How do you store fresh garlic and how long?

TexasThinker
  • 2552 views
  • 6 Comments

6 Comments

Helen's A. September 22, 2011
Since I don't have a suitable cold room to store my freshly harvested garlic, I keep mine in a zip top bag in the freezer. It's a snap to peel & use. I usually will either slice it very thinly, or grate on a microplane. Thaws in moments on the cutting board...
 
mainecook61 September 21, 2011
Freshly harvested garlic, if properly cured (so the neck dries out), will last for months. I keep mine (harvested in early August) in a chilly (but not freezing) spare bedroom. It's spread out in some shoeboxes (for good circulation) and the box lid is on (dark). It will eventually sprout no matter what, usually in March, but by that time we've generally used it up. I keep onions (Copra yellow onions) exactly the same way, and sometimes onions make it to May. It's not a bad idea to check periodically to make sure nothing has gone moldy. What a difference between supermarket garlic and the succulent cloves of locally (and easily) grown!
 
Greenstuff September 21, 2011
How long garlic lasts depends a whole lot on how old it was when you bought it. Good ones can last for months, but old ones can be too old before you even get them home. One test before you buy is to feel it--fresher garlic feels firmer. Then store it right--Ghost Tropic is right at a cool, dark place is good--but not so cool that you refrigerate it. Too much cold promotes the growth of mold and diminishes flavor. And it needs some air, so don't try to keep air out. In particular, don't store it in oil, as that can lead to botulism.
 
Ghost T. September 21, 2011
Generally a cool, dark, dry place is ideal. I keep garlic on my counter in a little ceramic jar with a lid, which satisfies the three conditions quite well. I think my garlic keeps for at least two weeks.
 
wssmom September 21, 2011
A whole bulb of garlic from the grocery store can last for several months when stored in a cool, dark, dry place. Once you start removing the individual cloves, it doesn't last much longer, though. If it's garlic from your garden, you need to dry it for a week or so (you can hang them by their stalks in a cool, dry, dark place) before you store it.
 
ChefJune September 21, 2011
If you're talking about green garlic we get in the spring when farmers thin out their crop, I keep that in the vegetable keeper in the fridge.

If you're talking about freshly harvested "dry" garlic, I keep it in a cool, dry place and it keeps well until it's all gone (which is generally around mid February).
 
Recommended by Food52