Harvesting Tips:
Harvest garlic when at least the lower half of the green leaves have turned brown.
Loosen the soil all around the garlic bulb with a gardening tool like the CobraHead and then gently pull it out by the stem.
If you want to store the garlic bulb as long as possible, try not to damage the bulb.
Curing Tips:
Cure the garlic in a warm, dry and shady spot outside or in a garage. I would not take it in the house because it is stinky when you first harvest it!
Lay the garlic on racks so there is some air circulation. I typically do this for a day or two outside and then bring them into the garage.
Put newspapers or paper towels underneath the racks to catch the dirt.
After about two weeks, the garlic should be cured which means that the bulbs will feel firm and have papery skin on the outside and the leaves and stem will be brown.
Cut the stem to about an inch or two above the garlic and the roots close to the bottom.
If the inside of the stem is still green, give the bulbs a few more days of curing.
Storing Tips:
Store the garlic on a movable rack so you can move the garlic as needed due to temperature changes in your home. For instance, I move the garlic to my basement in the summer once it is cured and back to the garage in the fall when the temperature cools down and the heater comes on inside. The ideal location is dark and cool.
Freezing Tips:
Remove the wrappers.
Place the individual cloves on a cookie sheet and individuall freeze them.
Store the cloves in an airtight container.
Another idea is to make garlic butter and freeze it using an herb cube tray.
If you need help with how to sow and grow garlic, just click on the link.
