Garlic Storage

Bacchus

Seems I buy a bulb for a dish, break it apart, remove skin from all the cloves, use a portion of them, then the remaining go bad within a week.
Should I leave unused cloves in the skin? Should I try to refrigerate or freeze?

Thanks in advance!

Little Steven

Ron,

If you peel them, leave in the fridge in a ziploc. If you want to leave them out just break off the cloves you need and leave the rest unpeeled. A garlic jar will help preserve.

Steve

Doug in Eggmonton

As unpeeled as possible. The more paper there is on them the slower they will take on or release water. Releasing water dries them out, thats what happens to old garlic in the winter here. Taking on water makes them sprout, thats what happens in the summer here. Keeping them unpeeled stops both things from happening too quickly, I get two or three weeks without any issues, as does the garlic jar Steven mentioned.

Doug

fishlessman

leave the unpeeled ones unpeeled, i only break off a couple at a time. the peeled ones go in the fridge but even there they dont last that long. store near me has big containers peeled and ready, i only buy those if i have a need for alot of garlic

Little Steven

Doug,

I sometimes keep whole buds in the fridge in a bag. They last longer and I only do it when I can get pink ones. I don't notice significant flavour loss or dryness. Thoughts?

Steve

eenie meenie

Bacchus, I know this is not germane to your garlic question, but I thought this might be a good place to give another kitchen hint. As you know, ginger can shrivel up or rot in storage. My Asian friend recommended that I store left over ginger chucnks in a small jar of sherry. It preserves the ginger and you can use the flavored sherry in asian recipes in place of rice wine.

Cpt'n Cook

That is what we do with ginger, you can also keep the big unpeeled pieces in a plastic bag in the freezer. It seems to keep forever frozen.

I only peel garlic that I am going to use immediately.

Bacchus

Stop calling me Ginger, and I will try to avoid the cold water.

That's actually a good thing to know. I wonder if one could do that with garlic.

Doug in Eggmonton

I don't but theres no reason not to, we go though garlic faster than my trips to the store so I just keep mine in a garlic jar.

Doug

Little Steven

Doug,


I go through a lot too. I only do it when I can get the real fresh ones from a local farmers market.

Steve

Bacchus

I thought about tossing them in the jar of pickled jalepeno's which I always have in the fridge. I realize that would likely alter the flavor of both garlic and peppers, but is there any other reason not too?

Little Steven

Good combination but semi pickled garlic will taste pickled.

Steve

eenie meenie

I think that would be great if you used it for future Mexican or Southwestern cooks.

Mr. & Mrs Potatohead

I like that idea!!
As of now I keep my fresh ginger in the freezer...That seems to work real well.

fishlessman

pickled garlic is delicous, great quick snacks from the fridge

Mr. & Mrs Potatohead

I too, keep as much "paper" on as possible.
I grow my garlic in the garden and can most often keep it for the year!

eenie meenie

On second thought, I think you are right about the garlic tasting pickled.

Mr. & Mrs Potatohead

What about keeping the "cleaned" cloves in a jar of olive oil in the fridge. Do you think that would work? And, how long would they last that way??

Bacchus

Thats the sort of thing I was wondering about, Potato Head. Would the OO do anything to preserve, albeit not like pickling would.?

Kenny 13

My biggest issue with garlic seems to be just finding good fresh garlic. There's a sign on the garlic bin at one of the stores I go to that says to look for heads that feel firm and the paper looks tightly wrapped & wrinkle free. I'll pick out heads that fit that description and get home to find lots of brown spots or cloves that are starting to sprout. Just seems like I could close my eyes and grab any head of garlic in the bin and my chances of getting a decent one are 50/50.

As far as the jars of already peeled garlic, I caught the end of a segment on Unwrapped one night showing how that stuff was processed. They said that as long as you keep it refrigerated at or below 36° it would stay fresh. I just wonder about condensation/humidity building up in the jars in transport from the store causing potential problems. I live in a very warm and humid climate and that 20 minute drive will have condensation on the jar. Perhaps I'm overthinking things???

AZRP

I put garlic cloves in the jars with peppers when I pickled them last fall, when i eat them they have no garlic flavor and just taste like the brine. -RP

fishlessman

do a google search, its really an unsafe practice. i used to do that routinely but stopped

Little Steven

Yeah,

There was a botulism scare about that a few years ago wan't there?

Serial Griller

I grow over 500 bulbs of garlic each year.After harvesting I put them in a a couple of net bags and hang them in a cool basement out of sunlite.We harvest in mid to late July and have garlic to use through May next year.
It's simple to grow,planted in fall and after you have tried home grown you won't buy from the store unless you run out.The garlic in the store is dry compared to home grown.
If anyone needs instructions on growing garlic ,what type to grow, and where to buy it.Let me know.
Sometimes I chop garlic cloves up in the food processor with olive oil.Then put in a jar in the fridge.It usually gets used up before it goes bad.It will turn the color of the olive oil but it will last a long time.When you want to saute something just pull out the jar and scoop a tablespoon of chopped garlic out.

Mr. & Mrs Potatohead

Well..
That takes care of that idea

fishlessman

im not sure what they do with the jarred pickled garlic i find here but it still has some flavor and its still crisp, the stuff ive canned at home loses the flavr and is mush, maybe the cold cann it

fishlessman

i did it for years without giving any thought to it, didnt even put it in the fridge, it sat on top of it in a tupperware and i just added oil and more garlic as time went on.

Bacchus

So did I just ruin my half jar of peppers by dropping 8-10 cloves in it?

fishlessman

with pickled vinegar i would say your good to go, maybe give it a week and sample. oil and garlic is a big no no and ive even seen it done in an old italian resteraunt

Boilermaker Ben

Serial Griller wrote:

I grow over 500 bulbs of garlic each year.After harvesting I put them in a a couple of net bags and hang them in a cool basement out of sunlite.We harvest in mid to late July and have garlic to use through May next year.
It's simple to grow,planted in fall and after you have tried home grown you won't buy from the store unless you run out.The garlic in the store is dry compared to home grown.

Funny how the techniques that have worked for hundreds of years still tend to be the best, isn't it?

AZRP

Mine are still crisp just no garlic flavor. -RP