How To Process Garlic Plants

Garlic plants, with their unique flavor and health benefits, are widely used in food production. Processing them in a factory requires a systematic approach to ensure quality, safety, and efficiency. Here’s a step-by-step guide that’s easy to understand.

First, raw material selection and cleaning are the foundation. Factories start by sorting fresh garlic plants—removing wilted, yellowed, or damaged parts. Only healthy plants with firm stems and green leaves are kept. Next, the selected plants go through a multi-stage cleaning process: first, they’re rinsed with high-pressure cold water to wash off dirt, sand, and surface impurities. Then, they’re soaked in a mild food-grade sanitizing solution for 5-10 minutes to eliminate bacteria. Finally, a second rinse with clean water removes any remaining sanitizer, ensuring the plants are safe for further processing.

Second comes cutting and blanching. After cleaning, the garlic plants are sent to a mechanical cutter, which trims off the tough root ends and cuts the stems and leaves into uniform lengths (usually 3-5 centimeters, depending on product needs—like for seasoning mixes or canned veggies). Right after cutting, blanching is crucial: the chopped plants are dipped in boiling water for 30-60 seconds. This step stops enzyme activity that causes spoilage, preserves the bright green color, and softens the texture slightly. After blanching, they’re immediately cooled in ice water to halt the cooking process—this locks in nutrients and keeps the crispness.

Third is dehydration or processing into final products. For dehydrated garlic plants (a common product), the cooled pieces are spread on trays and placed in a low-temperature drying oven (around 50-60°C). The oven uses circulating air to remove moisture slowly, taking 8-12 hours until the water content drops to less than 10%. This makes the garlic plants lightweight and shelf-stable. Alternatively, some factories turn blanched garlic plants into pastes or sauces: they’re ground into a fine texture, mixed with small amounts of salt or oil (for flavor and preservation), and then heated to pasteurize.

Finally, packaging and quality checks. Dehydrated garlic plants are sorted to remove any small debris, then packed into airtight bags or cans to prevent moisture absorption. Paste or sauce products are filled into sterilized jars or bottles. Before leaving the factory, every batch undergoes quality tests—checking for moisture levels (for dehydrated products), pH levels (for sauces), and ensuring no harmful bacteria are present. This ensures that the final garlic plant products are safe, tasty, and have a long shelf life.