drying alliums in humid climate?

13 years ago

I have garlic and onions about ready to harvest but I am worried about getting them dry enough in my very humid climate. Any suggestions?

Comments (5)

yopper
13 years ago
A Fan
YOPPER
hortster
13 years ago
Just finished a month of drying and curing onions, shallots and garlic. This has had to have been one of the most humid drying periods that I have experienced, but only a few rotters, which I consider normal. It has been humid with numerous intermittent rains through much of the period. The onions and shallots were drying in my outdoor compost screen which had been placed in the shade, covered with plastic above and open to the air (hail screen) below. It is my belief (correct me allium gurus) that as long as your drying stock receives no direct moisture it will be OK if given enough time. Didn't cut the spent tops off until quite recently after two or three days of really dry weather, then stored them cool and dry in the dark in the basement.
hortster
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A few years back I was being very anal retentive and felt I needed to have as much environmental control as possible to cure my garlic. It was very hot and humid out, and my garage was just way too hot, and NO air circulation. aside: Previous owner had it built. It's a heavily re-inforced 24x32 pole barn structure with an 8" concrete floor. 2 individual insulated garage doors, and a heavy duty man-door. More outlets and lights than you can use, and heavy duty garage door openers. What's missing, WINDOWS!! I painted some on the inside and hung cloth, like curtains. I told my wife it's to remind me to put in windows, if not soon, whenever we need to re-side it. Back on track. So, I figured, the basement. It runs 70-75 in the summer, I can somewhat control humidity with the de-humidifier. So up it went. I hung copper pipe from the floor joists, and hung over 100 bundles of garlic, 10 to a bundle. I turned on the oscillating fan, opened the window and set the dehumidifier. The we left for the weekend. Came back Sunday to this faint smell of garlic in the back yard. Found out it was wafting from the window. I like my garlic, but the house wreaked. My wife and daughter went to a hotel, I was left home to move all the garlic and air out the house!! A few weeks later I made a dozen or so braids, and hung them in the kitchen to finish curing in a hanging position. After a few days they too ended up in the garage. Now, I hang them in the garage, leave a door open and run a fan on them. I also have some old wire racks I got from a grocery store where I can lay things out if needed.
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greygoat100
13 years ago
i put my onions garlic shallots in 8 by 8 building, on drying racks, have box fan blowing on low speed. seems to be working fine, about 200 garlic,potato onions, red and yellow shallots, sure smells good in there

fred
kristincarol
13 years ago
I start mine out under my carport in the shade and as long as good weather holds I leave them there. The usual July weather in the coastal region far Northern California is foggy to drizzle. This year we got a break (wtf, it rained until well past the middle of June) and the fog only started recently.

I move my garlic inside where it is drier when they are nearly done and keep a small fan on them until the foliage is dry enough to crumble. Braid those that have softer necks (Early Italian Purple and Late Italian) and wait until the true hardnecks are completely dry to sever their tops.

Have seen them for sale at the farmers' market with tops still attached and can't understand why someone would do that--so messy and there is no use for them except as compost and I have plenty of my own compost fodder.

Braided garlic is hanging in my sewing room closet, ones who have lost their heads are stored in mesh bags (recycled satsuma bags) and are on the table in front of the fan currently.
sandrakassa
9 years ago
Thanks for the info. I have been worried about my garlic curing in an unfinished garage. It has been so humid and rainy. They just dont seem to be drying fast enough. They have been hanging for almost a month now. I am going to figure out how to hang them down in my basement this week to finish up. they are racambole. it's about sixty degrees down there and not sure about the humidity. But i'm glad to know they should still be okay. Thanks again

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drying alliums in humid climate?

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yopper

hortster

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