Can I Cure Vegetables Or Fruits And How Is It Different From Meat?

“I’ve been pretty good at preserving my garden’s tomatoes and peppers with canning and freezing over the years, and recently my neighbor told me about curing vegetables like garlic and onions. I’ve heard of curing meat, but I’m wondering, can I cure vegetables or even fruit? And if so, how does it work differently from curing meats? I live in Montrose, and I’ve got a pile of onions and garlic from the garden this year, but I’m totally new to this whole curing thing. What do you think?” — Thanks, Linda, Montrose, USA.

Can You Cure Vegetables or Fruit? And How Does It Differ from Meat?

Linda, you’ve definitely asked a great question! And I’m excited you’re diving into trying something new, especially with garlic and onions from your garden—those are perfect candidates for curing. Yes, you absolutely can cure certain vegetables, and even some fruits, though it’s quite different from the way we cure meats. Let’s break it down in a way that’s not overwhelming, so you’ll feel confident getting started with your garlic and onions right away.

What Is Curing, Anyway?

Curing can mean slightly different things depending on what you’re working with—whether it’s meat or plants—so it’s easy to confuse the two. In simple terms, curing involves preparing a food to be stored long-term by drawing out water and stabilizing it so it doesn’t spoil. For meat, that usually means using salt or sugar (or both), but for vegetables and fruits, it’s more about creating the right environment so they can dry naturally.

Curing Vegetables: What Types Can Be Cured?

You’ve already got the right idea by thinking about your garlic and onions, Linda! Bulb vegetables like these, alongside things like shallots and potatoes, need to be cured before you store them for the winter. Curing vegetables won’t work for every type of veggie though—you wouldn’t cure tomatoes or peppers in the same way, for example.

Here’s a list of cured vegetables:

• Garlic
• Onions
• Shallots
• Potatoes (especially sweet potatoes!)
• Pumpkins and some types of squash

These are vegetables naturally designed to survive long haul storage, and thorough curing helps that process along by ensuring the skins or peels thicken up, keeping the moisture locked inside during storage. This makes them last for months instead of weeks.

How Do You Cure Vegetables?

I’ll walk you through garlic and onions since it’s what you have in abundance, and then we’ll talk a little about some similar veggies that follow the same process.

1. Preparing for Curing

The first thing you want to do, Linda, is to make sure you’re harvesting your garlic and onions at the right time. You’ll know they’re ready when the tops start drying out and falling over. Leave some of the dirt on the bulbs; don’t wash them off yet. Cured veggies love the natural coatings they develop in the soil.

2. Drying Them Out

The next step is all about drying. You want to place your garlic and onions in a well-ventilated, dry place for around two weeks. If you’ve got a garage or shed with good airflow, you’re in luck! Just make sure it stays dry and out of direct sunlight. You could even braid the onion tops together and hang them.

As the weeks go by, the skins will gradually harden up, and the tops will become papery. That’s your cue that they’re ready! Your job is to keep an eye out for any mold or soft spots, and simply remove those that don’t seem to be curing well.

3. Storing Cured Garlic and Onions

After curing, brush off any remaining dirt but avoid scrubbing too hard. You can trim the tops and roots, leaving a bit of stem on the garlic to keep the cloves intact as long as possible. Keep your onions in a mesh bag, or hang your garlic in braids—you can really have fun with how you store them!

Once they’re cured, place them in a cool, dry, and dark spot (like a basement or pantry). They’ll be good to use for up to six months if stored properly.

What About Curing Fruits?

Now, when it comes to fruits, it gets a bit trickier. Some fruits can effectively be cured by drying them—think of it as a form of curing. For instance, sun-dried tomatoes (yes, the tomato is technically a fruit), apples, and pears can be dried or “cured” in the sun or an oven.

But, much like with vegetables, you wouldn’t cure all fruits simply because of how prone they are to spoilage. Most fruits tend to go straight to dehydrating or canning preservation techniques. Curing, as we traditionally think about it for vegetables, just isn’t as common with common fruits other than those with lower moisture content, such as dried apples, figs, or cherries.

The Science Behind It: What’s Happening With Vegetables?

Curing vegetables is really a battle against moisture. The goal is to create an environment where the vegetables lose just enough water through their skins to avoid rot but not so much that they wither or get rubbery. The thicker and harder the skins, the better they’ll do at resisting mold, bacteria, and pests while they’re stored away.

For garlic and onions, the curing process pulls moisture out of the outer layers, leaving the inner layers protected. It’s why by the end of curing, you’ve got those papery outer skins that act like natural armor for the vegetable.

Curing Meat: What’s the Difference?

So, how does all this compare to curing meat? Well, meat curing revolves around using salt to draw out moisture and stop bacterial growth. When curing meat, you’re deeply relying on salt (often paired with nitrates) to prevent dangerous pathogens from having a field day in the food.

Here’s a handy comparison to quickly outline the differences:

Common Pitfalls When Curing Vegetables

Curing might seem easy, but like everything in gardening, there’s a learning curve! Here are a couple of common issues I’ve run into myself, along with how you can avoid them:

1. Too Much Humidity

If the air is too humid during the curing process, your veggies might start to rot instead of dry out. Keep an eye on the environment—they need that dry air, or things can turn south quickly.

2. Over-Drying

If you leave your garlic and onions hanging out too long and in too hot of a space, they can become overly shriveled and lose flavor. You want them papery, not leathery.

Final Thoughts…

Linda, you’re absolutely on the right track with your garlic and onions, and curing them will help make that bounty last all the way through winter. The key differences between curing vegetables and meat come down to moisture and salt, but once you get the hang of it, vegetable curing is a simple and rewarding process.

Thanks for sending in that excellent question! Oh, and enjoy that fresh homegrown garlic; there’s just nothing quite like it.