After garlic is harvested, its dormant period generally lasts for 2 to 3 months. After the dormant period, at an air temperature of 3°C to 28°C, garlic will quickly sprout and grow leaves, consuming the nutrients in the stem, resulting in the shrinkage and shriveling of the bulb, greatly reducing its edible value, and even causing it to rot. Using a fresh-keeping cold storage can significantly extend the fresh-keeping time of garlic and reduce losses during the fresh-keeping process, which is a matter of great concern to many vegetable farmers and vendors. So, what issues should be paid attention to when storing garlic for freshness?

Precautions for Garlic Storage in Fresh-keeping Cold Storage

1. The fresh-keeping cold storage for garlic should be equipped with a sorting room to facilitate the sorting and processing of the purchased garlic.

2. The garlic cold storage should be equipped with a pre-cooling room. Garlic needs to be pre-cooled before being stored in the cold storage to prevent fluctuations in the temperature inside the cold storage when the garlic is directly put in.

3. The designed temperature of the garlic cold storage is around 0°C. The freezing point of garlic is -3°C. The temperature in the cold storage should not be lower than -3°C. If it is lower than this temperature, it may cause the garlic to be frostbitten.

4. A relative humidity of around 70% to 75% is optimal. Garlic has a high requirement for relative humidity. If the humidity is too high, it will cause mildew on the surface of the garlic, and gradually affect the internal quality. If the relative humidity is too low, it will lead to a large amount of moisture loss and the garlic is likely to shrivel.

Temperature Influencing Factors for Garlic Fresh-keeping Cold Storage

1. Temperature: The lowest temperature for fresh storage of garlic is -5°C to -7°C, and the suitable storage temperature is -1°C to -4°C.

2. Relative Humidity: It should not be higher than 80%, and 60% to 70% is more suitable.

3. Gas Composition: The oxygen (O₂) content should not be lower than 1%, and the more suitable range is 1% to 3%; the carbon dioxide (CO₂) content should not exceed 18%, and it can be controlled between 12% and 16%. In addition, certain gases in the storage environment, such as ethylene, ethanol, and acetaldehyde, will affect the freshness preservation of garlic. Efforts should be made to avoid or remove these gases.

4. Harvest Time: Harvesting garlic too early or too late is not conducive to its freshness preservation. The appropriate harvest time is about 15 to 20 days after the garlic scapes are harvested, when the leaves wither and the false stems are soft.