homestead how-to

How to Harvest, Cure and Store Garlic

How to Harvest Garlic

Garlic is ready to harvest when the bottom third of the stalks have started to turn from green to yellow or brown.  You can always pull one or two heads to make sure it is ready before harvesting your whole crop.

How to Dry Garlic

If your garlic is somewhat moist when you harvest it, it is best to leave it out to dry in the sun to remove the initial moisture before moving it to its next location.

Sorting and Bunching Garlic

Before getting your garlic to its curing place, you can sort through it to decide which heads will be used for which purposes.

Curing Garlic

Once you have sorted your garlic and collected it into bunches, you’ll want to find a good place for it to cure.  The ideal location to cure garlic is cool, shady, and dry and gets good air ventilation.

Preparing Garlic for Storage

Once the tops of your garlic are completely brown and dried out, you can prepare your garlic for long term storage.