Where’s your go-to garlic storage spot? Whether it’s on your kitchen counter, in the pantry or in the refrigerator’s crisper drawer, you’ve probably wondered if your garlic might last longer elsewhere. Are you supposed to store garlic with veggies like potatoes and onions? Or, does it belong with other produce?
You might have your garlic storage game perfected – but you might also be making mistakes. Either way, we’ve got your guide to keeping all kinds of garlic fresh for as long as possible.
The garlic gets soft and dries out,” he says. The refrigerator, says Temples, is often too cold. “You should always choose the counter over the fridge!” he says. “The cold temperature in the fridge mimics autumn to garlic, and causes it to sprout within a couple weeks.
Cool temperatures can extend garlic’s lifespan
Unless you’ve got tropical fruits hanging around the house, most produce enjoys a nice and cool daily temperature. And that’s exactly how garlic likes to rest – at a cool 60 to 65 degrees Fahrenheit. When kept at this temperature, your typical head of garlic will last for months.
If you’re keeping your garlic at colder or hotter temperatures, it isn’t going to last as long as it should. Higher temperatures can cause this veggie to spoil faster, while colder temperatures can speed up its ripening process.
However, there is a catch to cold, refrigerated storage. It’s not always the worst option for stashing your garlic.
Garlic can survive inside your fridge, and it can actually last quite a while. While temperatures lower than 60 degrees aren’t ideal, it’s not going to do any damage. It’s safe for garlic to hang out in temps as low as 40 to 45 degrees, as long as you use it as soon as possible once you bring it to room temperature. Once you refrigerate garlic, it’ll start sprouting and spoiling within just a few days – so you’ll want to take it out only when you’re ready to cook with it.
Garlic thrives in dry, well-ventilated storage spots
In addition to keeping your garlic cool (or possibly even cold), you’ll also want to store it somewhere dry with good ventilation. Damp, moist environments can cause garlic to rot, which is a change you definitely don’t want to discover when you need garlic in the middle of a recipe.
You should keep your garlic somewhere it can breathe freely. Don’t keep it in airtight containers like plastic bags or closed kitchen drawers; as the vegetable emits its own natural gases and moisture, it’ll spoil faster.
It’s also a good idea to keep garlic away from fruits and other veggies that are known to emit a lot of gas as they ripen, like apples and bananas. Garlic does best when it’s stored alone.
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FAQ
Is it harmful to refrigerate garlic?
Does unpeeled garlic go bad in the fridge?
Does garlic sprout in the fridge?
What temperature does garlic go bad?
Should garlic be refrigerated?
While it is perfectly fine to refrigerate garlic, it’s not necessary, and it’s not the best practice. This doesn’t include jarred minced garlic which should be refrigerated upon opening. We are talking about whole heads of garlic or stray unpeeled cloves and we get into the dos and don’ts of storing garlic below.
Is cooked garlic good for you?
Cooked garlic has the same health benefits as raw garlic, such as reducing high blood pressure and cholesterol levels, promotes cancer prevention, has antibiotic properties and prevents Alzheimer’s and dementia.
What happens if you freeze garlic?
Freezing items like fruit and vegetables with high water content can change the texture. This is because the water inside the produce swells as it freezes, and the ice crystals can rupture the pockets where water used to be. Because of this, frozen garlic loses some of its crunchy texture and is softer than its fresh counterpart.
How long can you keep garlic pungency in the fridge?
Seal it up in an airtight container or zip-top bag, then toss it in the fridge. Though it may start losing pungency after only a few days, it’ll be fine to use for about a week. Did you accidentally chop more garlic than you needed for a given recipe?