Garlic is one of the most popular superfoods out there. Here are some tips on how to properly store garlic to make it last longer. (h/t to GoodHousekeeping.com.)
Store it at room temperature
Garlic lasts the longest when stored at 60-65 F and in moderate humidity. With this temperature, your garlic supply can even last throughout the winter. Place garlic in mesh bags or loosely woven baskets. Likewise, garlic with flexible tops can be braided to hang. Another way to store garlic is to put them under an unglazed clay flower pot in a cupboard. This will create a small humidor without interrupting air circulation that can cause garlic to rot.
Store it in the fridge
You can store garlic in the bottom drawer of the refrigerator to address the humidity problem. However, once garlic has been put in the cold, it will start to sprout a few days after being brought to room temperature. So, just keep it in the fridge until you are ready to use it. However, if your garlic does sprout, you can use them to grow garlic greens. Simply put them in a small pot of soil on your windowsill.
Store it in the freezer
Garlic can also be stored in the freezer. However, frozen garlic won’t be as good as fresh garlic. To freeze garlic, blend peeled garlic cloves with a little water until they are evenly minced. Then, put the puree in ice cube trays or on a silicone sheet. Once frozen, put the frozen garlic in an airtight container.
Put it in the dehydrator
Dehydrating garlic is another way to make your supply last longer. To make dehydrated garlic, thinly slice peeled garlic and place in a food dehydrator. You can also dehydrate it in a barely warm oven with the door slightly opened, keeping a temperature of 115 F. Once the slices become crisp, put them in an airtight container, and store at room temperature.
Make garlic-flavored oil
With the dried garlic slices, you can make delicious garlic-flavored oil. Just put them in a small jar and cover them with olive oil. Garlic oil can be used in cooking or for making salad dressings.
Roast in an oven
Roasted garlic is one of the best ways to enjoy garlic. It is more mellow in taste compared to fresh garlic. In addition, roasted garlic can also be stored in the freezer indefinitely. To roast garlic, grease a casserole dish with olive oil lightly, then add some clean garlic bulbs. Bake at 350 F until they turn soft and squishy. This process typically takes around 45 minutes. Then, cut the tips of the bulbs and cloves and squeeze out the now-soft flesh. You can also store roasted garlic in the freezer to make it last for a week. Just place in an airtight container.
Pickle it
Pickling is also another way to store garlic. Pickled garlic undergoes the same process as other pickled vegetables. Another way is to put peeled garlic cloves in a jar with some salt and vinegar, then store in the refrigerator until you run out. Pickled garlic can be added to salads or served together with olives as appetizers. (Related: Garlic - DIY, recipes, and other information you should know about this amazing herb.)
With these tips, you can use garlic for a longer time, not only for cooking but also for medicinal purposes. For thousands of years, garlic has been used to prevent and treat the flu and common cold, lower blood pressure, reduce the risk of heart disease, help prevent age-related cognitive decline, improve athletic performance, and detoxify the body.
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