Field Guide · Harvest · 6 min read

How to Cure Garlic for Storage

Two weeks of drying in the right conditions turns a July harvest into garlic that keeps until spring.

Written on the farm by Nathan Story · Story Thyme Farms, Missouri · Updated

Story Thyme Farms · Bench cardJuly harvest

How to cure garlic for storage

Allium sativum. Curing hardneck and softneck

DifficultyEasy, patient
Cure2–4 weeks
ConditionsShade, airflow, 70–85°F
Keeps6–8 months
1Digging it upDig when half the leaves have turned brown
2Hanging it to dryHang whole plants in shade with moving air
3How long it takesTwo to four weeks, judged by the neck
4Trimming and storingTrim, sort, and store somewhere cool
Materials needed · Garden fork · Mesh bags · Drying rack · Box fan
Written on the farm · Missouristorythymefarms.com/guides/how-to-cure-garlic-for-storage

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The long version

Watercolor plate of cured garlic bulbs in a braid, one split into cloves
Allium sativum · field plate

Garlic comes out of the ground alive and full of moisture. Curing is simply controlled drying. The necks seal, the outer wrappers turn papery, and the bulb becomes able to store for months. Rush it and you will have sprouting and mold by October.

  1. Step 1 · Digging it up

    Dig when half the leaves have turned brown

    Watercolour plate of a garlic plant being lifted with a fork, lower leaves browned and upper leaves still green, soil brushed lightly from the bulb

    When the bottom three or four leaves are brown but the top five or six are still green, loosen the soil with a fork and lift the plants. Do not pull them up by the neck. Brush off the loose dirt and leave it at that. Do not wash or scrub them, because water is exactly what you are trying to get rid of.

  2. Step 2 · Hanging it to dry

    Hang whole plants in shade with moving air

    Watercolour plate of whole garlic plants with leaves and roots still attached hanging in bundles in airy shade

    Cure the whole plant with the leaves and roots still attached, because the bulb keeps drawing energy from the leaves as they die back. Hang them in bundles of five to ten, or lay them one layer deep on racks, somewhere shaded with moving air: a porch, a barn, or a garage with a fan. Direct sunlight ruins the flavor, so shade is essential.

  3. Step 3 · How long it takes

    Two to four weeks, judged by the neck

    Watercolour plate of a cured garlic bulb with a tight dry papery neck beside an uncured one with a soft green neck, shown for comparison

    In warm dry weather two weeks is enough. In a humid Missouri August, expect three or four. Garlic is done when the neck is tight and dry and does not slip when you roll it between your fingers, the wrappers are papery, and the roots feel stiff like a wire brush.

  4. Step 4 · Trimming and storing

    Trim, sort, and store somewhere cool

    Watercolour plate of cured garlic with roots trimmed to stubble and stalks cut an inch above the bulb, one softneck braid coiled beside

    Trim the roots down to a stubble and cut the stalks an inch above the bulb, or braid the softneck varieties. Peel off one dirty wrapper layer at most. Any bulb that is nicked, soft, or has lost its wrappers should be used in the kitchen first. The rest store in mesh bags somewhere dark with good airflow, at cool room temperature, and will keep six to eight months. Set the biggest bulbs aside now for planting in October.

Materials needed
Garden forkMesh bagsDrying rackBox fan

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Questions we actually get

Can I eat garlic before it's cured?
Absolutely. Fresh dug 'green garlic' is a kitchen luxury, juicy and mild. Curing is only about storage. Cook from the fresh pile, store from the cured one.
Why did my garlic sprout in storage by winter?
Storage between about 40 and 50°F triggers sprouting, which is the refrigerator's crime. Store cured garlic dark and dry at cool room temperature instead, and plant the sprouty stragglers.
Hardneck or softneck for storage?
Softnecks store longest, eight months and more, and they braid. Hardnecks trade some shelf life for scapes in June and easier peeling. We grow hardnecks for flavor and eat them first.
From the plant library

Garlic — the full profile

Zones, cold-hardy cultivars, spacing, feeding, and where to buy one already rooted.

Open the garlic guide →