Garlic grows well throughout the Northwest and is an essential flavoring ingredient in many cuisines. Home cooks may be familiar with garlic stored in braids or in mesh bags, but there are several other methods for preserving garlic for use throughout the year.
Varieties
Gardeners often divide varieties of garlic into two main families: softneck (Allium sativum var. sativum) and hardneck (Allium sativum var. ophioscorodon). Softneck garlics generally produce smaller, more numerous cloves, and the main stem of the plant is soft enough after curing to allow for braiding. Hardneck garlics generally produce fewer and larger cloves, as well as an edible floral stem (“scape”) that can be cut and enjoyed in the late spring. Elephant garlic (Alliusm ampeloprasum) is not a true garlic, but instead is a relative of the leek that produces large and mild-flavored cloves.
Harvest
Garlic for storage and preservation may be harvested after the bulbs have reached a desirable size and the tops have begun to dry, usually in mid-summer. Lift the bulbs carefully with a trowel or spade and hang the plant to dry for a week or more, protecting it from direct sun and from rough handling. The garlic is “cured,” or ready for storage, when the skin becomes papery. Clip off the tops and roots (1 inch from the bulb) or leave the plants intact and braid the stems of softneck varieties together. Handle garlic very gently. Garlic deteriorates very rapidly if bruised.
Storage
Garlic may be stored in mesh bags, slatted crates, or hung in braided ropes or bunches from the rafters. Any cool, well-ventilated place will do for storage through the winter months. In very cold areas the bulbs should be protected from freezing. The ideal storage temperature is 32o-38oF. at less than 70% humidity. Garlic will sprout fastest between 40o-60oF. In the right conditions, softneck garlic will store for up to 9 months, and hardneck varieties will store for up to 6 months.
Freezing
Freezing garlic is an easy way to preserve its flavor and simplify your meal preparation for the future. Garlic can be frozen in three ways:
- Grind or chop the garlic, wrap it tightly, and freeze. To use, just grate or break off the amount you need.
- Freeze the garlic unpeeled and just remove cloves as you need them.
- Peel the cloves and puree them with oil in a blender or food processor, using two parts oil to one part garlic. Freeze immediately and do not hold at room temperature. The puree will stay soft enough in the freezer to scrape out parts to use in sautéing.
Note: All garlic placed in the freezer should be tightly wrapped or the strong garlic flavor will penetrate other foods in the freezer.
Garlic stored in oil
Take care to use safe methods when storing garlic in oil. Garlic is a low acid vegetable, and when stored improperly in oil, Clostridium botulinum bacteria can grow and produce potentially fatal toxins. Raw, untreated garlic should not be stored in oil at room temperature. There are two safe methods for storing garlic in oil.
- Cold storage: For short term storage, peeled garlic cloves may be submerged in oil and stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Storage at refrigerator temperatures for longer than four days could potentially allow for Clostridium botulinum growth. For longer term storage, garlic cloves in oil may be frozen.
- Acidification: Garlic may be acidified before submerging it in oil to prevent the growth of harmful bacteria. To acidify:
- Pour 2 cups of warm water into a mixing bowl and add 1 level Tablespoon of granular citric acid. Stir to dissolve the citric acid completely.
- Peel and coarsely chop 8 ounces of garlic cloves so that no piece is wider than ¼-inch in any direction.
- Place chopped garlic into the acid solution and stir gently. Cover and hold at room temperature for 24 hours.
- After 24 hours, drain the acidified garlic and add to oil at a ratio to your taste.
- Store at room temperature or in the refrigerator Follow directions in PNW 664 Making Garlic and Herb-Infused Oils at Home for proper ratios of acid to garlic and store the garlic-in-oil at room temperature or in cold storage to preserve the flavor of the oil for longer.
Source: PNW 664 Making Garlic-and Herb-Infused Oils at Home
Garlic stored in wine or vinegar
Peeled garlic cloves may be submerged in undiluted wine or vinegar and then stored in the refrigerator. The acidic environment of the wine or vinegar prevents the growth of Clostridium botulinum bacteria, and the garlic can be used as long as there is no sign of mold growth or yeast on the surface of the wine. Both the garlic-flavored wine and the garlic may be used. Do not store the garlic wine mixture at room temperature because it will rapidly develop mold growth.
Source: UCANR Publication 8568 Garlic: Safe Methods to Store, Preserve, and Enjoy
Drying garlic
Garlic can be dried and made into garlic powder and garlic salt. For drying select only fresh, firm garlic cloves with no bruises. Separate and peel the cloves. Small cloves can be sliced in half and large cloves should be sliced in ¼ inch slices. Place garlic on drying trays and dry at 140oF. for 2-3 hours or until the garlic is crisp.
To make garlic powder, place the dried garlic into a blender and blend until fine.
To make garlic salt, add 4 parts of salt to 1 part garlic powder and blend only a second or two. If you blend longer, the salt will be too fine and will cake. Store the powder and salt in a closed container in a dark, dry place.
Canning garlic
Garlic is a low acid food that would require the extreme heat of a pressure canner to process safely as a plain, unacidified vegetable. Pressure canning processing times have not been developed for plain garlic because it loses its flavor when heated in this way.
