Garlic is an excellent ingredient to keep in your kitchen. It can be used to add flavor to so many dishes, and it’s also packed with health benefits.
But how to keep garlic fresh? How long can you store garlic before it starts to go wrong? And what’s the best way to store it at home?
In this article, we’ll answer these questions and more!
Before you learn how to keep your garlic fresh, clean them!
After harvesting garlic, it’s understandable that it’s still dirty. But don’t let that annoy you and make you put them in your sink and wash them. That’s not the right way to clean your garlic before keeping them fresh!
Take a look at these preparation tips before keeping your garlic fresh somewhere!
- Avoid washing your harvested garlic.
- You might want to check your harvested garlic and select the ones with mature and big bulbs to keep.
- You can clean the garlic by trimming its leaves as well as the roots.
- Get rid of the dirties but not all outer white wrappings of the garlic.
- Rub the bottom part of the garlic so you can remove the dirt.
- Next is to trim the top part but leave at least half to one inch of stem for cracking purposes.
- Don’t keep damaged garlic bulbs.
- Make sure to pick a clean container or mesh bag where you’ll put it.
Different Ways How to Keep Garlic Fresh
You have all the freedom on how to keep garlic fresh. But to help you, we’ve prepared some proper ways to do it.
1. Stock it in your pantry.
We all have that pantry in our home just like that we keep on seeing on Gordon Ramsay’s cooking show. And yes, just as you imagine, you can let your garlic sit in your pantry as it is.
However, you need to note some things about keeping your garlic fresh in your pantry.
- Make sure to clean the debris or soil on the garlic buds before placing them in your pantry.
- Do not wash your garlic because it will rot immediately.
- It would be best if your pantry is at room temperature only. Humidity can cause garlic buds to sprout.
- Make sure to keep your garlic cloves intact.
2. Use a garlic keeper.
When you harvest your garlic, they start to hate humidity and direct sunlight. Do you know what place they love the most?
- Cool
- Dry
- Dark
One of the easiest ways to keep garlic fresh is to store them in a garlic keeper.
A garlic keeper is a container made up of porous materials or terracotta. This type of keeper can absorb the odor and moisture of the garlic, making it the safest place to keep it.
It also has holes either on the side or at the bottom of the container. Its purpose is to provide the good air circulation that garlic needs.
3. Place it in a plastic bag with holes.
If you don’t have any choice, you can also place it in a plastic bag but make sure that it isn’t airtight. But why?
- Airtight plastic bags and containers don’t provide good air circulation for garlic.
- There will be lots of moisture, which garlic hates if you’ll use bags with no holes.
- It’s like suffocating your harvested garlic and letting them rot quickly.
4. Refrigerator for leftover garlic.
There are instances that after harvesting garlic, you’ll get and peel a few cloves. And what will happen to the rest?
What’s the best way how to keep garlic fresh?
Well, for instances like this, the only way is to keep them refrigerated. It can keep them fresh, but not for a long time.
Take note of this!
- Peeled garlic placed in the refrigerator can only last for a week.
- Minced and chopped garlic placed in the fridge can only last a couple of days. That’s less than a week.
So, with this in mind, always make sure to use your leftover garlic immediately. Besides, any vegetables that have been exposed will soon spoil without you knowing. This is also true for garlic so consume them immediately!
What’s the best way to use fresh garlic?
Now that you already know how to keep garlic fresh, then maybe you’re up for some recipes where you can use it!
Well, let’s divide it into two garlic recipe sections!
Raw Garlic
You can try out these recipes perfect for your fresh garlic!
- Garlic butter
- Garlic bread
- Spinach salad
- Garlic pickles
- Garlic mashed potatoes
Dried Garlic
Meanwhile, for the dried garlic, you can try these!
- Garlic mayonnaise
- Garlic toast
- Mushroom soup
- Pizza
- Burger
- Herb garlic seasoning
- Herb garlic salt
Do you see? You can make out of your garlic and impress your guests when they come around!
The beauty and convenience of keeping garlic fresh
Whether you’re a housewife or a chef, you know how vital garlic is in a recipe. In fact, without garlic, meals would be bland.
If you’re a first-time gardener and will soon harvest garlic, it’s important to know that garlic also has its proper way of keeping and storing, just like any vegetable.
Fortunately, garlic isn’t that sensitive in terms of keeping them fresh.
You only need to keep in mind that they hate sunlight in warm and moist environments. So, if you have plans to keep your garlic fresh, we recommend you get a garlic keeper instead. Just like what we said above, it’s the easiest and fewer hassles way on how to keep garlic fresh.
Imagine the convenience when you need fresh garlic all of a sudden, and you don’t have time to go to the store to buy one. You just open your container, and viola, there you have an instant and fresh garlic.
Keep your garlic fresh the right way!
And there you have it! We hope this post provided you with all the information you need on how to keep garlic fresh!
Note that not all techniques you hear in the streets are true. So make sure to follow the tips and steps we mentioned above if you don’t want to spoil your newly harvested garlic.
It only takes the right knowledge to keep fresh garlic you can use in your kitchen anytime you want!