Garlic, one of the commonly used vegetables, is very popular due to its ability to add flavor to any cooked food. Though it is applied in very small amount, the health benefits, offered by garlic, are also quite significant. You perhaps like to buy garlic in huge amount so that you can use them for many days.
But, you may have a question in your mind – Can garlic be stored for a long time? Or, will it be rotten over time? The shelf life of this vegetable depends mainly on how you have stored garlic.
Learn the ways of storing garlic
A garlic bulb, if left out, needs to be placed under the right temperature (15°C or 60°F) in some dry place. Moreover, make certain it is not kept in contact with direct sunrays. Your pantry is possibly the suitable site to preserve all garlic bulbs that you have bought. It is to be remembered that if they are kept in warm conditions, it may lessen its time for storage. When you have planned to put them inside the fridge, the vegetable will perhaps sprout quite fast, and if it sprouts, you must cut the shoots so that the garlic may stay fine.
As soon as your garlic bulbs get separated, each of the cloves (that are not peeled) may be stored under normal temperature. However, keep in mind that shelf life of garlic is not much long. While you have sliced the vegetable, you must not place it in the fridge. The cloves, if opened or peeled, it leads to the reduction of storage time considerably.
In fact, there are some more techniques, through which you may attempt to store garlic bulbs properly for an extensive time period. One of these methods is to freeze the vegetable. You may freeze it with different approaches, for example, it is a good idea to freeze garlic butter for preserving the garlic for longer time.
Again, there is another good option that may help you in storing garlic. A mesh bag or wire mesh bin, paper container or some paper-made egg carton can be used for storing garlic. But, keep away from plastic bags or some closed pots, which do not allow air to pass. These blocked containers may generate an amount of moisture and then cause all those garlic bulbs to worsen quickly or also lead to mold.
If your aim is to use garlic only to have health benefits, rather than to get flavor, then it is better to purchase old garlic extract or supplements of garlic oil. There are, however, some controversies, regarding the storage of garlic bulbs in oil, because placing garlic-filled oil under room temperature may lead to the development of bacteria that may cause a serious disease, called as botulism. But, when this garlic oil is preserved inside your freezer, you may not face the possibility of bacterial growth. To securely store this garlic oil, you may peel separate cloves of garlic and fully dip them in oil, kept in plastic container or glass jar. Firmly close the container by means of a cap and put into freezer. Apply a spoon for taking out garlic, whenever needed.
On the other hand, you may also prepare a pulp of garlic along with olive oil. You have to mix striped cloves as well as olive oil by means of a blending machine. Then, keep this pulp to a container, covering it tightly with lid; place it in your freezer. Such process is very suitable for all cooking purposes, because oil will not the pulp from getting frozen. Thus, it may be extracted out and put on pan.
Be careful if you buy garlic from store
When you are buying some garlic bulbs from a store, there are some things that you have to remember. Think of the amount of garlic you need presently so that you can buy them accordingly. Moreover, it is also essential to know the date of expiration, stated on garlic that is packaged. When you need a huge amount of garlic every day, it is not a problem.
However, while you are not able to use all of them in the right time, you may have waste of money. Many of the stores are likely to remove the garlic packages, which are very close to expiry date. Still, while paying for garlic that is not packaged, you have to see whether there any soft spot or stain.
Find out any decayed garlic
Possibly, the simplest way in which you may determine the rotten or decayed garlic is with the observation of its appearance. While your garlic is in bad condition, its color can turn out to be brown. The cloves may also transform into yellowish color from the white condition. In addition to it, the bulbs will also appear to be usually mushy, and these are the main signs that indicate the poor condition of garlic. If the smell or look of garlic also gets modified, you may be certain that your garlic has to be discarded. Another thing that is to be verified by you is the flavor of garlic. The taste seems to be little sharper; though some users do not bother it, others may do. It is only an issue of individual preferences.
When you are going to pee the cloves on your own, you have to search for some black spots or indentations on those cloves prior to taking off the skins. Throw away the cloves if they are not good. It may save much time in your kitchen room. Besides make sure that all rotten garlic pieces have not become blended accidentally with the good ones while you chop up or squash the garlic.
It can concluded that though cooking something with garlic cloves is a good means to boost up recipes, you have to be careful about the rancid garlic. Do not forget to confirm the expiration dates and quality of any garlic. Besides, store it rightly so that you may not have wastage of money.