The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Food & crafts => Food processing => Topic started by: Fleecewife on March 03, 2017, 05:53:19 pm
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Well, clearly you can, but I'm wondering how it tastes afterwards.
My problem is that I grew too much garlic last year - beautiful big heads - but we've now reached the point where they are about to start sprouting and we can't finish them all before they are inedible. I've already planted this year's garlic (too much again) and that is growing on nicely, so no point, or space, to plant the leftovers from last year.
So can I freeze cloves, or crushed garlic in small portions, or is it better stored in vinegar or oil?
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I use frozen diced garlic from tesco when we run out. Works well. I still haven't managed to grow enough to have extra to freeze so can't comment on home freezing.
I have frozen chopped onion though, and again that works well in cooking. I'd give it a go.
Dans
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Thank you Dans. I did a bit of online research today and found the one way NOT to store garlic is in oil at room temp. Seems the way the oil excludes oxygen, plus the low acidity of garlic, and a warm environment, allows the growth of BOTULISM, which of course you can't taste or smell or see, and it can be deadly. So I don't think I'll try that :o
I'm the opposite of you Dans - I can grow brilliant garlic now I grow it in the tunnel where it doesn't get too wet, but I never get to next year with too many stored onions. I've never tried freezing them though. But I think for the garlic I will try freezing, as that's the quickest, and sounds easy to just take out a spoonful. My hands will stink for a week after doing the basketful I have, but never mind.
Shame you're down there now or you could have helped me finish the stored garlic :yum:
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Yep I used to put the cut off ends of garlic in oil to infuse until I started reading about preserving at the botulism risk. Suffice to say I stopped.
I think I just need to plant more garlic. My issue is I use a whole bulb each fish I make and that tends to be about 3 meals a week minimum. Need over 150 blubs I finally have the space to plant though. I seem to struggle storing onion dry, hence I end up freezing some.
I'd take you up on that if we were closer. Could swap you some apples, we've done well at storing those and still have frozen ones from the year before!
Let us know how it goes. May not be any good for roasting as cloves if the go more mushy but should be fine for sauces and seasoning.
Dans
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Oddly I don't like roast garlic, or garlic with roast lamb. I'm just not fashionable :D . I use it in stews, soups, stuff like that. So I'll try freezing this year.
Good luck with growing 150 garlics - that will be a wonderful crop to see. I'm sure I grow certain veg because I like the look of it growing, rather than because we eat that much :garden:
Anyway, thank you for the advice Dans.
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Must a Scottish Border thing... I have got too much garlic this year again too. And the new lot is already growing. I was just recently wondering how to keep mine, but hadn't got as far as googling it... so I can now freeze it, good!
btw, I have only ever frozen onion after cooking/frying it in olive oil and freezing in useful portions. Used to t chuck it in the pan frozen when needed, worked well. I was worried about onion smell in my freezer (which also has milk, cakes etc in).
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Been freezing raw onion for a few years now and no smell in the freezer. I store them in ziplock bags.
Dans
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Hi Fleecewife,
I got a nice crop of garlic for the first time last year in the polytunnel, but they weren't huge. Do you fertelise yours with anything? Google advice on the subject is very varied and much of it from those selling "garlic ferteliser".
Thank you ... and hope you don't mind a slight diversion to your thread.
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The thread itself only needed a one word answer, which I got, so divert all you want 8)
I frequently use last year's biggest and juiciest garlic to grow the current year's crop, so gradually they get larger, and become used to my growing conditions. This year for some reason I chose to buy new. I think it was a couple of new varieties advertised which I fell for, only to be sent replacements because my chosen ones were out of stock :rant: . I plant in the autumn, into well watered soil, as here they need the winter to establish a good root system.
Garlic gets a prime spot at the front of the south wall of the tunnel, in front of the peppers and tomatoes. I use a mantis to prepare the ground as it chops up compost and FYM finely, and buries it deep enough. First I spread a layer of wood ash from our burner, a good sprinkle of seaweed meal, and a little of some kind of lime if I have it. I use very well rotted manure, so mixing with a small amount of lime is OK. My soil is fairly fertile so I don't use a large amount of manure or compost. Then I use boards to firm the ground ie lay them flat then jump up and down on them. I plant the cloves using a trowel so they don't pop back up as the roots grow which they do if you just push them in, deep enough to cover the cloves entirely.
We don't water too much through the winter, so the soil is damp but never wet, then start watering in the spring as it warms up. As soon as they're ready, all watering stops. Keep them well weeded by hand.
I still get many heads which are rubbish, but the big ones are getting better. My late Dad in Norfolk showed me about using the best cloves from the biggest heads to replant. He did that for a good few years and grew some whoppers.
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Ooh, sounds like you could write a book on it! Thank you ever so much. :thumbsup: Saving the biggest cloves is a great idea, sounds like you had a very handy dad. and it sounds like I could put a bit more fertiliser on than I have been doing. I thought onions and garlic needed it quite nutrient poor but maybe it's just onions.
I'll look forward to bigger and better garlic and hopefully the excesses problem that you have.
Thanks again
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I think all the alliums need good nitrogen but not too much, with potassium to prevent the lush, weak growth too much nitrogen can cause ie potassium causes harder growth. Hence the wood ash, or some other source of potash.
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we either puree it and freeze in ice cube trays, or make garlic butter in the food processor and likewise freeze that
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Thank you bsm. Those are worth a try :thumbsup:
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Funny we can grow masses of tennis ball size garlic and nearly always give lots away too, but I never freeze surplus just put slices onto baking trays and roast them then store in jar - delicious! Not much use if you don't like roast garlic though FW ::)
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True :yuck: ;D