Grow Great Garlic - part 2

by Kathy Galantine
The garlic bulbs will begin to ripen in early summer. This is the time to discontinue watering them (a little rain won't hurt) in order to retard the stem and the leaf growth, and to let the bulbs finish maturing. Pinch off any flowers that form on the garlic plants. Harvest the bulbs when about 25 percent of the leaves on the garlic plant have turned yellow.

Hang them up or lay them out in the shade or indoors where there is good ventilation.
When the garlic bulbs are properly dried and cured, the sheaths surrounding the cloves will be dry and, papery. The sheath protects the cloves, slows their drying process and consequently their loss of flavor. Brush away any dirt that clings to the bulbs and they are ready to be stored in a variety of ways.

If the stems are still pliable, you can braid them to form an attractive hanging garlic braid. Another way is to trim the roots and use twine to tie the stems together to hang as small bundles.

Or you can cut the stems off, place the garlic bulbs in a net bag and hang it. If you hang your garlic in a cool but not freezing, dry place that is well-ventilated it can last for nine months or longer. In the kitchen, you can store small amounts of garlic for a month-or so in specially designed garlic pots that have holes in them. Never store fresh, unpeeled garlic in plastic bags in the refrigerator. It will rot.

Garlic is rich in sulfur, which contributes to its pungent flavor and also causes it to stink when it rots. To preserve garlic for up to three months, peel the cloves and place them in a jar of olive oil in the refrigerator. For longer storage, peel then thinly slice each clove. Dry the slices in a food dryer or on a metal tray in the sun. After they're completely dry, they can be pulverized in the blender to make garlic powder.