Freeze Garlic for Later Use

Garlic flavor is most intense shortly after cutting or chopping. Once garlic is cooked, garlic flavor can not develop.  This is why roasted garlic is sweet rather than pungent.

Garlic is a low-acid vegetable. As with all low-acid vegetables, improper home canning, improper storage, or preparation of fresh garlic-in-oil mixtures can lead to production of the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. 

Select garlic heads that are firm and tight skinned.  Home grown garlic must be allowed to mature after harvest.  Spread the harvested garlic heads or bulbs on newspapers or wire racks out of direct sunlight in a well-ventilated place to cure for 2 to 3 weeks or until skins are papery.

Storage.  Garlic is best stored at 32°F (0°C). Most home refrigerators are too warm to store garlic very long. Instead, store it in a cool, dry, well-ventilated place in well-ventilated containers such as mesh bags. Storage life is 3 to 5 months under cool (60°F/16°C), dry, dark conditions.

Freezing garlic
Garlic is best frozen in wide mouth freezer jars.  Plastic containers and freezer bags tend to allow the garlic aroma to flavor other frozen foods like ice cream, meat, and entrees.

1. Chop the garlic, wrap it tightly in a glass freezer jar, and freeze. To use, grate or break off the amount needed. OR

2. Freeze the garlic unpeeled and remove cloves as needed. OR

3. Peel the cloves and puree them with oil in a blender or food processor using 2 parts oil to 1 part garlic. The puree will stay soft enough in the freezer to scrape out parts to use in sautéing.  Freeze this mixture immediately.  Do not store it at room temperature.  The combination of the low-acid garlic, the exclusion of air (by mixing with oil), and room-temperature storage can support the growth of Clostridium botulinum.
    

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