Monday 9 August 2010

Disappointing garlic crop

Our winter garlic has proved to be somewhat disappointing. Planted in November and harvested yesterday, some of it had gone rotten. None of it was of the good size we got last year. We do have our spring planted garlic to pick but I fear that is not up to much either.

If you are expecting a good garlic crop, one thing we found over the last year was that good storage is important. We hung all our garlic in our garage (nice and cool, little direct light and we don't keep the car in it.) But by the start of this year, we found it was drying out. So, I suggest splitting a good crop. Half to be hung up; the other half stored in olive or cooking oil.

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2 comments:

Unknown said...

The suggestion of preserving garlic in olive oil is extremely dangerous unless the garlic oil is frozen. Garlic is a low-acid food and oil provides an oxygen-free environment, a combination that allows the growth of the bacteria Clostridium botulism, which causes botulism.

Anonymous said...

My home grown garlic store perfect at room temperature. Long keeping varieties store in this way right through to the next harvest has cured.
Just hang them, tied in bundles, braced beautifully or bagged in a net. Avoid plastic bags.