This is how to best store your garlic cloves
We go through garlic at a tremendous pace in our house. Still, every now and then, a stray garlic clove ends up languishing somewhere. And they always spoil faster than I expect. I’ve now discovered that I’m not storing those garlic cloves the right way. There’s one method that keeps them fresh the longest, and today I’m going to tell you which one it is.
You could store your garlic cloves in a thousand and one ways. You can even put your garlic in the toilet — really. Even now, that’s still a tip that makes me go out of my (garlic) bulb… You don’t have to hang all those stray cloves above the bowl. (I think. It is the throne of your own palace, after all.)
6 test methods for storing garlic cloves
The Kitchn tested 6 ways to store garlic as effectively as possible: in the garlic mesh bag, in a plastic bag in the refrigerator, in a paper bag, in a kitchen cupboard, on the counter and in a special ceramic garlic pot. The tester left the garlic cloves in their respective spots for a month. She then checked how much the garlic cloves had deteriorated. She did this by smelling and squeezing them, and checking whether there were green spots on the cloves.
Cold garlic? Better not
Which method worked worst? That was clear: the bag in the refrigerator. Half of the garlic felt firm, while the other half was extremely soft. Nasty green spots had formed in the middle of the garlic. And the flavor was terrible too: incredibly flat, while garlic is supposed to have some bite. Save that spot in the refrigerator for something else; garlic should stay far away from it.
The best way to store garlic cloves
Now for the answer to the burning question: what is the best way to store garlic cloves? In a ceramic garlic pot! I’m not enormously surprised either, because this earthenware pot was specifically designed to store garlic as well and as long as possible. It has a lid, and there are holes in the walls. Garlic kept in a garlic pot stays firm in texture, free of green spots and perfect in flavor. Strong, spicy, aromatic: just how we want our garlic. Right?
With so much lovely fresh garlic, you can make plenty of garlic recipes. Garlic soup with 3 bulbs of garlic, for example, or some old school delicious garlic bread. And what about chicken with 40 cloves of garlic?! Or still put a few garlic cloves in the toilet. It’s perfectly fine if you have a shitload of good garlic cloves.
Also read:
- How long can you store garlic?
- For all garlic lovers! You’ll want to make this amazing spread right now
- How much garlic is actually in a jar of garlic powder?
Source: The Kitchn
