Storing garlic

[rary]

If onions bolts the onion is no good for storing, is it the same with garlic, I have lifted a garlic bulb and it would appear to be a good bulb with a number of cloves, but it is one from which I have removed a stem with a bud, so will it store ok?

[Jay-ell]

Garlic has 2 types - hardneck and softneck. Hardneck will usually throw up a flower (leaving it with a hard neck) whereas softneck usually doesn't flower (although it still can if stressed).

The flower comes from the clove you planted, which is the centre of the new head, rather than the new cloves.

Once you've removed the flower scapes (what the flower stalks of alliums are called) the garlic will divert all its energy into the head, rather than divert that energy to the flower.

When a garlic head which has flowered has been harvested and cured it will be fine. Softneck garlic tends to have more cloves in two layers. Hardneck garlic has a single layer of cloves around the base of the scape.

One type is supposed to taste better and store longer but I can't remember which one and I haven't noticed much of a difference myself.

[rary]

Thanks jay-ell the garlic is growing in a pot and all of the bulbs have thrown up a flower, so I think it must be a hardneck, an other pot with a different variety of garlic is growing fine

[Jay-ell]

Take the scapes off (if you leave them they will form flowers with little bulbs in them but divert energy away from the head).

Wait till about a third of the leaves have started to die off to harvest. Once harvested brush off the soil but don't wash the bulbs - you don't want to add more moisture.

Bundle about half a dozen plants together and tie some twine around their leaves. Hang them somewhere warm, ventilated but not in direct sunlight and not too hot.

Once all the leaves have dried off completely then the garlic is cured.

You can cut the leaves off about an inch above the bulbs or, for the softnecks that didn't have a flower, you can try and plait them together - a bit of a faf but looks great hanging in the kitchen/larder/shed or wherever you store them.