Anita Shackelford
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Growing Garlic

9/13/2017

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I grow garlic every year; I plant in October and harvest when the stems have dried, usually in August. I hang them, stems intact, in the garage to finish drying for a couple of weeks. They need to be out of the sunlight and have some ventilation. After that, I cut off stems and roots and brush off dirt and the outermost papery layer. I take them to the basement and spread them out on a shelf for winter storage. If you grow soft-neck garlic, you can braid the stems and leave them hanging in a cool, dry place.

Garlic will keep well at room temperature, dark, and well ventilated for a couple of months or longer, but eventually will dry out and become unusable. Because our basement is heated, I need to move them to a cooler place mid-winter. A cool root cellar would be great, but mine go into the refrigerator, in a small compartment in the door, labeled "butter". I keep the door open for ventilation and it keeps well for a long time. Stored in a closed container, it would mold, so I'm not sure about putting it into vacuum sealed bags, as some have asked. I think refrigeration lessens the flavor a little, or maybe it just gets milder with age.

Garlic can be dried for long term storage. Some will say not to freeze garlic, but for those seasonings I know I will want during the year, like Puerto Rican sofrito or a Cajun trinity, I make them ahead and freeze it in amounts suitable for the recipe. It's always good.

I use about 75 heads of garlic in a year's time, so it's nice to know it's always on hand. Garlic is easy to plant and nothing beats the flavor of fresh garlic. Give it a try.
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    Author

    Anita has a long background rooted in traditional handwork, and quiltmaking, which she still enjoys.

    But more often, these days, you'll find her digitizing patterns for the Statler Stitcher and other computerized longarm quilting machines. 
     
    Her summer days are spent in the garden and she loves finding new ways to prepare good veggie-based meals.

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