You can say about garlic the same way as about onions - it is “from seven ailments.” But garlic not only helps to avoid many diseases and cure existing ones, but is also a vegetable that improves the taste of a dish and increases appetite.

Garlic can be stored well at home. But if there is a lot of it, for example, you have your own garden with a garlic bed, but there is nowhere to store it (although there may be other reasons), then the garlic can be dried. After all, this is not such a labor-intensive process as it seems at first glance. Dry garlic also takes up little space and is very convenient to use.

How to prepare garlic for drying

The following varieties of garlic are suitable for drying: Kirovogradsky, Starobelsky White, Southern Violet, Bronitsky, Ukrainian White, Kalininsky, Rostovsky, Creole and others.

If you are harvesting your own garlic, do not water it for several days before digging it up, since the soil must be completely dry. For the same reason, they do not dig immediately after rain.

The garlic must be ripe. This is evidenced by the leaves themselves, which turn yellow and fall to the ground.

If you dig up garlic that is not yet fully ripe, its bulbs will be loose and loose. They will be poorly stored and dry.

But overripe garlic is also not very good, since when it is dug up, the scales are easily separated from the heads, as are the cloves themselves. This makes further processing difficult. After all, the cloves can become stained with soil, and it is not recommended to wash garlic that is going to be dried. Such garlic will take a very long time to dry and may simply become moldy and spoiled.

Only healthy, clean, undamaged and fully formed garlic is suitable for drying.

Garlic is dried by taking it into pieces, cutting it into slices or making powder out of it.

How to dry garlic in a bunch

Immediately after digging, the garlic needs to be dried. Primary drying is carried out directly in the field. To do this, it is pulled out of the ground and left to lie there for several days. During this time, the tops and roots will dry out and the garlic will ripen. The scales will also dry out and press tightly against the bulb. In rainy or cold weather, drying is carried out in a warm room at a temperature of about 30°C for six to eight days.

When the tops dry, they are cut off, leaving a small stump. But most often, garlic and tops are braided into braids and hung by them in a dry, cool room.

How to dry garlic without destroying the bulbs

Garlic is peeled from the upper hard scales without destroying the bulb itself.

Then the garlic is cut into pieces 5 mm thick.

Place on sieves or baking sheets lined with parchment and dry in an oven or oven at a temperature of about 50°C. To avoid steaming or uneven drying, the garlic should be stirred periodically.

Garlic can also be dried in the sun, spread out in a thin layer. But this method is inconvenient because you need to make sure that moisture from rain or dew does not get on the garlic.

Garlic is considered dried when the slices no longer bend and break easily.

The crushed garlic is well cooled by placing it on a cloth or on the same sieves.

The garlic is then winnowed by hand to separate the slices from the flakes.

Ready garlic is packaged in boxes, paper bags, hermetically sealed glass jars and stored in a dry, dark, cool room for about a year.

How to dry already peeled garlic

Garlic heads are disassembled into cloves and completely peeled. The root collar of the cloves is cut off. Check that the cloves are free of damage and brown spots.

Some people advise grating the garlic, but this method releases a lot of juice, which makes drying the garlic almost impossible. You can chop the garlic using a food processor, but the slices should not be very wet. Therefore, the best cutting method is still manual. That is, armed with a sharp knife, the cloves are cut into thin slices and immediately laid out on a baking sheet covered with parchment.

This garlic is dried in an oven or electric dryer at a temperature of 50-60°C.

The chopped garlic is periodically stirred with a spatula and ventilated, occasionally opening the door. This must be done so that the raw materials do not steam and dry evenly. Drying continues for several hours.

Method 2. Garlic is disassembled into cloves, peeled and the root collar is cut off. The cloves are cut in half. They are laid out in one layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment, cut side up. Dry in an oven or oven in the same way as in the previous case.

Drying time depends on the quality of the garlic, degree of grinding, drying temperature and choice of drying unit.

Ready dried garlic breaks easily.

It is cooled in air and packaged in paper bags or hermetically sealed glass jars.

How to Make Garlic Powder from Dried Garlic

Well-dried and cooled garlic slices are ground in a coffee grinder or blender until powdered. Then sift through a sieve so that the resulting powder is homogeneous. You can chop the garlic to coarse crumbs, then the prepared topping will taste good in the dish.

If the garlic cloves are poorly chopped, it means they are not dried enough. You need to additionally dry them in the oven, cool again and grind.

Store garlic powder in glass, well-closed jars. Shelf life is about a year.

Good day to all! I would like to introduce you to a popular seasoning that you can prepare at home, like I did - dried garlic! For many years I bought it in stores and markets, packaged in bright bags, and overpaid a lot of money, in addition to the fact that I bought not so much the seasoning, but monosodium glutamate in addition to it! Therefore, back in the summer, I firmly decided to make dried garlic at home, fortunately the dacha allowed me to grow several kilograms of excellent fresh garlic by September.

So, to prepare dried garlic, prepare 1 kg of garlic heads - even if you buy it, it is inexpensive during the harvest season!

Peel each head, disassemble it into slices and peel them. Then rinse each clove in water to remove dirt. On the board, cut the cloves into slices, but not across, but vertically - this way they look more attractive.

Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper and place all the garlic slices on it. Place the baking sheet in the oven and dry the garlic with the door ajar for about 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

Finished dried garlic slices look like this! Be careful not to overdry them, otherwise you will get a bitter aroma floating throughout the kitchen. The slices should break when pressed.

I always separate 1/4 of the entire dried mass and leave it in this form - then I stuff it into pieces of beef, pork and veal when baking.

I grind the bulk of dried garlic in a blender to dust - this product is added to soups, sauces, seasonings and rolls.

Dried garlic must be stored in containers with tight-fitting lids, otherwise all the garlic flavor will “run away” from you. I will be glad if any of you find my recipe useful. This mass lasts me for a whole year, until the next garlic harvest season!

Known to many as an aromatic and spicy seasoning, giving the dish a special taste and smell. It is also famous for its medicinal properties and is very actively used in. Pythagoras called it “the king of seasonings,” and the Slavs hung it in the house as a talisman against evil spirits and evil spirits. There are many legends about this amazing thing and its magical and healing properties.

The benefits and harms of dried garlic

It is rich in vitamins, minerals and acids, and has unique healing properties. It contains: potassium, magnesium, sodium, phosphorus, copper, iron, group of B vitamins, as well as other minerals and beneficial acids. A special feature of the vegetable is its aroma, which arises from the natural ester allicin, which has antioxidant and antiseptic properties.

The beneficial properties of dried garlic include:

• promotes digestion. When this aromatic is added to dishes with a high content of fat and meat, it enhances the process of digestion of such “heavy” food. By acting on the liver, it stimulates the production of enzymes for processing foods;
• lowers cholesterol levels, which settle on the walls of blood vessels and can cause high blood pressure;
• prevents the formation of blood clots;
• has a beneficial effect on the human body suffering from atherosclerosis. Under the influence of its complex of microelements, intravascular blood clots dissolve;
• suppresses the formation of cancer cells. As a result of research conducted by Israeli scientists, it was found that allicin, which is part of the composition, prevents the growth of cancer cells by neutralizing free radicals;
• has antiviral and antimicrobial properties. Phytoncides, contained in sufficiently large quantities, have a detrimental effect on staphylococci, bacteria, salmonella, E. coli and even diphtheria bacilli. It was used during wars as an antiseptic for treating wounds;
• in the female body it can increase estrogen levels;
• With long-term and regular use of this aromatic vegetable by men, they will stop worrying about problems with potency, their reproductive health improves, and it can also prevent inflammation of the prostate gland.

could be like this:

• Excessive consumption of any food product can cause problems and negative effects on human health. Having studied the beneficial properties of the miracle vegetable, it is worth saying that you should not get carried away with eating it in excess; it should not exceed 2-3 cloves per day;
• there are contraindications in which its use must be strictly limited or completely abandoned: for diseases of the gastrointestinal tract such as gastritis, stomach ulcers, duodenal ulcers, pancreatitis; for liver problems, namely: hepatitis, nephrosis, nephritis;
• lactation. Since mother's milk has the taste of the foods that the mother ate before breastfeeding, and garlic has a very special taste and aroma, the baby may not like the milk and refuse to feed.

Which garlic is better to choose?

Almost all vegetables are suitable for it, but some may lose their taste as they lose moisture.
Still, it’s worth choosing varieties such as:

• Silver-white;
• Creole;
• Kirovogradsky;
• Starobelsky white;
• Ukrainian white;
• Southern purple;
• Bronnitsky;
• Kalininsky;
• Rostovsky.

How to prepare garlic for drying

If preparation for production takes place, then the entire process will consist of such stages, like: washing the product, pre-drying it, cutting it, and then the drying stage. The raw materials are placed in special equipment, where they are purified and then washed. After which it enters the pre-drying stage, for which the cleaned and washed cloves are placed in a centrifuge, which, spinning, removes all excess moisture after washing.

Important! You should not wash garlic before drying it at home, as it may become moldy.

Next, it is cut on a special machine and is ready for drying in a drying chamber using a reverse flow oven.
At home, garlic also needs to be prepared first. get rid of excess water. For this purpose, in households, before digging, they do not water it for several days and make sure that there is no rain the day before. And if you purchased garlic at the market and are not sure under what conditions it was dug, you need to lay it out on a flat surface to dry outside or on the balcony.

You can simply spread out the paper and let it lie spread out for a couple of days. It is worth noting that to preserve more beneficial properties, minerals and vitamins, drying in direct sunlight should be avoided.

How to dry garlic cloves for the winter

There are many ways to dry garlic for the winter. Some people prefer to do this without destroying the head; many people like to form the bulbs with dried tops into bundles resembling braids and hang them in the house. For many years, such garlic braids were considered to be a household amulet against evil spirits and evil spirits. But the most popular modern method is drying garlic cloves.

Naturally

Before starting the drying process, it is necessary to peel the garlic cloves.
To do this, you can use several culinary advice:

• press on the head of garlic with the flat side of the knife, which will cause the head to disintegrate and the scales will begin to come off easily;
• You can also place the garlic head in a metal bowl, having previously processed it with a knife in the manner described above, cover it with another bowl and shake vigorously. When you open the bowl, the husks will lie separate from the perfectly peeled cloves.

After the garlic has been peeled, it should be checked for any darkened spots or damage. Then each clove is cut in half and laid out on a flat surface with the cuts facing up. It should be dried in a dry room with good ventilation or in the fresh air in the shade, so as to avoid direct sunlight. The drying process must be controlled by turning the raw materials over every few days. The results of drying in this way can be expected in a week or two.

In the oven

Drying garlic in the oven is not much different from a similar natural process, but, of course, it will not last two weeks. In the oven this process will go much faster and will take from 3 to 6 hours. To prepare, it is better to cut it into thin slices or slices, which will significantly speed up the process of removing moisture from the product.
It is important to know that a dried vegetable will retain all its beneficial substances and minerals even after changing its usual state. Next, you need to cover a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the garlic slices on it in one layer. The temperature in the oven should be low, about +50 °C, which will gradually remove moisture while preserving all the richness of the product. After placing the baking sheet in the oven, you will need to time it and check the condition of the garlic after 3 hours.

The slices must be stirred periodically, allowed to cool slightly, and then put back into the oven, and ultimately tested for strength. If the garlic slice has become brittle and breaks, then the drying process is over; if it is flexible and soft, then drying should be continued. In order to create an influx of fresh air, the oven door can be opened slightly from time to time. If the oven has a convection mode, this will significantly improve the air exchange process.

Important! Garlic slices must be constantly monitored to ensure they do not burn or become too brown, otherwise the dried product will taste bitter.

In an electric dryer

The variety of household appliances pleases modern housewives and makes household work easier and more enjoyable. One of the processes that has received recognition from many housewives is drying vegetables in an electric dryer. Let's look at drying garlic in this machine.
In order to dehydrate garlic, you need to rid it of scales and husks and place it in one tier on a drying rack. After connecting the electricity, you need to set the temperature +50...+60 °C and start the process. It will also take from 3 to 6 hours, depending on the thickness of the slices and the power of the unit.

How to make garlic powder at home

Once you learn how to dry garlic for seasoning, you can begin turning it into a flavorful spice. When the vegetable is well dried, has a pleasant golden color and its slices break well when pressed, you can begin the process of chopping it. To do this, you need to use either the bowl of a kitchen blender or a coffee grinder.

After placing the dried slices in the machine, grind them to a powdery state. Then it is necessary, armed with a sieve, to sift the resulting bulk mass and, if necessary, re-grind the remaining large grains and particles until a homogeneous fine powder is obtained. If you want to add larger particles of seasoning to your food in order to more clearly taste the garlic in the dish, you can avoid the sifting process.

Garlic is an excellent seasoning for many dishes - soups, side dishes based on rice and pasta, homemade sausages, pickled and salted vegetables. It is equally good fresh or dried. Thanks to the latter, you can delight your household with spicy dishes all year round. You just need to know how to dry garlic at home.

In conjunction

Garlic can be dried immediately after digging it out of the soil. Just leave the crop in the garden for a few days. This time is enough for the garlic itself to ripen and its tops and roots to dry. If the weather is rainy outside, drying is carried out in a warm, dry room at a temperature of about +30 ° C.

When the tops become dry, the garlic should be carefully braided and hung in a cool, dry room (basement, cellar or pantry).

In unpeeled onions

Unpeeled garlic can be dried in a well-ventilated cool room (maximum air temperature should be +10 ° C).

1. Place the garlic on the floor or table in a single layer and be patient for 1-2 months. The plant will gradually dry out, its leaves will turn brown, and its roots will become noticeably shriveled.
2. After this, carefully trim the roots, leaving 0.5 cm from them, and the stems at a height of about 2–2.5 cm from the head.
3. Peel the garlic carefully, but leave a little to preserve the integrity of the head.

You can store garlic dried in this way in stockings in a dark corner or in a pantry.

Peeled garlic

Some housewives prefer to dry the garlic immediately, peeled, thereby saving themselves time in the future.

1. Peel the cloves.
2. Cut into small pieces approximately 6mm thick.
3. Place the pieces on a baking sheet and place in the oven preheated to +50 °C.
4. Once the garlic is dry, cool it at room temperature and pack it into jars for storage.

Garlic powder

If desired, you can grind dried peeled garlic into powder. In this form, the spice is very convenient to use during cooking. Just put it through a coffee grinder. Store the finished seasoning for a year.

If you wish, you can dry the chopped garlic immediately. For this:

1. Peel the heads, divide into slices, remove the shell and finely chop. Grating garlic is not recommended, as this may cause the product to lose a lot of juice and become tasteless.
2. Dry the chopped garlic in the oven at a temperature of +95 ° C or in a special dehumidifier (a temperature of +35 ° C and two days will be required).
3. Crushed garlic can also be powdered using a coffee grinder or high-powered blender.

Dried garlic should always be on hand for a skilled housewife. It will easily add piquancy and a unique aroma to the dish. Just remember that only fully mature and absolutely healthy heads are suitable for drying at home.

Step 1: prepare the garlic.

The most crucial moment is to chop the garlic so that it is convenient to store later and so that the juice does not leak out of it! You can use different devices. This could be a blender that will chop the garlic into smaller pieces, or you can use a coarse grater. But this will be a real stress for our main ingredient. Therefore, we will reserve strength and patience and chop the garlic with a knife. We take 2-2.5 kilograms of fresh garlic to later get only 0.5 kilograms of dried garlic pieces. But it's worth it! After all, such a product contains many more useful substances than ready-made spice mixtures or bags of garlic powder. So, first, separate the garlic cloves from the head. Using a knife, peel the garlic from the husk. And so that it is better separated from the ingredient, lightly press each clove with the handle of a knife on a cutting board.
Place the peeled garlic in a deep bowl.
Now the important moment! Be sure to wear kitchen plastic gloves on your hands. In the process of working with the plant, it will secrete juice, which in large quantities will begin to corrode unprotected areas of the skin and irritate the membrane of the nose. Therefore, it is better to prepare garlic in a well-ventilated area and turn on the ventilation. Using a knife on a cutting board, cut the garlic into slices across the cloves. Place the crushed component back into the bowl and take the next clove. And so on until not a single clove remains.

Step 2: dry the garlic.

There are several ways to dry garlic. Who has a special dryer in the kitchen or you decided to make garlic in the middle of summer and are just going to the dacha, then feel free to dry the ingredient using such a device or at the dacha under the hot sun! I suggest using Grandma’s old proven method! When the garlic has already been chopped, place each piece on a baking tray lined with food foil. Turn on the oven at 50-55°С and dry the plant within 30-40 minutes. We monitor the temperature so that the garlic does not burn. The finished dried ingredient will be crunchy! After the allotted time has passed, turn off the oven and take out the baking sheet to let the garlic pieces cool. And after that, transfer the garlic into a jar with your hand and close it tightly with a lid. The lid must tightly close the jar, since garlic can be stored for a year. And if the smell disappears from the jar or moisture gets in, the taste and beneficial properties of garlic will be lost, and our work will be in vain.

Step 3: Serve the garlic.

Garlic is added to various meat dishes, sauces, salads and soups. It’s not for nothing that the Caucasus is famous for its meat masterpieces, and India is called the land of spices. Therefore, when preparing any dish in which it is appropriate to add garlic for aroma and piquant taste, do not forget that we have a jar of this miracle plant. To make powder from dried garlic, take a few pinches of garlic flakes and put it in a regular coffee grinder. And if you don’t have such equipment at hand, then a blender or a regular hand mortar will also work. Enjoy your meal!

- – To make the garlic more flavorful, it is better to take hot varieties of garlic.

- – If you still decide to use drying in the country with the help of the real summer sun, then the cooking process will be changed. Cut the cloves into two halves and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment, foil, or regular cloth, so that the garlic core faces up into the sun. This way the juice will not leak out and be absorbed, for example, into the fabric. Drying time for garlic in the country will take from three to five days in good sunny weather. At the same time, it is necessary to check the garlic for its degree of readiness. If it crunches, it means it has already dried out enough.

- – To dry the plant, you must use ripe garlic. Therefore, after peeling, it is necessary to examine each clove and, if necessary, cut off damaged areas.

- – When preparing garlic in any way, the ingredient must be stirred from time to time with a wooden spatula so that it can dry out on all sides.