How do you keep a head of garlic fresh?!
How do you keep a head of garlic fresh?
My mom and I have never used fresh garlic before (sad, I know). Tonight for dinner we made this pasta and shrimp recipe that called for two fresh cloves of garlic. So, what do we do with the rest of the head? Does it keep better in the refrigerator? How long will it last? Thanks!
Answers: No do not refrigerate it. If you remove the garlic from the bulb and peel it then yes cover it in a plasitc container. But if you leave the rest unpeeled, leave it out like onions or potatoes. I keep mine in my hanging vegetable basket.
out of the fridge it lasts about a month, peeled in the fridge about 2-3 weeks. Keep it in the fridge, it'll last at least 2 weeks (my mom keeps it for like 20 days, you can tell if it'll no longer fresh if it starts turning a little grey at the tops)
*edit: I meant grey on the bottom.... I can get very dislexic when it comes to top/bottom.... It keeps best out on the counter if it's out of the sun and it isn't too humid. Keep the outer layers on to help protect it and don't keep it in a plastic bag. They last for a very long time this way. When you go to use it again, make sure it isn't too mushy. Check every now and then to make sure it isn't in the sun. It's best left out. And the ideal way is to get one of the hanging mesh baskets that lets air surround the garlic.
I'm also a onesy-twosy consumer, but I know Italians that buy the garlic leis (I live 30 miles from Gilroy, CA. The garlic capitol of the world.) and it lasts for 8 to 10 months because they hang it up. I put my garlic cloves in the fridge when I get them home from the grocery store. They will keep for several weeks to a couple of months. When they start to turn brown or dried out looking, they are no longer fresh and you will want to discard them. Otherwise fresh garlic is awesome and is unmatched in the flavor department!
Oh yeah....you can make fresh garlic bread, peel and chop for spaghetti, and all kinds of sauces. Fresh garlic should be kept in a dark cool container with some air circulation. For this very reason, you will often find teracotta jars with holes in the sides. The teracotta stays cool and the holes provide air without too much light.
The garlic will last about two weeks. You will notice the cloves feel "empty" when it has gone bad Don't refrigerate it.
It will turn bitter.
Leave at room temperature. Will last 2-4 weeks.
Use it up in another delicious meal. I uses a terra cotta garlic keeper. I use garlic a lot so it was worth the investment but they are pretty cheap anyway. It keep them in the dark and lets the air circulate. The garlic lasts a long time in there - at least mine does.