Garlic - a vegetable that can rightly be called universal product, which is part of a wide variety of dishes.
Usually, fresh garlic is used in cooking, but more often it can be found in crushed and dried form.
Garlic, dried much more convenient to store and is available throughout the year.
If your harvest of garlic turned out to be rich, and you have already enough root crops sent for storage in the cellar or basement, and even packed up storerooms and closets with garlic for storage for the winter at home, then you no longer have anything left to do to dry or freeze the remnants so that they not gone.
The chemical composition of the product
In its composition, dried garlic is identical to fresh vegetable. There is a large amount of garlic. of vitamins and the most useful mineral substances. So, dried garlic is rich in:
- choline;
- vitamins of group B, C, E, PP;
- macro- and microelements: potassium, magnesium, zinc, selenium, copper and manganese, iron, cobalt, phosphorus, sodium.
Benefit and harm
Regular consumption of dried / fresh garlic has a very beneficial effect on health.
Dried garlic - beneficial properties:
- helps in the treatment of various viral diseases;
- increases immunity;
- renders antibacterial effects on the body;
- involved in lowering blood levels cholesterol;
- prevents the development of diseases cardiovascular systems;
- reduces risk stroke and heart attack;
- destroys helminthic invasions;
- helps in treating articular diseases;
- used as an adjunct to the treatment of diseases the liver;
- warns impotence in men.
With all the merits of the product, dried garlic contraindicated for use by people suffering from functional disorders of the organs of the digestive system, as well as with individual intolerance.
How to dry garlic at home?
Training
If you decide to dry this root crop, it is necessary to choose garlic of certain bitter varieties - Silver, Creole.
So, before there, how to start drying garlic, it must be prepared. For this, the vegetable heads should be divided into teeth and peeled.
Important: There is a perception that garlic must be cleaned. rinse under running water. However, this opinion is erroneous, since after carrying out such a procedure it is much more difficult to dry the product, and its shelf life decreases.
Garlic juice has a very aggressive effect on human skin. Therefore, after the teeth have been cleaned, it is recommended to wear rubber gloves on your hands. For air drying, prepared teeth are cut lengthwise into 2 pieces.
If drying in an oven or an electric dryer is provided, then the teeth are cut with a sharp knife. across thin “petals” (to accelerate, you can use the float).
One of the important conditions for preparing garlic for drying is cutting in the room well ventilated, as the substances contained in garlic, very soon will begin to irritate the mucous membrane of the nose and throat.
Ways
Like any other product, garlic can be dried in a natural and artificial way.
Air drying
How to make dried garlic at home? To dry in the open sun, put the chopped garlic on a baking sheet, before using it with parchment paper, foil or thick clean cloth.
This is done in order to garlic juice does not leak when drying and did not soak into the material with which the pan was covered. The process of natural drying lasts 5-7 days.
Oven
How to dry garlic at home in the oven? Chopped garlic cloves spread in one layer on a baking tray, pre-laid with baking paper or foil. Put the pan in the oven, warmed to 55-60 ° С.
Drying is carried out with the oven door ajar for 30-40 minutes. Periodically, the "petals" of garlic must be mixed so that they are not burnt. After the allotted time, garlic is removed from the oven and cooled at room temperature.
Electric dryer
How to dry garlic for seasoning in the dryer? Fine results are obtained by drying garlic in an electric dryer - quickly and without unnecessary trouble.
The prepared product is laid out on the grids, the electric dryer includes at full capacity.
And already through 6-7 hours spice ready
How to dry garlic in an electric drier? Tips for drying garlic at home in an electric dryer in this video:
If you are interested in how to dry carrots, sweet peppers or spicy chili at home, read our articles about this.
Storage
How to determine readiness? Ready Dried Garlic crunches and crumbles in hand.
How and where to store dried garlic at home? Dried garlic kept in a tightly closed container. glass containers in the refrigerator. Shelf life - 3-5 months.
Dried garlic can also be stored. in powder form, for the preparation of which the dry product must be crushed with a blender, in a coffee grinder or using an ordinary manual mortar. Garlic powder is also stored in the refrigerator.
Garlic is worthy to be called a natural healer. The combination of vegetable availability and its beneficial properties make garlic very popular product. Both fresh and dried garlic should be included in daily diet each person, bringing into the house the aroma of health and vitality.
