Garlic is a staple in many recipes around world, and being able to grow it yourself can add even more satisfaction to your dishes (and often more flavour!). If you have decided to plant garlic in your vegetable garden, you may be wondering when and how to harvest and store this wonderful vegetable. Discover our tips and tricks to harvest your garlic at the right time and store it correctly so you can use it for many months.
When to harvest garlic?
When to harvest garlic depends largely on when you planted it. Garlic generally needs about 9 months to reach ripeness.
Autumn-planted varieties (white and purple garlic) are usually ready to be harvested from mid to late summer, between July and August.
Spring-planted varieties (pink garlic) may need a little longer and are only ready at the end of summer or the start of autumn.
A sure sign that your garlic is ready to harvest is when the leaves begin to yellow and wilt. However, don’t rush! A common mistake is harvesting too early. It is essential to allow about half the leaves to yellow before harvesting. This ensures the garlic head is fully formed and will store well.
How to harvest garlic and dry it?
Avoid pulling the stems directly, as this can damage the garlic head. To harvest easily, start by loosening the soil around the garlic using a spade or a broadfork (also called aerating fork or grelinette). Leave some space between your tool and the garlic plants so you do not damage the heads. Once the soil is sufficiently loosened, you can gently pull on the stem to lift the garlic.
When you have lifted the garlic from the soil, shake it gently to remove excess soil. It is important not to wash harvested garlic, as moisture can encourage mould during storage. Instead, spread your garlic heads in a dry, shaded and well-ventilated place to dry for 4 to 10 days. This also allows the skin to harden, which helps with storage.
Tip: you can spread your garlic in a crate to let the heads dry for a few days in a dry, shaded spot in the garden. This also makes it easy to bring them indoors if bad weather arrives!
How to store garlic?
There are mainly three ways to store garlic.
Storing garlic in a crate
1- After drying your garlic in the shade for a few days, start by cutting the stems to about 2–3 centimetres from the garlic head.
2- Trim the roots with a knife.
3- Then gently remove excess dirt and the first outer skin.
4- Place your garlic heads in a crate, making sure they do not touch each other to prevent spread of possible disease or mould.
5- Put the crate in a dry place at room temperature or cool, to avoid rot or premature germination of the bulbils (bulbils are the individual cloves of garlic inside the head).
Storing garlic in bunches
1- After harvesting, leave garlic to air-dry for one week to ten days in a dry, shaded and ventilated place.
2- Once dry, gently brush remaining soil from bulbs with a soft brush.
3- Cut the roots to about one centimetre from the base of the head.
4- Also remove any dirty or damaged outer leaves, but leave the stem intact.
5- Take 5–6 garlic heads and gather them into a bunch.
6- Wrap a jute or linen string around the stems, about mid-height, and tie tightly, as the leaves tend to retract over time. Don’t be surprised to sometimes find heads that have slipped out of the bunch.
7- Once prepared, hang your bunches in a cool, dry place, protected from direct sunlight and moisture.
Tip: bunches can be hung individually or you can make a string of several bunches. To make a string, simply attach a new bunch to the previous one by tying their stems together with the string.
Storing garlic as a braid or how to make a garlic braid
1- After harvesting, leave garlic to air-dry in a dry, ventilated and shaded place for one week to ten days.
2- Once dry, gently remove remaining soil from bulbs with a soft brush.
3- Cut the roots to about one centimetre from the base of the head and remove any dirty or damaged outer leaves. Do not cut the stems yet.
4- Choose three large garlic heads with strong, flexible stems, then line them up.
5- Start braiding the three stems as you would braid hair, adding a new garlic head at each crossover of stem. Continue until all heads are incorporated into the braid.
6- Once finished, hang the braid in a cool, dry and dark place, such as a healthy cellar or larder. The important thing is to keep garlic away from direct sunlight and moisture.
Shelf life of garlic
In general, well-stored garlic can remain good for 6 to 8 months, or even longer. However, this can vary depending on variety and storage conditions. Garlic you have planted and harvested yourself will tend to keep longer than shop-bought garlic, as it has not been treated with chemicals that inhibit germination.
To check if your garlic is still good, examine the clove of garlic. It should be firm and crisp, with a white or slightly golden colour. If it has become soft, brown or has started to sprout, it is best to throw it away or compost it.
Comments