Garlic is a small, pungent, super savory ingredient that adds a punch of flavor to meat, vegetables, rice and so much more. Learn how to store garlic, whole, cloves or peeled, along with tips on how to buy and how to make it last longer.
Make the most of your garlic and preserve its flavor for longer with these tried and tested storage tips!
I don't think there is any other ingredient that can be compared to the small but mighty flavor of fresh garlic. It's incredibly savory with a strong, pungent aroma that transforms into a sweet flavor addition.
My family and I love the garlic-y flavor and I put it in just about everything. Which is why I always have extra on hand. Because of this, I thought it best to share my tried and true tips on how to store garlic properly, to make it last longer.
And if you love this, be sure to check out How to Peel, Cut & Mince Garlic and make Garlic Paste, too!
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What is Garlic?
Garlic is a member of the lily (allium) family, along with onions, leeks and shallots. It grows underground in the form of a bulb, with an inedible skin that protects it's small, off-white cloves.
The bulbs of garlic are most often referred to as heads in the culinary world. And each head contains anywhere from 10-20 cloves.
Fun Fact: When left in the ground long enough, green shoots produce garlic scapes, flower stalks that can be eaten. They are a common ingredient spotted at Farmer's markets and specialty food stores throughout the spring season.
How to Use Garlic - What Does it Taste Like?
Garlic is one of those popular ingredients that complete the dishes of just about every global cuisine. When raw, it is sharp, pungent and astringent. For this reason, it is often adding as a flavoring agent during cooking to mellow it's flavor.
Depending on how the garlic is cut, the flavor can range from mild to strong. Once cooked, the flavor mellows significantly to a sweet, savory aroma. To take is a step further, roasted garlic transforms in a creamy, somewhat nutty ingredient that can be enjoyed all on its own. (Think Bruschetta!)
Health Benefits of Garlic
Garlic has been used for millennia as a medicinal ingredient for it's abundance of nutritional properties. According to Healthline, garlic has the ability to:
- Reduce oxidative stress since it naturally contains antioxidants.
- Reduce blood pressure and is good for the cardiovascular system.
- Improve cholesterol by reducing the total and "bad" (LDL) cholesterol levels.
- Detoxify heavy metals in the body because of its high sulfur compounds.
- Help prevent and reduce sickness, like the flu and common cold.
How to Buy - Tips & Tricks
One of the best ways to ensure your garlic lasts as long as possible is to first purchase the freshest garlic available.
Here are some tips on how to buy garlic at the grocery store:
- The bulb should be firm to the touch and does not give against gentle pressure.
- It should be tight, with smooth, dry skin and no signs of black powder (aka mold).
- A few purple stripes are natural - the purple color is a sign of anthocyanins!
- If the garlic shows signs of sprouting, that's an indication the garlic is old.
Quantity Tip: Most garlic you can find in the grocery stores these days is average in size. I have found that 1 bulb of garlic is made up of about 10 to 12 cloves.
Where to Buy
Garlic is available at the supermarket in the produce section, usually near the onions and potatoes. It can be sold as individual bulbs and as a package in small, mesh bags.
Grocery Shopping Tip: I prefer to buy whole bulbs of garlic rather than already peeled cloves or minced garlic packed in olive oil. Fresh garlic is far better in flavor and much better for your wallet when compared to the pre-packaged variety. But when I'm running on a tight schedule, my next preference is to buy peeled cloves.
Best Way to Store Garlic
Garlic can be stored in a number of different ways - as a whole bulb, individual cloves, peeled or even as garlic paste. Follow any of the methods below, depending on your needs.
How to Store Fresh Garlic
Believe it or not, but garlic actually hates the cold, which is why I never store fresh, unpeeled garlic in the refrigerator. These are the storage practices I follow:
Whole Bulb: Store the whole bulb in a cool, dark, well-ventilated cupboard. Garlic will last the longest stored in a temperature between 60 - 65 degrees F. Because of this, I keep it in a cupboard away from the stove and near the floor. The garlic should last a few months.
Individual, Unpeeled Cloves: If you happen to have broken off a few extra cloves than you needed, store these right alongside the whole bulbs of garlic in your cupboard. Use within 10 days.
How to Store Peeled Garlic
Peeled garlic cloves are a great way to get ahead, especially if you know you'll be cooking throughout the week.
Break apart the clove and peel away the thin, papery skin. Place the peeled cloves in an airtight container or plastic storage bag, seal tight and store in the fridge. Use within 5-7 days.
How to Store Garlic Paste
Garlic paste is a wonderful meal prep ingredient to have on hand to toss in meat, vegetables, stir fries and more.
To make garlic paste: Peel the entire head of garlic and slice off the stem ends. Place in a blender or food processor with 1 Tablespoon olive oil and blend until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed. Place in an airtight container and store in the fridge to use within 1 week.
Check out Garlic Paste Recipe to learn how to store in the fridge and freezer, along with recipes on how to use it!
How to Freeze Garlic
Garlic can even be frozen, but the method will vary depending on whether it's whole or peeled. Frozen garlic should last indefinitely.
Whole Heads and Individual, Unpeeled Cloves: Place the garlic in a freezer safe plastic storage bag, push out all the air, seal tight, label, date and freeze.
Peeled Cloves: Spread the individual cloves out on a small baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap and freeze for 1 hour. Wrap the frozen cloves in foil, then place in a freezer safe plastic storage bag, seal tight, label, date and freeze.
Garlic Paste: Place in a small silicone ice cube tray and freeze until firm, about 1 hour. Transfer the cubes to a plastic freezer storage bag, label, date, seal tight and freeze for up to 6 months.
Tips to Make Your Garlic Last Longer
- Keep the bulb whole. This ensures the bulbs stay cool and dry, which are exactly the conditions garlic needs.
- Store in a cool, dark, uncrowded cupboard. Garlic will spoil under conditions of heat and light, so it's best to keep it in the coolest part of your kitchen, ideally away from the stove and near the floor. A well ventilated cupboard or pantry works best.
- Do not store whole garlic in a plastic bag unless freezing. Garlic needs ventilation and air to breathe, which is why an uncrowded (or empty) cabinet is best. If you would prefer to store it in a bag, mesh bags are the best and paper bags are a close second. However, when storing in the freezer, use a plastic bag to keep all the moisture out.
FAQs
Garlic can be stored in the refrigerator, but it won't last as long. The refrigerated garlic will only last a few weeks, as opposed to months in a cool, dry cupboard. That being said, if you must store your garlic in the fridge, keep it in the main part of your fridge rather than the crisper drawer.
Whole bulbs of garlic will keep for 3-6 months when stored in a cool, dark place while whole, unpeeled cloves will keep for up to 10 days. Peeled garlic cloves should be stored in a plastic bag in the fridge and used within 5-7 days.
There is a method of preserving (or pickling) garlic in vinegar to allow it to keep for up to 1 year. I have never tried this myself, but would love to know the results if you do!
Yes, sprouted garlic (and the shoots) are perfectly safe to eat, although the sprouts themselves may impart a bitter flavor. If you'd like to remove the sprout, simply peel and slice the garlic clove lengthwise. Then remove the green shoot with your fingers or a small pairing knife.
More Cooking 101 & Meal Prep Recipes
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📖 Recipe
How to Store Garlic
Ingredients
- 1 head garlic
Instructions
How to Store Fresh Garlic
- Whole Bulb: Store the whole bulb in a cool, dark, well-ventilated cupboard. Garlic will last the longest stored in a temperature between 60 - 65 degrees F. Because of this, I keep it in a cupboard away from the stove and near the floor. The garlic should last a few months.
- Individual, Unpeeled Cloves: Store these right alongside the whole bulbs of garlic in your cupboard. Use within 10 days.
How to Store Peeled Garlic
- Break apart the clove and peel away the thin, papery skin. Place the peeled cloves in an airtight container or plastic storage bag, seal tight and store in the fridge. Use within 5-7 days.
How to Store Garlic Paste
- To make garlic paste: Peel the entire head of garlic and slice off the stem ends. Place in a blender or food processor with 1 Tablespoon olive oil and blend until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed. Place in an airtight container and store in the fridge to use within 1 week.
How to Freeze Garlic
- Whole Heads and Individual, Unpeeled Cloves: Place the garlic in a freezer safe plastic storage bag, push out all the air, seal tight, label, date and freeze. The garlic should last indefinitely.
- Peeled Cloves: Spread the individual cloves out on a small baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap and freeze for 1 hour. Wrap the frozen cloves in foil, then place in a freezer safe plastic storage bag, seal tight, label, date and freeze.
- Garlic Paste: Place in a small silicone ice cube tray and freeze until firm, about 1 hour. Transfer the cubes to a plastic freezer storage bag, label, date, seal tight and freeze for up to 6 months.
Notes
- Keep the bulb whole. This ensures the bulbs stay cool and dry, which are exactly the conditions garlic needs.
- Store in a cool, dark, uncrowded cupboard. Garlic will spoil under conditions of heat and light, so it's best to keep it in the coolest part of your kitchen, ideally away from the stove and near the floor. A well ventilated cupboard or pantry works best.
- Do not store in a plastic bag, unless freezing. Garlic needs ventilation and air to breathe, which is why an uncrowded (or empty) cabinet is best. If you would prefer to store it in a bag, mesh bags are the best and paper bags are a close second. However, when storing in the freezer, use a plastic bag to keep all the moisture out.
annette says
I bought peeled garlic that is individually wrapped but even when plastic bags every time you open the fridge it smells any hints
Aneesha says
Hi Annette, I place a half-cut lime or lemon in a ziplock bag, then place the garlic bag in that, fold it tight and store it in the refrigerator. Let me know if this helps.
Debbie says
I don’t understand what a
“ ventilated cupboard” is. All my kitchen cupboards have doors and there are no holes????
Aneesha says
Hi Debbie, some kitchens have produce cabinets with ventilation. That's what the reference is for. Hope that clears the confusion 🙂
Inayat Daya says
another question can we store garlic in an open box in the cold room which is cold and dark
Aneesha says
You certainly can, but it will stink up the room.
Inayat Daya says
Thank you for the advise how to store garlic
my question is once the garlic is clean and all the dirt is out do i cut the roots or leave the roots does it have any help in storing garlic thank you
Aneesha says
I recommend cutting off the roots.
neil says
you mixed me up...
You say do not use plastic bags and then you say to use a plastic bag.
What did I miss?
Aneesha says
Hi Neil, sorry about the confusion, I fixed it in the blog post. Basically, avoid using plastic when storing whole garlic on the counter, but when storing in the freezer, use a plastic bag to keep all the moisture out. Hope that helps.
Fran Olmstead says
I love garlic but keeping heads on hand was hard. They would spoil before I used then. I would never have them on hand when needed. I found d a site that showed how to store in vinegar. So i bought a bag of garlic and tried it. It worked well. I had 4 small jars that I filled with peeled cloves then covered in vinegar. I kept them in the refrigerator and just pulled out what I needed, rinsed them before using a d cooked away!! That bag of garlic I picked up at Costco lasted a complete year. The last cloves I used were starting to get slightly soft but were still flavorful and delicious. So another $5 bag of Costco garlic has been prepared and I have 4 more jars full and back in the fridge. This time I boiled the vinegar and poured it in hot. So we will see if there is a difference.
Aneesha says
Hi Fran, that's another great way of storing garlic. Thanks for sharing.