Harvest and dry garlic

Garlic has been one of the most important spices and foods for humans since ancient times. The numerous ingredients not only provide the characteristic taste and smell, but also have a positive effect on the body. If you Allium sativum in your garden, harvesting is possible within the first two years. The exact point in time is important in order to obtain the desired aroma and also to bring in a larger yield, which should then be dried.

harvest

First or Second Year?

One of the most important aspects of harvesting the herb is the harvest period. You can harvest the garlic either in the first or second year after cultivation and thus achieve different results in terms of aroma and shelf life. The following comparison shows the differences between the two service lives:

First year

These bulbs of garlic are evident smaller and milder in aroma. They don't lend themselves well to drying, so they should fresh be used. Despite the mild, not so pungent aroma, they have a much more intense taste with a not so penetrating garlic odor. Don't be surprised: annual garlic can have lots of green spots. The annual is particularly suitable for frying or for numerous sauces.

Second year

The two-year-olds are clear in comparison more durable, but not so intense in taste. For that they are clear greater and have a sharper Aroma that is particularly good for Spice up suitable. These tubers are only rarely green. Because they have already gone through a winter, they have a very good one long durabilitywhich is noticeable when drying.

As you can see, if you want to dry the bulbs, it is not until the second year that you should start thinking about the garlic harvest. Although you could pull Allium sativum out of the ground in the first year, the garlic bulbs would rot due to their freshness. However, you should not leave the tubers standing for longer than two years, otherwise they will mature too long and rot in the soil. They usually do not survive a second winter.

tip: In addition to the standing time, the toe used is also important for the harvest yield. The larger it is, the larger the final size of the garlic you can harvest.

time

The right time to harvest depends on when you planted your garlic. We're talking either of Winter or spring garlic. Of these two, the winter garlic ripens earlier and can be harvested from around July. The spring garlic, on the other hand, is a few weeks later. In addition to these known dates for harvest, there are other signs that indicate the correct harvest time:

• withered foliage
• Garlic cloves are recognizable

Based on these properties, you can immediately see when the tubers should be removed from the earth. As soon as you discover withered leaves, however, you should not hesitate too long, otherwise the upper parts of the plant may die off and the tubers will follow within a short time.

tip: You should definitely hope for little rain in July. The drier the month, the bigger the harvest, as the plants prefer warmth and lots of sun.

instructions

Harvesting garlic cloves is easy and takes a few moments. Even if you've planted an extremely large bed, it won't take you long to get the tubers out of the ground. Allium sativum does not require any tools, but if you don't want to dig in the ground with your hands, consider using a small digging shovel. When harvesting, do the following:

• Loosen up soil by tuber
• alternatively use a grave shovel
• grip the withered leaves with a firm grip
• Pull the tuber out of the ground with one jolt

In healthy plants, the upper part should not break off, as even the withered leaves are extremely robust. After harvesting, look for a dry, covered place and store the tubers there for a few days. Storage allows the tubers to ripen in order to produce as much flavoring as possible and to facilitate drying.

tip: If you want to intensify the aroma of your garlic cloves, you should remove the flowers as soon as possible. The reason: they permanently rob the tuber of nutrients that are important for the aroma and size of the tuber.

dry

As soon as you have brought in your harvest, it is time to dry the tubers. This allows the garlic bulbs to be stored for a long time and used over a long period of time without them becoming rotten. There is threeDrying methodsthat you can use to effectively prepare your harvest for storage. Then store the dried garlic at cool temperatures.

Drying methods

A traditional method is to hang the tubers so that they can air dry. Use one of the following options for this:

1. weave

Traditionally, garlic plants are woven into a "braid" over their leaves. If you can braid, just take three plants and tie them together in a braid. Then hang them up over the braid. The tubers stay there until they have dried.

2. Laying out

To do this, simply cut the foliage back to a height of five to ten centimeters. Then lay them out in a dry room. The drying time depends heavily on the size of the tubers.

3. oven

The oven is a classic for storing spices, fruit and even nuts. For this reason, the oven is ideal for the tubers. Proceed as follows:

• wash the tubers
• then peel
• Halve the tubers
• lay out on baking trays
• leave in the oven at 70 ° C for four hours
• hold the door ajar
• this allows the air to circulate

The halved tubers are ready to dry when they look brittle when you touch them. If this is not the case after a period of four hours, reduce the temperature to 65 ° C and wait some more.

tip: You can also use the dehydrator instead of an oven. To do this, wash, peel and cut the garlic into fine slices, lay it out on the wire racks and dry it for a few hours at 70 ° C.