Garlic is known to many as fragrant and savory seasoning, giving the dish a special taste and smell. He is famous for its medicinal properties and is very actively used in traditional medicine. Pythagoras called him "the king of spices", and the Slavs hung him in the house as a guard against evil spirits and evil spirits. Many legends go about this amazing plant and its magical and healing properties.
The benefits and harms of dried garlic
It is rich in vitamins, minerals and acids, has unique healing properties. It consists of: potassium, magnesium, sodium, phosphorus, copper, iron, a group of vitamins B, as well as other minerals and useful acids. The peculiarity of the vegetable is its aroma, which arises due to natural ether allicin, which has antioxidant and antiseptic properties. 
Useful properties of dried garlic include:
- promotes digestion. When adding this fragrant vegetable to dishes with a high content of fat and meat, it enhances the process of digesting such "heavy" food. By acting on the liver, it stimulates the production of enzymes to process foods;
- lowers cholesterol, which is deposited on the walls of blood vessels and can cause high blood pressure;
- prevents blood clots;
- has a beneficial effect on the human body suffering from atherosclerosis. Under the action of its microelement complex, intravascular blood clots dissolve;
- inhibits the formation of cancer cells. As a result of research conducted by Israeli scientists, it was found that allicin, which is part of garlic, inhibits the growth of cancer cells, neutralizing free radicals;
- has antiviral and antimicrobial properties. Phytoncides contained in a sufficiently large number, adversely affect staphylococcus, bacteria, salmonella, intestinal and even diphtheria sticks. It was used during wars as an antiseptic for treating wounds;
- in the female body, garlic is able to increase estrogen levels;
- With prolonged and regular use of this fragrant vegetable by men, they will stop worrying about problems with potency, their reproductive health improves, and it can also prevent inflammation of the prostate gland.
The harm of garlic can be:- excessive consumption of any food product can cause problems and negative impact on human health. After examining the beneficial properties of the miracle vegetable, it is worth saying that you should not get involved in its excessive use in food, it should not exceed 2-3 teeth per day;
- there are contraindications in which its use must be strictly limited or completely abandoned: in such diseases of the gastrointestinal tract as: gastritis, gastric ulcer, duodenal ulcer, pancreatitis; liver problems, namely: hepatitis, nephrosis, nephritis;
- lactation. Since mother's milk tastes the food that mom ate before breastfeeding, and garlic has a very special flavor and aroma, the baby may not like the milk and he will refuse to feed.
Did you know? The manuscripts of Ancient Egypt contained more than 20 prescriptions for treating diseases with garlic.
Which garlic is better to choose
Almost all varieties of vegetables are suitable for drying them, but some may lose taste in the process of losing moisture. 
Still, you should opt for such varieties as:
- Silvery white;
- Creole;
- Kirovograd;
- Starobelsky white;
- Ukrainian white;
- Southern purple;
- Bronnitsky;
- Kalininsky;
- Rostov
Find out what useful properties have the arrows of garlic, as well as how you can prepare green garlic.
How to prepare garlic for drying
If the preparation of garlic for drying occurs in production, then the whole process will consist of such stagesas: washing the product, its pre-drying, cutting, and then the drying stage. Raw materials are placed in special equipment where they are cleaned and then washed. After that, it enters the pre-drying stage, for which the cleaned and washed teeth are placed in a centrifuge, which, unwinding, removes all excess moisture after washing.
Important! Wash garlic before drying at home is impossible, because it can moldy.
Further, it is cut in a special apparatus and is already ready for drying in a drying chamber using a back flow oven. 
At home, garlic also needs to be preformed. rid of excess water. To this end, in the household, before digging, it is not watered for several days and it is monitored so that there is no rain the day before. And if you purchased garlic on the market and are not sure about the conditions under which it was dug, you need to lay it on a flat surface for drying on the street or on a balcony.
You can simply lay out the paper and let it lie in the unfolded state for a couple of days. It should be noted that in order to save more useful properties, minerals and vitamins, it is necessary to avoid drying in direct sunlight.
Read also about the methods of drying tomatoes, carrots, peppers, zucchini, squash, onions, parsnips, celery, broccoli, mushrooms, pumpkin seeds, nuts.
How to dry garlic cloves for the winter
There are many ways to dry garlic for the winter. Some people prefer to do this without destroying the head, many people like to form bundles resembling braids of bulbs with dried tops and hang them in the house. For many years, such garlic braids were considered to be considered a household talisman from evil spirits and evil spirits. But the most popular modern method is the drying of garlic cloves.
Naturally
Before starting the drying process, it is necessary to peel the garlic cloves from the husk. 
To do this, you can use several cooking tips:
- put pressure on the garlic head with the flat side of the knife, which will cause the head to disintegrate and the scales themselves will begin to move away easily;
- You can also put the garlic head in a metal bowl, pre-treat it with a knife in the manner described above, cover with another bowl and shake. Having opened a bowl, the husk will lie separately from perfectly cleaned cloves.
After the garlic is peeled, it must be checked for dark spots or damage. Then each clove is cut in half and spread on a flat surface in cuts up. It should be dried in a dry room with good ventilation or in fresh air in the shade, so as to avoid direct sunlight. The drying process must be controlled by turning the raw material every few days. The result of drying in this way can be expected in a week or two.
We advise you to read about the drying and harvesting of greens: parsley, dill, arugula, sorrel, cilantro, spinach, green onions, onion-batun, thyme, mint, raspberry leaves, cherry leaves.
In the oven
Drying garlic in the oven is not much different from a similar natural process, but, of course, will not last two weeks. In the oven, this process will be much faster and take from 3 to 6 hours. For preparation, it is better to cut it into thin slices or slices, which will significantly speed up the process of removing moisture from the product. 
It is important to know that the dried vegetable will retain all the nutrients and minerals, and after changing its usual state. Next, you need to cover the baking sheet with parchment paper and place garlic slices on it in one layer. The temperature in the oven should be low, about +50 ° C, which will gradually remove moisture, retaining all the richness of the product. Putting a baking sheet in the oven, you need to detect the time and after 3 hours to check the status of garlic.
Slices should be periodically mixed, allowing to cool slightly, and then send to the oven, and eventually test for strength. If the garlic slice becomes brittle and breaks, then the drying process is over, if it is flexible and soft, then the drying should be continued. In order to create fresh air, the oven door can be opened from time to time. If there is a convection mode in the oven, this will significantly improve the process of air exchange.
Important! Slices of garlic must be constantly monitored so that they do not burn out and do not become too brown, otherwise the taste of the dried product will become bitter.
In the electric dryer
A variety of household appliances pleases modern housewives and makes domestic work easier and more pleasant. One of the processes recognized by many housewives was the drying of vegetables in an electric dryer. Let's look at drying garlic in this machine. 
In order to expose garlic to dehydration, it is necessary to rid it of scales and husk and place it in one tier on the grate of the dryer. Connecting electricity, you must set the temperature + 50… +60 ° C and start the process. It will also take from 3 to 6 hours, depending on the thickness of the slicing slices and the power of the unit.
Learn how to dry thyme, mint, raspberry leaves, cherry leaves for tea to preserve healing properties.
How to make garlic powder at home
After learning how to dry garlic for seasoning, you can begin to turn it into a fragrant spice. When the vegetable is well dried, it has a pleasant golden color and its slices break well when pressed, you can begin the process of its grinding. To do this, use either a bowl of kitchen blender or a coffee grinder.
After placing the dried slices in the apparatus, they must be crushed to a powder. Then it is necessary, armed with a sieve, to sift the resulting loose mass and, if necessary, re-crush the remaining large grains and particles to obtain a homogeneous fine powder. If you wish to add larger particles of seasoning to food in order to more clearly feel the garlic in the dish, you can avoid the process of sifting. 
How and where to store at home
Ready garlic powder is stored in paper, if you plan to use seasoning in the near future, or in a tight-fitting dark glass container, if you want to stock up on spice for a long time. If the seasoning container is poorly closed, the bright and inviting flavor of the spice will disappear over time.
Dried slices can be kept in a hermetically sealed container, in a dark and dry room, without high humidity and sudden changes in temperature, for several months.
Did you know? In order for the dry seasoning not to deteriorate quickly and not to collect excess moisture, it is better to collect the product from the can, where it is stored, with a dry, clean spoon.
How can dry garlic be used
This dried vegetable is often found as seasoning to dishes from meat and vegetables. It is added to salads and soups in many Oriental and Asian recipes. Giving aroma and piquancy, can turn even the most familiar food into an unforgettable masterpiece.
Learn more about the use of spices in cooking: pepper (black, chili, cayenne), turmeric, nutmeg, cassia, barberry, dill, parsley, rosemary, basil, marjoram, mint, lemon balm, thyme, fennel, horseradish, chabra, tarragon, lavender, nasturtium, sage, chervil.
By adding dry garlic to food, you can improve your health by increasing a person’s immunity. Regular consumption is the prevention of many inflammatory and infectious diseases. Given its benefit, described in this article, you should not forget about the accuracy in the use of garlic product and contraindications to its use.
Harvesting dried garlic is a way to preserve the beneficial properties of the product. The aroma and taste of this vegetable can make any dish more interesting and appetizing. Traditional medicine actively uses garlic in its natural and dried form for the treatment of many diseases and the improvement of human health.
