Considered an essential herb in the kitchen, garlic is an essential seasoning to enhance the flavor of your dishes and make them tasty. If you want to preserve it to enjoy its virtues to the fullest, we’ll show you how to do it.
Belonging to the same family as onions, shallots and leeks, garlic adds a powerful aroma to your dishes. Furthermore, it has many health benefits. To make the most of its properties, it must be stored in the right way so that it is always available.
How to store garlic for as long as possible?
Garlic is an essential cooking ingredient, and you probably have some in your cupboard. To reap the benefits of garlic, you can use it minced, crushed, or minced .
- Store garlic in the freezer
You can store garlic cloves in the freezer to keep them longer. However, when stored in frozen form, garlic can lose its flavor and texture. For good freezing, you can peel it or leave it plain, remove the germ or leave it. To put it in the freezer, first rinse it with water. Place the garlic in a freezer bag and then place it in the freezer. If it saves you time while cooking, you can also put it in the freezer after chopping it so it’s ready to use quickly.
Find out more tips for storing garlic in the kitchen
Garlic can be stored for an average of eight months if the bulb is whole and stored in a dry, ventilated place. You can place your garlic cloves in a basket or leave them in their net. Store at room temperature around 15°C. The longer you keep fresh garlic, the longer you will be able to store it. However, avoid putting garlic in the refrigerator. The refrigerator, in fact, risks humidifying it and altering the quality of your seasoning. However, if you have already cut and peeled it, it is by placing it in the refrigerator and in an airtight box that you will preserve it longer.
- Preserve the garlic by placing it in a jar of oil
To preserve your garlic cloves for as long as possible, you can place them in an airtight jar of oil, sterilizing it beforehand. For this, remove the garlic cloves to peel them. Place them in the jar that you will fill with oil. Then, put it in the refrigerator to prevent the appearance of bacteria.
- Store garlic in vinegar
You can store peeled garlic in vinegar. Prepare an airtight jar that you have previously sterilized. Fill the airtight jar with peeled garlic cloves and white or red vinegar. Then put it in the fridge to keep it well.
- Dry the garlic to keep it longer
To make your garlic cloves last as long as possible, you can dry them. They rehydrate when used in cooking. Use the oven to dry the garlic. Peel the garlic cloves and cut them in half then place them on a plate that you have placed in the oven. Turn the oven on to 60°C then when it is hot, place the garlic cloves in the oven then lower the temperature to 50°C. Leave the garlic for at least two hours in the oven at the same temperature until it is completely dry.
If you bought garlic and it is already starting to dry out, you can also plant it. This essential kitchen ingredient requires very little maintenance, and you’ll be able to harvest more garlic cloves.