Noreaster, I'm new at this too but I think curing garlic is done to preserve it so it can be used later, not for flavor enhancement. Believe me, there was
nothing wrong with the freshly-dug garlic we used the other day - it was excellent!
I'll cure the bulbs I'm setting aside for cloves to re-plant in October, but other than those I don't intend to dry and cure any of the garlic we're going to eat. Instead, I'm going to follow exactly what TomNJ posted here in another thread a week ago:
"I peel and chop the garlic and put it into one-quart freezer bags, press it flat to about 1/4" thick, zip and freeze. To use you just break off the amount you need (breaks easily) and re-zip the bag. The texture is softened and the flavor slightly less sharp, but just use more. The softer texture makes it ideal for mixing in sour cream to make a great chip dip!"
This method sounds real, real good to me. We've got electricity here in Missouri, and freezers too!
