Preserving garlic

I'm looking for some alternative ways to preserve garlic. I've done it in oil before but am interested in other methods. My favourite way is to simply hang the bulbs in a cool, dark and dry place, but that only seems to work for 8 months or so before it deteriorates and I'd like to make it last until next harvest. Has anyone tried freezing the cloves, either peeled or unpeeled? If so, what is it like after thawing. TIA for any ideas.

Reply to
Jeßus
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i'd never pack anything low acid into oil for storage as there's a risk of botulism.

i'm picky about off-notes from freezing if the container isn't super air-tight so i've found out that grinding the garlic up, drenching it with lemon juice and then packing it into jars for freezing works well for dishes where you won't mind the lemon/garlic combination. you could of course use vinegar or any other acidic juice you'd like. i'm not sure i'd want to go just straight ground garlic as there's alway the trace bacteria that can hang on to most root vegetables and then you'd be in trouble if it managed to get going... so i'm much happier and feel safer to have the garlic stored in something acidic.

i've also made garlic relish with vinegar, sugar, some crushed red pepper flakes and then canned that. seems to be keeping very well. use it for any sauce base (blender or leave it alone if you like chunks).

drying also works well for garlic.

i plant extra cloves down deeper in the fall and these i pull at any time after they start growing again to be used as a green garlic. you can do this up until the bulbs start hardening the tunics around the cloves.

your post reminds me that i have some garlic that is in the garage i should look at and probably clean up and process. now is about when it usually starts sprouting and putting out shoots and it's a good mid-winter project. the worms love the scraps... :)

songbird

Reply to
songbird

Apparently that is not recommended at all. Botulism is a possibility in garlic in oil or so I've read. Bits of mine went a funny turquoise colour when I did it in oil and that put me right off.

but am interested in other methods. My favourite way is

I haven't tried it but I suspect that pulverising it (the chef's way with the side of a knife and salt) and then freezing in it tiny portions would work.

I managed to buy very tiny plastic containers with snap on lids designed for carting small amounts of salad dressing away from home and they would be ideal - they'd hold about a tablespooon full.

Reply to
Fran Farmer

By growing "too much" (or enough) I get adequate survivors in the stored (in a box in the basement, too warm) stuff though I do lose quite a bit towards the end, and some of what's usable is quite soft. It is cured first for several weeks in dry shade.

Information primarily targeted at commercial growers suggests storing at

30-32F / -1-0C and 60-70% humidity. Domestic refrigerators are generally too warm for ideal storage.

Extension info aimed at consumers suggests freezing (among other things) and includes "freeze the whole head" as an option. I might try freezing "roasted" cloves in a glass container (have not, but if I was going to try it, that would be my guess at a good approach. I don't want garlic-vanilla ice cream, for instance, and the roasted garlic is already mushy, so I don't imagine the texture would be too far from normal after freezing. I regard the "roasting" process for garlic as needing quotes since it's mostly steaming in foil, really. There's a little caramelization. I prep cloves and do a pie-plate full rather than fussing with roasting heads.

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Reply to
Ecnerwal

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