Garlic - How to Harvest and Preserve this Natural Antibiotic
Raw garlic is nature 's medicine nb.1. It is highly potent at fighting pathogenic bacteria and harmful microbes including viruses and fungi. Garlic is a natural antibiotic but unlike synthetic antibiotics, it doesn’t create unbalance in your the gut.
I've been growing garlic for several years now and learned how to store garlic properly. Here are my tips:
After harvest, lay out the harvested bulbs on trays and keep them somewhere warm, dry and well-lit. I let them dry outside in the sun but you can also let them dry in a greenhouse. Once the soil on the bulbs has dried, brush it off and keep the bulbs in a cool, dry unheated place indoors. If you don't have a cool storage room, don't panic, there are ways to preserve garlic for a long period of time. Here's how:
Freezing:
Crush or finely slice several cloves of garlic. Tip half a clove into each cube of a clean ice-cube tray, fill with olive oil and freeze. Once the cubes have fully frozen, you can tip them out into a freezer bag or a container, so that it's easier to take one or two out as you need them.
Preserving in oil:
You’ll need a few dedicated minutes to peel all the cloves of garlic (without crushing or cutting them so they retain all their nutrients) but after that you add the cloves to a sterilized mason jar, fill with oil (I recommend avocado or olive oil), screw on an air-tight lid, add a date and place the jar in the fridge for use. The cloves will last this way for up to three months.
For people like me who can't digest raw garlic, pickled garlic is a wonderful option. Fermenting garlic eliminates the negative aspects of eating raw garlic (bloating, gas) without reducing or eliminating any of the natural benefits. In addition, the probiotic and enzymatic value of garlic is enhanced by fermentation.
Fermented Garlic
Ingredients
5 heads of organic garlic
1 tbsp. sea salt
470 ml filtered water
Directions
1. Separate all the cloves from each head of garlic.
2. Remove the skin from each clove.
3. Place all the cloves in a mason jar and fill with filtered water mixed with sea salt. Make sure all cloves are fully immersed in water (use fermentation weight or use airlock lids).
4. Close the lid tightly and place in a cool spot for one month.
5. After one month, transfer to the refrigerator.
Use fermented garlic as you would use fresh garlic. Although it is not as pungent as raw garlic, is has the same benefits for your health.
Garlic paste:
My mother in law taught me this easy method of preserving garlic and it's the easiest way to preserve garlic, especially for busy moms of four!
1. Peel garlic into individual cloves, chopping the ends to allow for a smooth garlic paste.
2. In your food processor (or blender) add garlic cloves and oil.
3. Blend until a smooth paste forms. Scrape down the sides as needed, eliminating any remaining chunks.
4. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator or freezer.
What are your favorite recipes with garlic?