How Is Garlic Cleaned Commercially?

Washing is a crucial step in commercial garlic processing. Whether producing garlic paste, garlic slices, garlic powder, frozen garlic cloves, or peeled garlic granules, washing is essential for ensuring product hygiene and quality. Factory-scale garlic washing typically utilizes automated garlic washing machines to improve efficiency and ensure effective cleaning. But how is garlic cleaned commercially? Factory-based garlic cleaning is usually carried out using an automated garlic cleaning machine to improve efficiency and ensure cleaning results.

Purpose of Garlic Cleaning: After harvest, garlic often contains dirt, impurities, dried skin, and some roots. If these impurities are not removed thoroughly, they will directly affect subsequent processes such as peeling, slicing, beating, and drying, and may even reduce the quality and shelf life of the finished product.

How is garlic cleaned commercially?

• Raw material pre-processing: Garlic is first hand-selected to remove rotten, moldy, or undersized bulbs. Some factories also trim the roots to remove excessively long roots for easier cleaning.
• Clove separation and peeling: A mechanical process quickly separates the garlic cloves and removes the skin.
• Washing: A bubbling device generates a large number of bubbles, which are then tumbled through the water to remove sediment. This provides a gentler wash and avoids damaging the garlic.
• Draining and Transporting: After rinsing, the garlic is initially dehydrated in a vibrating drainer or air dryer before being conveyed to the next step, such as peeling, slicing, or grinding.

Precautions during cleaning:

• Control water temperature and quality: Use clean tap water or filtered, recycled water to avoid secondary contamination.
• Prevent garlic from breaking: Avoid excessive pressure during bubble cleaning.
• Change the cleaning water regularly to prevent sediment buildup and microbial growth that could affect cleaning results.

Although garlic cleaning is only one step in the entire processing process, it is a key link in ensuring product quality and food safety.