garlic (2 of 2) that has sprouted

Garlic Sprouting? 10 Ways to Preserve Garlic Before It’s Too Late

Garlic Sprouting? 10 Ways to Preserve Garlic Before It's Too Late

I like good problems. For example, having such a  bountiful garlic harvest that you need to find a way to preserve garlic in late winter when it begins to sprout. That’s a good problem, is it not? Thankfully, I had just such a problem the last couple years.  I learned there are many ways to get year-round garlic, making it last all the way up to summer. (At which time the scapes can be used in the kitchen instead of the cloves.)  Check out these 10 ways I learned to preserve garlic cloves before it’s too late to use them.

Someone recently came in from the barn and told me there was a braid of garlic I had forgotten about. And now it was sprouting green shoots. I brought it in and sorted out the good, firm cloves from the sprouted cloves. (Kinda like I did when I managed the garlic harvest in the summer so I didn’t lose any.) I’m still using the good cloves while I can, but the sprouted ones I further sorted out according to how far gone they were.

I took the ones that had a longer stem growing, minced them, and packed them in olive oil. The ones that were just starting to sprout, I chopped and packed in raw honey for medicinal purposes. I don’t know if it was the garlic in honey, the echinacea tincture, or the elderberry, but when I came down with something earlier this winter I took advantage of all 3 of those members of my homegrown, homemade medicine supply to have me back in business within a couple days. (They actually stopped it in its tracks and then within those couple days I was as good as new!)

Garlic Sprouting? 10 Ways to Preserve Garlic Before It's Too Late

10 Ways to Preserve Garlic Before It’s Too Late

• Plant It

You could always still plant the garlic. It is trying to grow after all. If you’re able to get it in the ground, this could be a great solution. But if you live in an area like ours here in Ohio it could be risky business most years. Our ground usually goes from rock solid to a foot deep of mud until it’s too late to plant the garlic anyway. The last couple early springs here have been mild and the ground workable so this could be an idea to try. “They” say that your garlic won’t be as productive as fall planted garlic. Make sure you fertilize it regularly with a natural fertilizer until about mid-June so that it still grows well.  (I like to use this fertilizer in my gardens.)

• Garlic Pills in Raw Honey

This is such an easy way to preserve garlic! If I already have enough for food to make it until the scapes are ready, this is how I’ll preserve extra or sprouting garlic. Simply cut the peeled cloves into “pill” sized chunks, pack them in a mason jar, and cover them with raw honey. Refrigerate it or not. I usually don’t until it’s summer and then since we (hopefully) won’t be needing it again till fall, I’ll tuck it away in the back of the fridge. When we have an illness in our family, we will swallow the “pills” 3-4 times a day to boost our immune systems.

• Make Your Own Garlic Powder

When I sort through the garlic at harvest time, I make my garlic powder with damaged or defective cloves. That way I still have more than enough garlic powder in the early spring, but this is one way to ensure you have strong garlic flavor for all of your culinary needs. Since my garlic supply is now seriously dented and what’s left is obviously starting to sprout, I’m just starting to dig into my garlic powder supply.

• Garlic in Olive Oil

When garlic powder just won’t cut it, I put a half pint of garlic packed in olive oil in the refrigerator. Simply mince the cloves (I use a blender if I have a lot) and stir in enough olive oil. Use a ratio of 2 parts oil to 1 part garlic to completely coat the bits of garlic. You can store it in the freezer. Whenever a recipe calls for garlic, spoon out some garlic and use it just like you normally would. You can put it in the refrigerator for a very short term. But there is an increased risk of botulism when garlic is stored in oil and not refrigerated because it is a low acid food in an environment (oil) with no available oxygen. (Source)

Garlic Sprouting? 10 Ways to Preserve Garlic Before It's Too Late

• Preserving Pesto in Small Batches

• Make Compound Butter

• Lacto-Fermented Garlic

• Garlic Salve for Coughs and Colds

• Crispy Dried Garlic

• Pickled Garlic

How do you preserve garlic when it’s starting to sprout in the spring? 

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.