Is it better to cure garlic upside down?
 

Or right side up? Does it matter?

I do mine right side up because it's easy

I lay mine flat on a wire mesh in an outdoor shed. I don't think that direction matters but what does matter is that it has good air circulation and it is kept out of direct sunlight which can change the flavor. Lots of humidity can cause mold too.

[QUOTE=brownrexx;649887]I lay mine flat on a wire mesh in an outdoor shed. I don't think that direction matters but what does matter is that it has good air circulation and it is kept out of direct sunlight which can change the flavor. Lots of humidity can cause mold too.[/QUOTE]

Single layer...I've even stuck a fan under them.

The last ones I hung, molded because there wasn't enough air flow.

What's the best way - for a city dweller without a root cellar :? - to store garlic for 5 months till I can replant it? All the online advice says store it at 50 degrees. I have nothing that stays 50 degrees :panic:

My garlic lasted a year on my kitchen table and counter. I hung them to dry initially, then placed them in a fabric lined basket I picked up at Target or someplace similar. I would recommend trying something similar. I think the fabric absorbed any moisture and the basket let some air circulate. I don't live in a very hot or humid area and it worked great for me.

This is what is left to last years harvest. Perfectly usable. I did toss a few because the cloves were dried out, but that is it. I was surprised it last so long.

[IMG][URL=http://s8.photobucket.com/user/Sue_CT/media/IMG_1742_zpsl87nhtvy.jpg.html][IMG]http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a4/Sue_CT/IMG_1742_zpsl87nhtvy.jpg[/IMG][/URL][/IMG]



Sorry for the giant picture.

Thank you Sue!

Your pictures may be giant, but at least they are right side up! Mine are always on their side.

I don't know anyone in real life that grows garlic, so many hearty thanks to everyone on who posted. It's so nice to be able to talk to someone that's done this before. I ended up lashing them to my fence, you can't see all the bulbs, but you get the idea.

Cool pics, Sue, a year on the counter is pretty amazing. I usually store mine in a box in a closet. Some varieties are just troppers. Thanks again!

Not much, but should last me a year and I had fun doing stringing them up.

[IMG]http://i.imgur.com/HuMDFe2.jpg[/IMG]

[QUOTE=jtjmartin;649908]What's the best way - for a city dweller without a root cellar :? - to store garlic for 5 months till I can replant it? All the online advice says store it at 50 degrees. I have nothing that stays 50 degrees :panic:[/QUOTE]

Does your home have AC? I find that even in a closet, my garlic stays just fine in an old Amazon mailing box. I bet SueCT fabric lined basket would work really well too.

I grow 2 varieties, Music and Burgundy. Music will not store anywhere near as well as Burgundy, so I save the best to replant and use that one up first.

Mine are hung right-side up in the basement with a fan on them until they are fully cured. Then I trim them, sort out my seedstock for next season, and hang the rest in mesh bags.

If they get to a point where they are starting to dry out, I'll slice and dry the cloves for garlic powder which one rung below fresh homegrown garlic, but still has much better flavor than supermarket fresh garlic.

Can only speak for the variety I grow. Plants are dried outdoors on wire racks which are elevated off the ground. They are loosly covered with cardboard and then tarped. Air flow is from the bottom up. The racks are on the north side of a storage building. There is room to dry indoors but ventilation is lacking. Usually 3 weeks dry time is enough. Bulbs are cleaned, necks trimmed and then placed in shallow crates to cure at 60-65 degrees.

I grow a few hundred lbs., virtually all is sold and used as next years seed. What is saved for personal use stays in excellent shape for 6-8 months. It then begins to lose weight, developes a green core and has a stronger taste. We still use it from harvest to harvest.

The keys to long term storage is the variety grown, a slow dry down and curing at cooler temps.