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Garlic is an ancient ingredient used to flavor food. To preserve fresh garlic for cooking, here is a quick guide.
Steps
Get only as much garlic as you need. Garlic is a very strong flavor, so a little bit goes a long way. It's easy to overestimate how much you'll need, so be careful not to get too much.[1]
Choose the best, freshest garlic. You want a very nice white shelled bulb, free of any black spots. Make sure the garlic you get all has its own distinctive shell.[2]Advertisement
Peel your garlic only when you're going to use it. Garlic can go bad very quickly once you peel it, so make sure to do so only just before you use it.
Freeze garlic. This is the easiest way to preserve garlic for later use. Simply peel the garlic cloves, put them in a plastic bag, and stick them in your freezer.- Chop garlic before freezing to make it easier to throw into a dish quickly.
- Freezing chopped garlic in oil prevents it from freezing solid, which will allow you to scoop only appropriate amounts out when you're ready to use it.
- Using olive oil can make your garlic last longer than any other oil.[4]
- Peel the cloves and purée them. Purée with oil in a blender or food processor using 2 parts oil to 1 part garlic. The puréed garlic will stay soft enough in the freezer to scrape out parts to use in sautéing. Freeze this mixture immediately—do not store it at room temperature.
Pickle garlic. This slightly alters the flavor, but it drastically increases the shelf life.[6]
Make simple refrigerator pickles out of your garlic. This is an easier way of pickling your garlic, and it will keep almost indefinitely. Simply submerge peeled cloves of garlic in red or white wine vinegar and add a tablespoon of salt for each cup of vinegar you used. If you want, add dried herbs like red pepper flakes or oregano to flavor. The garlic will keep as long as it remains submerged in the vinegar.[7]
Community Q&A
- QuestionCan I use just white distilled vinegar and salt?
MicheleTop AnswererYou can. Any type of vinegar will preserve the garlic. Wine vinegar just has a nicer flavor to it. - QuestionCan I put peeled garlic in olive oil to preserve?MicheleTop AnswererYes. It's a good way to preserve the garlic and make a garlic-infused oil. Keep in a dark, cool area and a tightly sealed container. It should keep as long as plain olive oil, about 18 - 24 months. Refrigerate to extend the life of both the garlic and the oil.
- QuestionCan I pickle garlic with green in it (unripe?)MicheleTop AnswererYou can. Green garlic has a milder flavor than fully-matured garlic bulbs, so know that it takes on more of the vinegary flavor.
Tips
- Always use fresh garlic, and never any substitutes because it alters the flavor dramatically. This is true in Italian dishes that need to be cooked for long periods of time, sealed, dried crushed up garlic at room temperature does not give garlic room to breathe properly.Thanks
Video
References
- ↑ https://www.cooksillustrated.com/how_tos/5837-yes-you-can-freeze-garlic
- ↑ https://www.epicurious.com/ingredients/how-to-buy-and-store-garlic-article
- ↑ https://www.thekitchn.com/the-kitchns-guide-to-storing-garlic-231411
- ↑ https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/food-recipes/a20707233/how-to-store-garlic/
- ↑ https://www.epicgardening.com/storing-garlic/#Drying_Your_Garlic
- ↑ http://www.eatingwell.com/recipe/250668/pickled-garlic-cloves/
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otTVtxWj9C8
About This Article
If you want to preserve fresh garlic, keep it in a cool, dry place. If you leave it on the counter, keep it away from heat, moisture, or direct sunlight. Don’t peel your garlic until you’re ready to use it; otherwise, it will spoil much more quickly. The garlic will last up to a month unpeeled. If you need to preserve the garlic longer than that, peel the garlic cloves and place them in a resealable plastic bag, then place them in the freezer. Read on to learn how to freeze garlic in olive oil to extend its life even more!
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