Freezing Garlic
Answered by: Yvonne Tremblay
Question from: Gwen Ollie
Posted on: October 28, 2003

I have purchased several bulbs of fresh garlic, which is more than I can use before it will get old. Can you freeze garlic & what is the best way to do it? I thought I would >separate the cloves, remove the peel and place them in small pieces of plastic wrap for individual use. Would this work?

Yes, you can freeze garlic. You can freeze the individual cloves, peeled or unpeeled. You can also chop the garlic, wrap in plastic wrap and freeze. Another alternative is to puree garlic with a little oil using 2 parts oil to one part garlic. Freeze immediately and do not leave oil in garlic at room temperature or in the refrigerator, as it is susceptible to botulism (see question "Potential Danger of Garlic in Oil" in the Culinary Q&A section of the Richters website). You can also freeze whole heads of garlic and break off cloves as needed.

You may want to try roasting heads of garlic when you have extra. Cut top off head of garlic to expose tips of cloves, place on a piece of foil or in a small baking dish, drizzle with a little oil, add a few sprigs of fresh thyme or rosemary, wrap or cover with foil. Bake in 350 F oven for 45 minutes to an hour, until garlic is soft. When cooled, squeeze garlic from cloves. Spread on bread, pizza crust, stir into mashed potatoes and other vegetables, or eat with roasted chicken.

To make fresh garlic last, store in a cool, dry, dark, well-ventilated place. At 60 F it should last for 3 to 5 months. Most refrigerators have too much moisture and promotes mold growth or sprouting. Store in a mesh bag, not in plastic or keep in a ventilated ceramic container or garlic keeper.

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