storing hardneck garlic

[antipodes]

well at least it seems to be hardneck to me. our liverpool lad says to store them in jars or pint pots but I don't have room for that - should I cut the stems a little and net them instead??? is the cellar a good place? it is not very humid in there but quite cool and airy. My pantry gets quite warm at times...

I was reasonably pleased with the harvest, small heads but at least they cloved. I think I got about 30 or 40 heads.

[antipodes]

[Chris Graham]

I would store them like onions in net bagging.

Thats what I will do.

[tim]

Hardneck don't keep well??

[Chris Graham]

Hardneck don't keep well??

really?

oh...um....ahh well

[antipodes]

hhmmm since I bought them from the local farmer's market, I didn't know what variety they were!! Still they grew well, almost no rust so can't complain!!
how long a stem should I keep on them??

[Barnowl]

Hardneck don't keep well??

I kept mine from last year in a net in the garage (unheated and car-less). Used the last one 2 weeks ago.  Should point out that they were pretty small, which may be significant. I left about 2 inches (5 cm)  of stem.

[Robert_Brenchley]

I find that hardneck keep a lot better than they're meant to, though not as well as some softneck.

[Blue Bird]

Store mine by hanging up tied and have kept 12months although small I have planted out the largest cloves and this year they are bigger.

[Sally A]

Am unsure how to upload a pic here, so will describe as best I can.  Have threaded a double thickness length of twine between points in the greenhouses, and shed roof.  The garlic has been picked leaving about 18 inches of stem on it, bent midway to get a well balanced pivot. Poked between the string, twirled over once, and do the same with the next one.  Looks a bit like the kiddies aeroplanes with the wind up rubber band propeller with a garlic shoved between each loop.  (If they ever untangle with a vengence I will be knocked out  ;D)  I appreciate it's not good manners to post another veg forum on here but if anyone want's pics of how it works pm me with your email address and I will send photos.  Very simple but very effective, they should last (with luck) til May next year, and after that you will be picking 2009's fresh garlic and scapes.

[grawrc]

You can make them into grappes. Very pretty IMHO.

[Tee Gee]

I don't grow 'hard neck' varieties as such, but some of those that I do grow, go to seed and can develop a bit of a hard neck, so I split the cloves off these and put them in a net bag rather than string them up and eat them first.

[Barnowl]

I imagine how well you dry them before storage matters as well?

[tim]

But DON'T overdry them!! See the garlic farm's brief.

Just found this - http://www.harvestwizard.com/2007/03/softneck_and_hardneck_garlic_t.html

[grawrc]

I've grown purple Moldovan for the first time this year. It's ace and beautiful too. I haven't decided how to store it yet. I'll give it a chance to dry first and see what it looks like.

[STEVEB]

mine has been drying for nearly two weeks now in my little 4 vtier  greenhouse is that long enough?

[Eristic]

Hardneck don't keep well??

They must do otherwise there would be none in the shops for months and months.

[grawrc]

I think the stuff in the shops is mainly softneck which keeps longer.

[Robert_Brenchley]

Mine lasts at least until Christmas. I've never had any left after that as we use it first. Funnily enough, the maincrop went over first this year; I've lifted all the Solent Wight, while Purple Wight and Albigensian Wight are showing no sign of keeling over.

[antipodes]

well in the end maybe it wasn't hardneck as I managed to soften the stem (as per the Bllomingfield garlic braiding instructions) and plait them?????
They are indeed titchy and my whole harvest made just one big braid and a few broken stem ones in a net! I guess there are about 25-30 heads.
I will try again in the autumn I guess! It seems to be one of those plants that you just have to keep growing even when it doesn't work properly!!

Nice excuse for a garlic discussion though!! ;)