How to Store Garlic? Several ways
Like onion and chives, garlic is a bulbous plant. In this blog, we will discuss how to store garlic for a long time. Garlic is good and has a long shelf life.
How to store garlic?
This can be done in the following ways:
- Never keep garlic in the fridge!
- Garlic can be stored at room temperature with sufficient ventilation; it can then be kept for several months.
- In the freezer, garlic can be kept for at least 3 months, but in a bag or closed container.
Peeled or unpeeled, as a bulb or as a clove, fresh or dried garlic, they all have their preferences when it comes to storage. Below you can read the different options.
With fresh garlic, you can make a delicious sauce, garlic sauce. You can read all about it in our blog ‘ How to Make Garlic Sauce? ‘. Roasting garlic can be done in different ways. You can read all about it in our blog ‘ How to Peel Garlic? Multiple ways ‘.
Garlic Storage
Dry or fresh garlic (has a green stem) is best stored in a dry, dark place, for example in the pantry or kitchen cupboard. Do not put the bulbs in a sealed container or bag, as this will cause them to rot. Garlic, like its relative to the onion, needs ventilation so a wicker basket is ideal. A paper bag can serve as an excellent alternative. Unpeeled and properly stored, the bulbs can keep for about 3 months. Opened, unpeeled toes remain good for about 10 days.
Loose peeled toes should be stored in the refrigerator in a sealed container. They will then remain good for 5 days.
Minced or pressed garlic can be kept in the refrigerator for 1 day in a sealed container or bag.
Garlic Storage Jar
These jars are meant to keep the garlic in the kitchen. You don’t have to store them in a pantry or kitchen cupboard. You can also store your onions in these pots, for example.
The best pots are made from natural materials such as unglazed ceramics. The lid can be ceramic, but there are also models with a cork lid.
The pot has air holes at the bottom so that the entire pot can ventilate and the garlic can’t get moldy.
Apart from the fact that this is a very good storage place for garlic, it also looks nice in the kitchen.
In a jar, the garlic will keep for about 3 months.
Keep Garlic in the Fridge
Garlic does not feel good in the fridge. It then spoils very quickly and can go mouldy. Garlic cloves that have already been peeled and left should be kept in the refrigerator in a sealed container or bag. However, this will not happen often as you always peel the right number of toes for your dish. However?
Store Garlic in the Freezer
Garlic can be stored in the freezer just fine. Whole bulbs, opened bulbs, and peeled or unpeeled cloves are easy to store. Put them in a sealed bag or container. They can be kept for three months before they lose quality.
Spoiled Garlic
Garlic is spoiled when the toes have dark/green spots. The garlic will then rot. Even if the cloves are soft, the garlic is not really good anymore. The taste is then less. When the inside of the garlic cloves is green, you can still eat them, but the taste is slightly more bitter.
Garlic Drying
You can dry garlic just fine and it is tasty too. Peel the cloves and cut them into slices. Place the sliced cloves on baking paper on a baking tray in the oven. Make sure the oven is set to 50 degrees. The drying time depends on the thickness of the slices, so you have to be careful. When they are crispy, remove the baking sheet from the oven, let the cloves cool, and put them in a sealable container. Try it first of course.
Garlic in Oil
You can also keep the garlic in oil. Only do this with dried garlic. Fresh garlic releases dangerous bacteria that cause botulism.
Peel the cloves and cut them into pieces if desired. Put them in a bottle or container. Add other herbs such as thyme for a different taste.
It is suggested that keeping the oil in the freezer will kill any bacteria.
Store Garlic in Vinegar
Garlic can be kept well in vinegar. It takes a few steps, but it’s fun to do.
Peel the garlic cloves and fill the jar or bottle completely with the garlic cloves. Fill the jar with vinegar. You can add spices to your liking for extra flavor. You can use rosemary, pepper, bay leaf, or oregano. Choose your own taste!
The garlic and oil will keep in the fridge for 4 months this way. If you see discoloration or if it becomes cloudy, throw it away.
Don’t store it at room temperature, you can throw it away quickly!
How to Make Garlic Salt?
You can also salt garlic from dried cloves. This is a subtle change in the taste of salt.
Above I have described how you can dry the toes.
Put the dried cloves in the mixer and chop the cloves into a powder. Now mix 1 part powder to 4 parts salt and mix well. Put the mixture in the sealable jar and place it in a dark place.
Sprouting Garlic
Even if you do everything right and store the garlic in the right way, there is the possibility that the garlic will sprout. Is the garlic still edible?
Yes, the garlic is still fine to eat, but the taste will be slightly different. This one gets bitter. Even the foothills are fine to eat. So you can still use them in your dish.