Curing and Storing Garlic

Table of Contents

How to Cure Garlic
How to Store Garlic
Additional Reading

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In this guide on how to cure garlic for storage, we'll walk through how to tranform your hard-grown garlic into year-round flavor.

You don't get cured garlic at the grocery store, folks!

properly cured pink hardneck garlic bulbs

We're unlocking the secrets for preserving everyone's favorite allium. A proper cure will help your garlic last all the way until the next planting season.

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garlic plants growing in organic hugelkultur raised bed garden — *So you've filled your garden with garlic that's thriving... but how do you cure it for storage? You've come to the right place to learn!*

How to Cure Garlic

Now comes the fun part — curing your garlic!

Where to Cure Garlic

A garage, shed, or outdoor closet where you can hang your garlic upside-down is the perfect spot for curing. the dark, dry, and warm environment provides the ideal conditions for curing.

A pantry, root cellar, or kitchen cabinet also make great choices.

I use my porch closet because it's what I've got available to me. Get creative to find a hot dry spot to work the magic.

Hang Garlic Upside Down

Hang your garlic in bunches, ensuring good airflow between the bulbs. A fan is a great way to keep the air moving to ensure you don't get mold.

The garlic will gradually dry, while its papery skin protects and preserves the cloves within. The stalk helps to slowly wick moisture out of the cloves, so they'll be dryer and more ready for storage.

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This curing period is crucial to remove excess moisture and concentrate the flavors. As the garlic cures, its flavors deepen, its pungency mellows, and its storage potential skyrockets.

organic garlic hanging to cure in a hot dry dark outside closet — Garlic hanging in an outdoor closet to dry in the hot, dark, dry conditions for ~2 weeks after harvesting.

How Long to Cure Garlic

I let my garlic to hang for about 2 or 3 weeks, though I'm in an arid climate and this could take longer if you live in a humid climate (3-4 weeks+).

Consider monitoring the conditions in your cure space with a thermometer / hygrometer and record your observations and process for next year.

How to Store Garlic

Once your garlic is perfectly cured, it's time to store it.

You'll absolutely LOVE having cured home-grown flavor at your fingertips while cooking.

pink hardneck organic garlic grown in tucson

Ideal Storage Conditions

While we'd consider the following conditions to be "ideal" for garlic storage, it's important to work with what you've got.

If you can't replicate these conditions exactly, don't stress it. Just try your best, and your garlic will still last a very long time.

I've kept my own cured garlic in a 78F kitchen at 15% humidity for 7 months and it was perfectly delicous and no worse for wear. Cured garlic is nothing if not resilient when it comes to storage!

Temperature: 55–60°F (13–16°C) is optimal.
Humidity: 60–70% relative humidity.
Airflow: Excellent air circulation is important for preventing mold in humid climates. In mf desert climate I've found this is not necessary.
Darkness: Store in a dark or dim place to avoid sprouting.

Storage Methods

No matter what you store your garlic in, airflow is the priority when choosing your storage method.

A few common options ar listed here, but you can get creative with all sorts of ideas.

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Braids

A classic technique and art, braided garlic involves leaving the stalks on and twisting them through a string.

You can find some great videos online that demonstrate the technique, and with practice you'll be braiding garlic in no time!

This method allows for great airflow around your garlic, and gives you the ability to hang it up to save space - and it doesn't hurt that it will add to your kitcen or pantry aethetic to boot.

Crates With Holes

Something like these milk crates work great for garlic, allowing for some air to penetrate in and help prevent mold.

Mesh Bags

Mesh bags give you an easy way to hang up a bunch of garlic, while keeping it out of the way but easy to grab.

Hang a few bags like these in your pantry and kitchen so your cured garlic is always within reach.

Wire Baskets

You can use metal wire baskets in your pantry for garlic to ensure good airflow around the garlic. Something like this works great for the job.

How Long Does Cured Garlic Last?

Properly cured garlic can easily last at room temperature until the next garlic planting season, and sometimes even beyond! That means fresh garlic all summer and autumn long at least.

The key is to store your garlic in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight.