Garlic

[pillbug]

Apart from drying is there any easy way of keeping garlic.Quite a few bulbs split leaving the cloves exposed,I don`t think they`ll keep for long so any suggestions gratfuly recieved.Any idea why this happened only to purple wight?

[Tigger]

You can chop it finely, or blitz it in a processor and wrap (several times) in cling film, then freeze. It's only any use once frozen in stews/cassoulet/soups.

Commercially, it can be preserved in olive oil, but if you do this at home, it is possible to get botulism, so I wouldn't recommend it.

[retropants]

Tigger, does botulism pose a risk for all things preserved in oil do you know? I adapted the recipe you sent me for the artichokes for long term storage by heating the sealed jars in a boiling water bath for 30 mins. Will these be safe to eat? I'm a bit scared to give them away now

eeeek!

[pillbug]

thankyou Tigger,I`d heared about botulism in oil after putting peppers in last year!Could you pickle them do you think or even freeze in wrapped ice cube trays-we`re talking quite a lot of garlic..

[peter]

As Schwartz sell it dried in flakes could one try that?
Question is how would you dry it without it sticking or cooking, ideas anyone?

[sprout]

Pillbug, different ways to preserve garlic:
http://www.gourmetgarlicgardens.com/pickle.htm
and this is a scary link on botulism in foods preserved in oil for retropants
http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/ANSWERS/ANS00523.html

Hi Peter, you can buy food dehydrators, a good idea if you get regular gluts of tomatoes, fruit or garlic. The Organic Gardening catalogue do one so you can see what they're like, a series of racks, heater and fan, they can be very pricey. If you have a fan oven and a (small gauge) wire rack, you can dry your garlic on the lowest temp. overnight - the key being warm, moving air. You slice the cloves into 1/8" slices first, it's a bit fiddly, and put them in a single layer. If you google 'food dehydrator' you'll also find instructions (mainly from the US) for home made ones you can make. Or lay your garlic outdoors on a sunny day, as in Sicily

[Tigger]

I think the general advice about home made fresh food in oil is that it's safe for a week in the fridge.

I made lots of chutneys, vinegars, flavoured oils, etc as gift hampers one Christmas, then found out about botulism and had to tell everyone to destroy the oils as they were already a week old when they went out. Very embarrassing!

[sally wright]

Dear Pillbug,
try chopped or sliced in white wine vinegar. Use new jars and lids (because of the acid the lids cannot be reused). Once opened it will keep for about a month in the fridge so use small jars. Lakeland limited sell small ones and the lids to fit them come separatly so you can buy more for next year.
Regards Sally Wright.

[Johnboy]

Hi Pillbug,
It obviously depends on how many bulbs you have that are split as that in itself will not actually affect the cloves so I feel that you simply do not string them up and use them first just keep them in the coolest place you can find. I generally put them into the door of the fridge and they keep for ages.
So if the cloves are not damaged I don't see that you have a problem.

[pillbug]

Nice idea Johnboy(gosh,newby talks to celeb!)but we we self sufficient in garlic this year so fridge door too small....sadley rest of garlic not split is miniscule so will also dry quickly.Thankyou everyone for their ideas,I`ll try a mix,including replanting some and let you know what happens. p.s.nice to be here.

[peter]

Sprout, I know about dehydrators, however I do wonder how one prevents sticky garlic sticking.

[sprout]

Hi peter, I use a mesh cooling rack in the oven and by the time it's dry it comes off easily, any sticky ones I scrape off with a fish slice. Hope I haven't missed the point

[peter]

On target I think.

Whenever I chop mine my fingers stick together with the juice and I was thinking "garlic flakes, ah chop garlic then dry" then "oh sticky stuff".

I presume now that the shrinkage means slices of clove quite thick?