Garlic: Tips and Troubleshooting, Selecting, Storing, Recipes, Safety

[Qwerty]

You can also just take the peeled and trimmed cloves, cover them in olive oil, then place in a low oven (225-250) and cook until the cloves are nice and tender. We call this a garlic confit--you can do lots with it. Great for sauces, soups, butters, pasta, spreading on roasted/grilled meats, etc. Keep it in the fridge covered in the oil, or take some and freeze it in small batches and thaw a bit at a time.

[KarenDW]

peel, chop and freeze in resealable bags. Make the bags as flat as possible... then you will be able to break off small amounts when you need them. Best to double-bag; remember to wash hands between 1st & 2nd bagging to prevent odor transfer on the outside of the bags.

[prasantrin]

As long as you store the garlic preserved in oil in the fridge, you'll be fine. Clostridium botulinum bacteria won't grow and/or produce toxin at refrigerator temperatures.

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Not quite true--there's still a limit to how long it can be kept, even in the fridge. From the Canadian Food Inspection Agency:

Take precautions with home-prepared foods stored in oil (e.g., vegetables, herbs and spices). If these products are prepared using fresh ingredients, they must be kept refrigerated and for no more than 10 days.

[Terrasanct]

Does that only go for raw garlic? If I saute it does it stay good longer, or maybe for less time?

[markemorse]

I was going to suggest garlic confit as well, I made it earlier this year and it was extremely delicious and very useful...the recipe i used is here.

+++

[mtigges]

Does that only go for raw garlic?  If I saute it does it stay good longer, or maybe for less time?

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Yes, it only applies to raw garlic.

Why don't you just simply store it? A cool well ventilated place and it will easily keep for 6 months or more and be in WAY better shape than chopped and frozen. We grow much more than 2 pounds and we're still using last years a month out of this years harvest. It's not as good as it was, but it's still fine.

[Toliver]

This has been covered in previous discussions (on infusing oils with flavor?) but bears repeating. Raw garlic should never be covered with oil. From the FDA:

....Toxin production can occur even when a small number of Clostridium botulinum spores are present in the garlic.  When the spore-containing garlic is bottled and covered with oil, an oxygen-free environment is created that promotes the germination of spores and the growth of microorganisms at temperatures as low as 50 degrees Fahrenheit....

The botulinum spores occur naturally in the soil and you should assume the garlic bulbs you have carry such spores on them.

Why take the chance?

[Cynthia from Toppits]

Toppits Garlic & Herb Cubes

I can only suggest that you try our product! Toppits Garlic & Herb Cubes (sorry folks only in Canada, eh?)

We take garlic - a brazilian specie that is considered the world's best - peel & crush it - then flash freeze it immediatley so all the natural oils (allacins) are kept. We put the crushed garlic in these amazing little trays like an ice cube tray, each cube is the equivalent of a medium sized clove of garlic. No artificial ingredients, no worries about botulism and you will always have garlic ready for you at all times.

I personally can't live without my garlic a day!

It shamless self promotion but I love to cook and can't help be passionate about what I use in my kitchen.

Hope you don't mind the post in the Fresh garlic thread

[Peter Green]

As long as you store the garlic preserved in oil in the fridge, you'll be fine. Clostridium botulinum bacteria won't grow and/or produce toxin at refrigerator temperatures.

←

Not quite true--there's still a limit to how long it can be kept, even in the fridge. From the Canadian Food Inspection Agency:

Take precautions with home-prepared foods stored in oil (e.g., vegetables, herbs and spices). If these products are prepared using fresh ingredients, they must be kept refrigerated and for no more than 10 days.

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What! A tub of minced garlic is going to last more than 10 days? We go through it a lot faster than that.

[mtigges]

Toppits Garlic & Herb Cubes

I can only suggest that you try our product! Toppits Garlic & Herb Cubes (sorry folks only in Canada, eh?)

We take garlic - a brazilian specie that is considered the world's best - peel & crush it - then flash freeze it immediatley so all the natural oils (allacins) are kept. We put the crushed garlic in these amazing little trays like an ice cube tray, each cube is the equivalent of a medium sized clove of garlic. No artificial ingredients, no worries about botulism and you will always have garlic ready for you at all times.

I personally can't live without my garlic a day!

It shamless self promotion but I love to cook and can't help be passionate about what I use in my kitchen.

Hope you don't mind the post in the Fresh garlic thread

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I hate to be a sourpuss, but I find transporting garlic half way around the world merely to process it into crushed, plastic wrapped and frozen dispensable cubes almost as obnoxious as your shilling.

[Cynthia from Toppits]

mtigges...I really do appreciate where you are coming from.

Not sure about the shilling comment.

For those that can grow their own or prefer fresh garlic - without a doubt I wholeheartedly understand.

I only wanted to pass on the information as a resource to help those looking for easier ways to avoid storing without the fear of botulism.

That's all.

[Toliver]

Toppits Garlic & Herb Cubes

I can only suggest that you try our product! Toppits Garlic & Herb Cubes (sorry folks only in Canada, eh?)

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I think I have some of your parsley in my freezer. I bought it at Trader Joe's. When I don't have fresh herbs on hand, they work well.

[Cynthia from Toppits]

Thanks Toliver!

Trader Joe's sells a similar product - Dorot Garlic & Herb Cubes.

You are so right - they are great in pinch or in the middle of winter.

[mtigges]

mtigges...I really do appreciate where you are coming from.

Not sure about the shilling comment. 

For those that can grow their own or prefer fresh garlic - without a doubt I wholeheartedly understand.

I only wanted to pass on the information as a resource to help those looking for easier ways to avoid storing without the fear of botulism.

That's all.

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This is getting too far off topic so sorry to the moderators, but I have to respond.

Why use Brazilian garlic? That's attrocious. There's plenty of great garlic available in Canada. At least use something local.

I find it difficult to believe that the best garlic in the world comes from a part of the world in which it is not native. No doubt it's because they can harvest virtually year round. I seem to remember reading recently that Brazil was experiencing a pretty serious viral infection in their garlic crops. Though I could be mistaken that it was Brazil.

Nor do I believe it makes any difference at all what garlic you're going to use if you crush it and freeze it. What a load. All for the convenience of people too lazy to peel a clove, I guess they're just more comfortable pealing plastic.

[chappie]

I only use garlic hand-picked in Nepal above 16,000 feet and then overnighted on only the largest of cargo planes, because the bulbs need ample space between them to prevent that insufferable crowded flavor.

But as far as raw vs. cooked in preserving, I am not sure I agree. Doesn't raw garlic contain numerous anti-bacterial compounds and enzymes that would be destroyed by heat? My instinct is that preserving raw (or lacto-fermented) would keep garlic longer than cooking. But again, I will add the disclaimer that I ain't no syintist.

Edited June 18, 2008 by chappie (log)

[Cynthia from Toppits]

You guys are funny!

Thanks for the smile....

FYI we use a Brazilian Specie of garlic...it isn't from Brazil.

I think there were some great links earlier in these posts that direct you to sites about raw garlic storage.

http://www.gourmetgarlicgardens.com/chemstry.htm

I found this a really interesting site that explained that there are over 40 different varieties of garlic and each with their own flavour and chemisty. You can even order bulbs and grow them yourself.

[SobaAddict70]

I've never understood the aversion to peeling garlic cloves.

Just take a broad bladed knife, lay it atop a clove, give it a whack with your palm and presto chango! Takes ten seconds, if that.

I'm sure there's a use for garlic cubes (like there are for chicken bouillion) but it's not something you'd ever find in my kitchen.

[Genny]

I grew up north of Gilroy and early fall mornings walking to school meant the air was filled with the smell of earthy green fresh garlic. Nostalgic!

I love garlic. I'll try some of the ideas here. One of my favorite applications is to toss in about a head of whole cloves to my braises, beef, pork, chicken...whatever it is always tastes better with the garlicky sauce.

A recent favorite is very unique: try this recipe for Candied Garlic in this Gorgonzola and Grape salad. Transcendental.

[Abra]

That's an interesting looking recipe, Genny. Do you make the whole salad, or just the garlic?

The markets here are overflowing with fresh garlic, huge bulbs of violet-tinged and pungent stuff. I wonder whether fresh garlic, with its much higher moisture content, would work in this recipe.

[Country]

I thought I'd lost the link, but just found it in an old email - and even though this thread hasn't had a post since 2002, it seems like the right place for this.

Maybe someone knows of something better, but this is the greatest demonstration of peeling, slicing, and mincing garlic I've ever seen. And he makes a paste too. Sit back and watch some fast knife action.

How to mince garlic. (You Tube.)

[Shel_B]

Toots made a cauliflower soup this evening, and when the soup was done cooking, she added raw garlic as an afterthought. Now the soup is too garlic intense. How might she subdue that intensity? Might cooking the soup some more mellow it? Perhaps cooking some potatoes in the soup as well, and then blending some more?

[andiesenji]

Cook the soup longer, at a low simmer, which will "sweeten" the garlic.

You can also freeze it (make sure it is double sealed) because freezing reduces garlic flavor significantly.

If you can use dairy, for each cup of soup add a generous tablespoon of sour cream - this is a "trick" I learned decades ago from a chef friend when I was doing some catering. (Odd that back then there was very little "lactose intolerance" or it wasn't recognized.) It saved me having to re-do a vat of broccoli-cheddar soup.

[Shel_B]

Thanks, Andiesenji - I sent your suggestions to Toots and she'll try cooking the soup further. If she follows her usual routine, she made enough to freeze a batch, so that'll be tried too, I'm sure.

[NewFoodie]

I've read recently that there are 10 "varieties" and around 70 cultivars of garlic, and I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions about any type that they considered especially good.  Thanks for any help.

[liuzhou]

Sichuan Single Headed Garlic

 

http://liuzhou.co.uk/wordpress/2012/06/01/friday-food-29-du-suan/

 

My favourite by far. Not sure how available it is in the west, though.