Garlic is a really delicious ingredient that can be added to all kinds of dishes to improve flavor. This is an affordable item that keeps well before the bulb is peeled and the cloves start to be used.
Because this is such a popular ingredient in lots of cooking items, many people have to buy garlic fairly regularly and are interested in making sure that their garlic lasts for as long as possible.
Chopped garlic does not last nearly as long as garlic that is still attached to the bulb and unpeeled.
Chopped garlic will last for about a day in the fridge and might go bad after half a day when exposed to room temperature conditions.
The removal of the skin on the clove combined with access to the air is all that it usually takes to make your garlic go bad.
If you want to learn more about how long chopped garlic lasts, you need to read on!
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Ways to Keep Garlic Fresh
Now that we know that chopped garlic does not last for very long, you might be wondering how to prevent your garlic from spoiling.
The best method to keep your garlic good for a few months is to leave the bulb intact and only take individual cloves off of it as needed. When you don’t peel the cloves, they will be preserved for much longer.
Unpeeled garlic that is kept in a garlic keeper or in a cool and dark place can remain fresh and usable for as long as six months.
If you place your opened garlic bulb in the fridge, it might last for about three months unless the drawer you have placed it in gets some moisture.
The trouble with storing your garlic anywhere but in a cool and dark place is that the bulb will tend to get exposed to conditions that will make it break down faster than normal.
Chopped garlic is the most vulnerable form of this ingredient.
While it can be tempting to want to chop up all your garlic so that it is readily available when you need it, you will probably ruin all of it unless you will be using it within the next 24 hours to cook something.
How to Keep Chopped Garlic Fresh Longer
If you are worried about trying to keep your chopped garlic fresh for longer, you can consider placing it in a Tupperware container and putting it into the fridge.
This chopped garlic should last for about 24 hours before starting to go bad. That is not usually long enough to use the leftover garlic that you have saved from another recipe or to chop your garlic in advance for something you want to make later on.
You can also put some olive oil into the container with your chopped garlic and then store it in the fridge.
The oil might not be a good choice for some cooking recipes, but if the oil is not an issue for your use of the garlic, it will help keep the garlic from spoiling.
Another method that you might use to store your chopped garlic is to put it in the freezer. This is probably the only method that you might use to make your chopped garlic stay usable for longer than a day or so.
When freezing chopped garlic, make sure that it does not end up piled up at the bottom of the bag. Trapped moisture can lead to mold in this kind of situation, even in the freezer.
You should also be sure that you are sealing the chopped garlic into a freezer bag and that you have pressed all of the air out before you store your garlic.
You might be able to get as much as two months out of chopped garlic stored in the fridge, but one month is more common.
Be aware that frozen garlic will need to warm up slowly to room temperature and that it might not have the same flavor that it would if you chopped up your garlic each time you needed to use some for cooking.
There are not many ways to preserve chopped garlic, and none of them can promise that your garlic will still offer the same taste and texture afterward.
What About Pre-Chopped Garlic?
This is the most common solution that you can access if you want to have pre-chopped garlic on hand for your cooking needs.
These containers of chopped garlic are usually quite large, and the garlic is preserved in oil or water to try to make it stay fresh.
The trouble with this method of storing garlic is that once the container is opened, you will probably get about two to three months from your stored garlic.
The flavor might also not be all that great, and you will probably find that fresh garlic has a better texture as well.
Most people swear by using fresh garlic for cooking because it offers the best flavor and the best texture.
A garlic keeper is probably your best bet for keeping your garlic bulbs fresh and making sure that you do not lose all of your garlic to moisture or sprouting before you can use it for your favorite recipes.
Chopped Garlic Does Not Store Well
If you have been struggling to store chopped garlic in your home, you probably need to admit defeat.
Keeping your garlic bulbs fresh is much easier, and you will be able to simply peel off cloves and use them for meals as needed.
Trying to preserve chopped garlic is a lot of work, and you will find that it often does not survive being stored very well.
Getting a garlic keeper or storing your unused bulbs of garlic in a cool and dark place is much easier than trying to store partially-prepared garlic.
You will have access to all the garlic that you need without the struggle if you just keep the garlic bulbs in good condition.
Brianna is a self-published author with a passion for sharing her knowledge and expertise on a variety of topics with people who are looking to find the perfect items for their needs. She loves making sure that the right kind of informative content is available to people looking for the right information. She is an avid horseback rider and reader when she is not writing.
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