Garlic - shelf life?

[Tyler]

What is garlics shelf life? I bought some garlic when I moved into my apartment, which was July 1st, 2005. It was my first time buying garlic and I bought much more than I needed.

Eight months later, I still have some more of the original garlic left - still waiting to be removed from it's shell/layers. I haven't made anything with garlic in about 3 months so I'm unsure as to if it's still useable.

How long is garlic supposed to be good for?

[Bake2live]

Unbroken garlic bulbs will keep for up to 3 to 4 months. Individual cloves will keep from 5 to 10 days. Store in a cool, dark, and dry location (dampness is the enemy of garlic, so store away from stove and sink). If the cloves sprout, the garlic is still usable and the sprouts can be used for salads.

To preserve garlic cloves after they have been peeled, place them in a jar, cover with olive oil, seal jar, and store in refrigerator. They will stay fresh 3 to 4 months this way.

[Tyler]

Unbroken garlic bulbs will keep for up to 3 to 4 months. Individual cloves will keep from 5 to 10 days. Store in a cool, dark, and dry location (dampness is the enemy of garlic, so store away from stove and sink). If the cloves sprout, the garlic is still usable and the sprouts can be used for salads.

To preserve garlic cloves after they have been peeled, place them in a jar, cover with olive oil, seal jar, and store in refrigerator. They will stay fresh 3 to 4 months this way.

Thanks a lot :)

Heh, I was indeed keeping the garlic in an open plastic container right next to my stove on my counter.. which is nowhere near my sink but I guess it's better to store in a cupboard, or else seal the plastic container.

Also an interesting side note - I was cleaning up the other day, and decided to check out my garlic. When I picked it up it was extremely light and then i quicky found out it had completely dried out and crumbled easily in my fingers (was kind of fun actually) so yes, garlic does not last forever :)

[momof2]

We use a lot of garlic. I usually buy the big mesh bag full at Superstore. We just store the whole bag, as is, in a drawer in the fridge. It takes a few months to go through it, but we have rarely had any go bad.

[PigsnieLite]

If the garlic sprouts little leaves, would you plant it?

[Liketobake]

I would plant it, I love gardening!

[momof2]

My husband has planted it. Some years it grows, some years it doesn't. I don't know why.

[Jenyfari]

We have garlic sitting in a basket on top of our kitchen counter and it seems to last forever. It tends to dry out when it has been sitting for too long but even then it is still usuable.

[PigsnieLite]

Whut do you use to peel it? A garlic press or wid your bare fingurnails?

[Liketobake]

Whut do you use to peel it? A garlic press or wid your bare fingurnails?

I use my bare hands/fingers:p

:)

[Jenyfari]

Whut do you use to peel it? A garlic press or wid your bare fingurnails?

I place the flat part of the knife on top of the garlic and hit the knife hard with the back of my hand. That loosens the skin and makes it easy to peel and then I put the peeled garlic in a garlic press.

[bgan10]

Yeah I let garlic sit forever. Thats the best part about it, it lasts super long. All garlic is different but you can tell if it is still go to use when you go to cut it. But even then, if it doesn't feel right, it is still probably good to use!

[Benton Tarantella]

I've planted garlic three years in a row and it has sprouted and grew every time. I knew the trick to make it easier to peel, too. I was just about to mention it... Most garlic lasts a long perios of time, but I've had some that got rotten in a few months... I couldn't explain what happened to it...

[karenlyn]

It's funny, but I've found that the older and dryer garlic is, the easier it is to peel. We eat a LOT of garlic, and peeling it is one of my most hated kitchen chores. :)

-Karen

[Barksdale]

To preserve garlic cloves after they have been peeled, place them in a jar, cover with olive oil, seal jar, and store in refrigerator. They will stay fresh 3 to 4 months this way.


That's VERY, VERY unsafe. You can die from botulism doing that.

Freeze them instead.

[bellapria]

You can seriously die from that? why? I have never heard that before

[Barksdale]

You can seriously die from that? why? I have never heard that before

Actually, the garlic thing is pretty well known, but applies to other things as well, which some people don't know.

Yes. You should NEVER store garlic in oil. If you make an infused oil from anything grown in the ground, you should keep it in the fridge and use it ot throw it away within 10 days or so.

Oil is the perfect medium for botulism to grow. Botulism toxins/spores are found in several different places, including soil. If something comes in contact with contaminted soil and then is put in oil, the oil can become highly contaminated and can kill you or permanently disable you.

READ MORE: http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&rlz=1T4GGLJ_enUS253US253&q=garlic+oil+botulism&btnG=Search

[mcnerd]

Instead of oil, try using Red Wine Vinegar and 1 Tablespoon of salt in a jar in the refrigerator. Will keep indefinitely and get better with age to the point you may eat them directly.

But really, garlic cloves are so common year round from stores and/or your farmers market, one should never have to worry about long-term storage.

[Dishwashboy]

I know that garlic can be kept for a long while, but I don’t how long it could be kept. My mother always stores the garlic outside the refrigerator because she said that it may be destroyed by the moisture from the refrigerator. Is this true?

[Barksdale]

I know that garlic can be kept for a long while, but I don’t how long it could be kept. My mother always stores the garlic outside the refrigerator because she said that it may be destroyed by the moisture from the refrigerator. Is this true?

No but it will sprout faster in the fridge, which is why it's not a good idea to keep it there.

[mcnerd]

I think both are true. Refrigerator a no no unless its pickled or prepared professionally.

[Ralphy]

Hmm.. when i buy garlic i usually buy only a few pieces, i don't like to have it stored in the house for too long. It gets wrinkled after a while :D
We don't even cook with it to many times.. so there's no need for us to have garlic in the house all the time.

[Donald]

Unbroken garlic bulbs will keep for up to 3 to 4 months. Individual cloves will keep from 5 to 10 days. Store in a cool, dark, and dry location (dampness is the enemy of garlic, so store away from stove and sink). If the cloves sprout, the garlic is still usable and the sprouts can be used for salads.

To preserve garlic cloves after they have been peeled, place them in a jar, cover with olive oil, seal jar, and store in refrigerator. They will stay fresh 3 to 4 months this way.
Please see this URL regarding garlic in oil hazard:
http://www.garlic-central.com/storing.html
How Not to Store Garlic
Important: Never store raw garlic in oil - this can lead to botulism and possible death. See the warnings page for more information.

Thank you.
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