then you can break off a chunk as needed.
 
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I like having options ;) I've processed my garden tomatoes into purée, roasted and diced, and halved and roasted, and tomatillos into diced and frozen, and made into salsa and frozen. So I would make this garlic mojo and also freeze some the way you describe. The mojo can then be used as-is in salad dressings or marinades or for sautéing or brushing on meats or veggies for the grill.

I'm making myself hungry :LOL: I'm going to get a bunch of garlic headset at the farmers market this weekend and make some mojo :yum:
 
Thanks...sympathy helps.

I have Master Food Preserver info from two approved sources and one says a week for garlic in oil and one says three weeks. I do food preservation classes and tell people to stick small containers in the freezer. Then you're covered.

I usually roast some cloves and freeze on trays, so we'll do that. And I'll slice and dry the nice cloves. ..it rehydrates beautifully. I make a mean pickled garlic, too. And the mojo sounds great.

Fortunately I have lots of space. Not all the waxy cloves are soft so it's hard to tell. ..I'll just plant everything that's solid and hope for the best.

Onions in the jam would be worth trying. Hmmmmm....maybe garlic leather?
 
I would try an experiment of planting one of the waxy cloves in soil and see if it grows roots. I am 2 months away from planting garlic for next year here in northern New Mexico. That would be enough time to determine if the funky cloves are viable. In the past I have been surprised when I dumped garlic cloves on the compost pile because I didn't think they would grow, only to find a decent crop growing the next year there.
 
bethzrang, that might be worth a try. I usually plant early-mid October. Though what I've read says the odds aren't good.

From what we've eaten so far it seems like about 2/3 is affected, and not every clove in the bulb. I figure I'll plant a whole lot of my favorite kinds...the hardiest will survive and I'll have some strong stock.

I took the last of last year's garlic and some bulbils that got away from me and scattered yjem all over the property this summer. Maybe it will take off.
 
When I used to keep a garden, I used to practice something I learned as a small kid. I would plant cloves of garlic throughout the rows of veggies and even in the flowerbeds to keep the bugs away. I never had to spray. Marigold flowers also work. The garlic and the Marigold plants give off an odor that insects do not like. I never let the tall stalks of the garlic grow to bloom during the first year. I cut them off and left the garlic in the ground. The second year I would have a good size bulb to dig up after they bloomed.

Dang, I miss gardening. :angel:
 
I buy the frozen cubes of garlic at the grocery store. It's not like fresh, but it's my go to when I go to the closet and the garlic thief has visited.
 
I buy the frozen cubes of garlic at the grocery store. It's not like fresh, but it's my go to when I go to the closet and the garlic thief has visited.

Would you please stop paying the garlic thief's fair up here to my town? He seems to have a veracious appetite. I had two full bulbs two weeks ago. Today I had to go shopping again for two more. Please keep him at your home. :angel:
 
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