Ultimate Guide
FREEZING GARLIC
If you don’t have the ideal space to store garlic, your garlic may
get soft, sprout, mold, dry out or spoil.
Tired of garlic grenades lurking in your crisper drawer, plotting their inevitable sprouty rebellion? Turn those pungent pucks into flavor time bombs with the magic of freezing! Toss those papery jackets like last season's trends, separate the clove-y crew, and pack them into an airtight freezer palace. No pre-blanching or fancy spells required, just a quick chill session to lock in that garlicky goodness for up to a year! And don't be shy, get creative! Freeze them whole for quick mincing with a frosty grater, slice 'em thin for pizza night blizzards, or blitz them into a paste for instantpow! So ditch the garlic drama and embrace the frosty future – your taste buds (and sanity) will thank you!
Can I Freeze Garlic?
Yes! You can freeze garlic cloves, an entire garlic bulb, roasted garlic, chopped and minced garlic. Freezing does not destroy garlic, though freezing whole garlic cloves does change the feel and touch of these beautiful orbs; Their texture becomes more squishy. The good news is that freezing garlic has only a little effect on its flavor; Over time, garlic stored in a freezer becomes slightly less aromatic. If you don’t have the ideal space to store garlic, your garlic may get soft, sprout, dry out, mold, or spoil.
This Garlic Freezing Guide provides an overview of how to freeze garlic and what to watch out for.
Freezing is an excellent way to preserve fresh garlic at home. If you grow your own garlic crop or purchase a few pounds of garlic bulbs from a Garlic Farm, cloves may begin sprouting in late winter - before you can use it all. Freezing does not sterilize garlic; the extreme cold slows the growth of microorganisms and slows down changes that affect quality or cause spoilage in food. The quality of frozen garlic depends on many factors including the quality of the fresh garlic, the type of freezer used, the freezer's temperature, the type of storage vessel, and how they are handled from the time they are picked until they are ready to eat. It is important to start with high-quality garlic because freezing will not improve the product's quality. At our garlic farm in Montana, we grow hardneck garlic. Planted in the fall, the garlic cloves are exposed to temperatures below -30° Fahrenheit during the winter, and remain alive and full of vigor. They sprout in early spring.
Let's Talk About the Different Types of Freezers!
Chest freezers and upright freezers are the two most common types of freezers available. Both have their own advantages and disadvantages, so it's important to choose the right one for your needs.
Chest freezers
Chest freezers are typically wider and shorter than upright freezers. They also have a single door that opens from the top. Chest freezers are a good choice for people who have a lot of food to store, as they have a larger capacity than upright freezers. They're also a good choice for people who have limited space in their kitchen, as they can be stacked on top of each other.
However, chest freezers can be more difficult to access than upright freezers, as you have to bend down to reach the food inside. They're also more likely to accumulate frost on the outside, as the door is not frost-free.
Upright freezers
Upright freezers are typically narrower and taller than chest freezers. They also have two doors that open from the front. They're also more likely to accumulate frost on the inside, as the door is not frost-free. Food "burns" in the freezer when it is not properly packaged or stored. If food is not sealed tightly, it can absorb moisture from the air, which can cause it to develop freezer burn. Freezer burn is the dehydration of food that occurs when it is exposed to air.
Here is the problem. Most upright freezers are designed to be "Frost Free". Chest Freezers are not. Frost free freezers are designed to prevent ice from building up inside the freezer, which can help to keep food fresh for longer. However, there are some potential drawbacks to frost free freezers that could ruin food. Frost free freezers use a fan to circulate air around the food. This can cause the food to become dry and freezer burned.
An upright freezer can ruin foods if the temperature is not properly maintained. The temperature inside the freezer should be kept at or below 0 degrees Fahrenheit (-18 degrees Celsius). If the temperature fluctuates, the foods can become unsafe to eat. Here are some tips to prevent food from spoiling in the freezer:
-
Store meat tightly wrapped: Make sure to wrap food tightly before freezing it. This will help to prevent it from absorbing moisture from the air.
-
Label food: Label food with the date it was frozen and the type of meat it is. This will help you to keep track of what is in the freezer and how long it has been there.
-
Defrost food properly: When you are ready to defrost food, do not thaw it at room temperature. This can cause the foodto spoil. Instead, defrost food in the refrigerator or in the microwave.
Conculsion on Freezers
Chest freezers are better than upright for long term storage. Chest freezers have a lower temperature gradient, which means that the temperature inside the freezer is more consistent. This helps to prevent freezer burn and keep food fresh for longer. Chest freezers also have a larger capacity than upright freezers, which means that you can store more food. However, chest freezers are more expensive than upright freezers.
What is the Worst Way to Store Garlic?
Garlic (Allium sativum) may grow and sprout if it is stored in soil or a refrigerator. Hardneck garlic will very likely sprout if it is stored at cold temperatures and then brought into a warmer environment, such as on the countertop of your kitchen, next to a window. Garlic will probably spoil or rot if it is placed in a plastic bag or air-tight container and kept in a warm, humid environment. It will probably rot or spoil if you store it in a plastic bag in your bathtub, or hidden in a kitchen cabinet for a year. Botrytis bulb rot is a disease of both onion and garlic, as well as leek and shallot. Infection originates in the field. Blue mold garlic may be caused by several Penicillium species. These fungi are common in the soil growing on the infected animal and plant debris. Symptoms of the disease start as pale blemishes, yellow lesions, and soft spots. A blue-green mold develops on lesions. In garlic, the pathogens survive in infected cloves.
How Long will Garlic Last in the Freezer?
Stored at a temperature of 0° - 6°F, frozen garlic will last for many years. At our farm, we've stored garlic in a chest freezer for over four years. Inspect the frozen garlic every six months or so to make sure it has not spoiled. Spoiled garlic may have tan or brown spots, and may have turned brown or yellow. Garlic should not feel squishy, instead, it should be mostly firm.
We provided a friend, with two pounds of Spanish Roja hardneck garlic, and they intended to plant that garlic in the fall. That fall, she was transferred to a new job site, in a different state. She froze her garlic, and planted the cloves the following fall - at her new home. She claims the plants grew very well.
Is Garlic Flavor Lost when Stored at Low Temperature?
Researchers at the School of Biological Sciences, Liverpool, UK found that there was no statistically significant change in levels of alliin, the major flavor precursor, in cloves stored at 4 degrees C (39.2 F) for six months. Garlic (Allium sativum) cloves were stored at ambient temperature and 4 degrees C for periods up to six months. Measured by gradient High-Pressure Liquid Chromatography, there was a decline in other sulphur-containing compounds, most likely to be the peptides gamma-glutamyl allylcysteine sulphoxide and gamma-glutamyl isoallylcysteine sulphoxide. At the same time there was an increase in the flavor precursor compounds including levels of alliin, gamma glutamyl allyl cysteine sulphoxide and gamma glutamyl isoallyl cysteine sulphoxide were statistically significantly higher in outer than in inner cloves.
Use a Chest Freezer
When it comes to upright freezers vs chest freezers, chest freezers are considered the best for long-term food storage. Virtually all chest freezers do not have a self-defrost system which causes freezer burn in most upright freezers. Air doesn't circulate as much in a chest freezer, which helps prevent freezer burn. Chest (horizontal) freezers use less energy than upright freezers. The temperature in a chest freezer stays consistent. Most upright freezers have an automatic defroster which robs foods of water and results in nasty freezer burn over time. And if you lose electricity or have a blackout, the chest freezer will keep your food frozen longer than an upright.
Begin with Fresh Garlic
It is important to begin with the freshest garlic from the garden to the freezer. After harvest, allow the garlic to cure for about a month in a dry, airy spot, out of direct sunlight. Brush off any dirt and trim the roots. Don't wash the garlic. The ideal storage temperature is 33° to 45° degrees Fahrenheit and relative humidity should be around 50%. Garlic is easy to freeze and does not require significant preparation. You can freeze garlic bulbs, individually peeled or unpeeled cloves, and chopped and minced garlic. You can freeze garlic scape pesto. You can freeze cooked and processed garlic. You can also roast garlic or mix it in butter before freezing, as this can speed up meal preparation when you need garlic in your favorite dish. Regardless of what method you select for freezing the garlic, select only garlic that is firm to the touch (not soft and squishy). Cloves should be absent of blemishes, which include brown dimples, black spots, and damage from harvesting (brown spots from a nick from a shovel or spade). Toss any garlic that appears to have green-blue mold. Peeled cloves should have a crisp, light yellow-white color. Avoid cloves that are overly yellow, soft, brown or just do not look or smell right.
.
SOURCE: Research Gate. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/6979438_Effect_of_Low_Storage_Temperature_on_Some_of_the_Flavour_Precursors_in_Garlic_Allium_Sativum
How Long Will Garlic Last if it is Not in a FREEZER?
Each garlic variety appears to have a different shelf life. Some hardneck varieties might dry out, sprout, or go soft within 3 to 4 months. Other varieties can last 6 to 8 months. Storing hardneck varieties around 32 F (right at freezing temperature) allows them to last much longer. Hardneck garlic, if handled gently, and stored in a cool location, away from sunlight, should last 7-8 months. Keep in mind that if garlic is stored right at freezing temperatures, it may sprout after it is brought into a warmer environment. If you want to have garlic available throughout the year, prepare the rest of your year’s garlic harvest for freezing.
In terms of Storage Management, control diseases and insects in the field to prevent entry of "storage rot organisms". Avoid bruising and other mechanical injuries when bulbs are being harvested or transported. Should you treat bulbs with fungicide? This is only recommended in some cases. Cure garlic with dry conditions, away from sunlight and with circulating air. A healthy garlic with a well-cured neck is rarely infected with neck rot during storage. Inspect garlic and onion before storing and discard all symptomatic bulbs. If you grow your own garlic, avoid Nitrogen fertilization late in the season. Plant at the proper spacing which is 5-6 inches apart. Store bulbs under ideal conditions: 32-44°F with 60-75% relative humidity.
Set the Freezer Temperature below 0° Fahrenheit
The ideal freezer temperature (for garlic and other vegetables) is somewhere between 0° Fahrenheit and -6° Fahrenheit. According to the USDA Food Service and Inspection Service, for every five degrees Fahrenheit above zero, the recommended storage time is cut in half. Food stored above 0 Fahrenheit loses more nutrients and loses quality faster than properly frozen food. Keeping food below 0° Fahrenheit keeps food safe by slowing the movement of molecules, causing microbes to enter a dormant stage. Freezing preserves food for extended periods because it prevents the growth of microorganisms that cause both food spoilage and foodborne illness.
Freezing to 0 °F or colder inactivates microbes — bacteria, yeasts, and molds that may be present in food. Once thawed, however, these microbes can once again become active, multiplying under the right conditions to levels that can lead to foodborne illness. Since they will then grow at about the same rate as microorganisms on fresh food, you must handle thawed items as you would any perishable food. Trichina and other parasites can be destroyed by sub-zero freezing temperatures. However, very strict conditions must be met. Home freezing cannot be relied upon to destroy trichina. Thorough cooking, however, will destroy all parasites.
Select the Ideal Storage Container or Vessel
If you are freezing chopped, minced or roasted garlic, seal them in an air-tight container. If you are freezing garlic cloves or entire garlic bulbs, place them in a paper bag first, and them into an air-tight container. An air-tight container helps prevent the flavors from escaping into the freezer and prevents air and oxygen from surrounding the garlic. Garlic that is stored in an air-tight container can last up to 5X longer than traditional storage methods. Here at GroEat Farm, we've been able to preserve garlic cloves in a chest freezer for over four years.
An easy way to create an air-tight storage container is to place the garlic in a bag and seal the bag, except for the small hole where the straw is inserted. Suck as much of the air from the bag, quickly remove the straw and seal the bag. Place the garlic in the zip lock bag and seal the top, except for a small opening for a straw. Use your lungs and lips to suck the air from the bag. Recheck the entire seal lock band to make sure the bag is sealed.
Other containers suitable for freezing garlic include certain types of freezer-approved glass containers, plastic freezer containers, flexible freezer bags, and glass canning jars. Foods packed in wide-mouth jars are more accessible to remove than those packed in narrow-mouth jars. Some household containers are not recommended for freezing garlic / vegetables. The cardboard cartons that milk, ice cream, or cottage cheese come in are not moisture-vapor resistant enough. Also, non-canning jars break too easily at freezer temperatures.
Never store fresh garlic in a plastic bag, if the garlic is not stored in a freezer.
Can I Vacuum Seal Garlic in FoodSaver Bags?
When it comes to garlic preservation, is it a good idea to use a FoodSaver vacuum sealer? Garlic releases natural gases (likely CO2) which can affect the vacuum seal, and within a vacuum-sealed pouch. Garlic cloves are alive and actively respire. Cellular respiration is a process that all living things use to convert stored glucose into energy. Autotrophs (like plants) produce glucose during photosynthesis. Only foods that have been cooked at a temperature high enough to stop all respiration and enzymatic activity (to kill all living cells) should be vacuum sealed.
Clostridium botulinum only grows under certain conditions - no (or very little) oxygen. Vacuum packaging creates a no-oxygen environment. Garlic and mushrooms are low in acid and have available water. Both are grown in close contact with the soil. The likelihood of Clostridium botulinum being on the garlic and mushrooms is high. By removing the oxygen by vacuum sealing and store at room temperature, you have created a nearly perfect set of conditions for Clostridium botulinum to grow and produce toxins.
KNOWLEDGE ARTICLE (USDA.GOV)
Vacuum packaging removes air from food packages. Some pathogenic bacteria, such as Clostridium botulinum which causes deadly botulism poisoning, prefer low-oxygen environments and reproduce well in vacuum-packaged foods. Thus, perishable foods must be kept either in the refrigerator at or below 40 °F, or in the freezer at 0 °F or colder. Vacuum packaging may extend the storage time of refrigerated foods, dried foods and frozen foods, but it is not a substitute for safely processing perishable foods to be stored at room temperatures, such as canning or dehydrating. Use refrigerated, vacuum-packaged within a few days, or by the manufacturer's recommended use-by date.
** NOTES FROM OUR GARLIC FARM, EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE and OBSERVATIONS.
I had a conversation with one of the engineers at FoodSaver. FoodSaver is one of the many companies that manufacture and sell Countertop Vacuum Sealers,
Handheld Vacuum Sealers and Other Vacuum Sealers. I was told that when garlic is placed in a vacuum-sealed bag, over time, gases that are released from the garlic will "erode" the seal. As I love to experiment, I placed 5 (live and viable seed garlic) purple-striped whole garlic bulbs in a food-saver bag, and vacuum sealed the contents. I kept the vacuumed sealed bag of garlic on our kitchen countertop (it was not placed in the freezer.) For about one week, the bag was hard as a rock and each bulb was tightly sealed within this single bag. I sealed the bag in two different locations along the top. After eight days, the bag lost its seal. Interesting! If the vacuum seal erodes and is lost due to the garlic gases, is there still a risk that Clostridium botulinum will form at room temperature? What is the point of using these expensive vacuum-seal bags, not to mention the time and labor wasted in performing the vacuum sealing, if the seal will erode over time? The next test will be to place the vacuum-sealed garlic bag in the freezer to see if it loses its seal as well. Put simply, live garlic produces a natural gas that may result in a loss in the vacuum which can leave them vulnerable to becoming spoiled.
You may have noticed that retailers like Smiths, Wal-Mart and Fred Meyer sell pre-peeled garlic in small, vacuum-sealed plastic bags. Producers put 5-10 cloves of the peeled garlic in little vacuum-sealed packets. Wait! Isn't this exactly what they're not supposed to do? Is there a way to pin down the specifics on the time=danger equation here? Apparently, food processors used forced air to flush a package with a special blend of gases (in this case, probably nitrogen, carbon dioxide and others) to improve the shelf-life of the product (reduce microbial activity and/or prevent chemical degradation/loss of flavor). This special blend of gases should also keep the oxygen level above the level that would allow for Clostridium botulinum for grow.
How to Freeze Garlic
Freezing Whole Garlic Bulbs
Freezing entire garlic bulbs is easy, and, possibly the simplest and most effective method of freezing garlic. Begin with clean, solid (not squishy) full garlic bulbs that have gone through the curing process after harvest. Curing involves the process of drying garlic for about a month after harvest, away from sunlight. Use a soft brush to remove as much of the dirt from the bulb. Keep or remove the "angel-hair-like roots". Be sure not to wash the bulb in water. Place the bulbs directly into an air-tight sealed bag or wide-mouth glass canning jar. Label with the date. Carefully place the bag or jar in your freezer.
Freezing Garlic Cloves
Freezing peeled or unpeeled garlic cloves is also pretty simple. Want to simplify the meal preparation time when you’re ready to use the frozen cloves? Separating the cloves from the bulb, gets you one step closer to having the garlic ready for your meal preparation. Here at GROeat Farm, we often freeze unpeeled cloves. Begin by separating the cloves from the bulb. A bulb is like a mandarin orange and the cloves are the individual half-moon-shaped orbes that make up the garlic geoid.
There are so many ways to peel garlic cloves, though we've found the "Silicone Roller Tube" to be very effective and simple. After separating the cloves from the bulb, place the clove or cloves into the tube and gently roll between your palms or use a countertop.
You can also place unpeeled garlic cloves into a stainless steel mixing bowl. Cover the bowl with another matching bowl and shake, shake, shake. This is a very effective way to peel multiple garlic cloves.
For short-term storage, place the cloves into an air-tight seal bag, and use a straw to draw out the air and seal the bag. Seal, and label the bag or container. Be sure to label the bag with the date.
Anecdotal Evidence: "We've observed that peeled garlic cloves have a shorter shelf life (and freezer life) as compared to whole, unpeeled bulbs. It is possible the covering protecting the clove may also help prevent the clove from drying out?" - Jere Folgert, GroEat Farm. Wrapping the peeled cloves first with plastic wrap, and then with aluminum foil, and then placed in an airtight container helps the cloves retain moisture, and shriveling of the cloves is minimized. You don't need to wrap each clove individually, instead, gently wrap 6 or so, just enough for your future meal that calls for garlic. We follow this same dual-wrapping procedure (first plastic wrap followed by foil) when making black garlic.
Freezing Chopped or Minced Garlic
Freezing chopped or minced garlic requires a little more work, though the time you put into the preparation will 'save' that time after thawing the garlic and your garlic will be ready for use in your next meal. Begin by separating the cloves from the bulb and peeling the garlic cloves. What is the easiest way to mince garlic? First, crush a clove of garlic with the side blade of a large knife. Then, give it a rough chop. Next, hold your knife and lay the other hand flat across the tip. Use a rocking motion to chop the garlic until finely minced. Specialized kitchen tools are also effective in mincing or crushing the garlic. Here are a few options:
-
Aveloki Stainless Steel Garlic Rocker
-
Prepworks by Progressive Adjust-A-Slice Mandoline.
-
OXO Good Grips Soft-Handled Garlic Press.
-
Zak Designs Silicone Garlic Peeler.
-
PeakRous Shaver.
-
Joie Garlic Chopper.
After you chop and/or mince garlic, create "balls" as large as a ping pong ball, or as small as you find to be manageable. Pre-freeze the garlic bulbs for a few hours by placing the balls on a pan, cutting board, parchment paper or wax paper. Pre-freezing will harden the garlic balls and make them easier to handle and will keep them from sticking together. After the balls freeze, place them into a air-tight seal bag or zip-lock bag. Seal and freeze.
Another option is to spread the minced garlic onto parchment paper, as one continuous slab about 1/2 inch thick, then cover with plastic wrap and freeze for a few hours or until partially frozen. using a sharp knife, cut into the slab and create 1 inch x 1 inch squares. Transfer the individual squares into an airtight container such as an air-tight sealed bag or freezer bag and store in the freezer.
Try freezing chopped or minced garlic in ice cube trays. Dedicate this ice cube tray to garlic, as it will smell garlicky for a long time. Also, gently rinse the frozen cubes under running water to remove any frost or freezer burn.
Freezing Garlic in Butter
A Frozen Stash of Garlic Butter Will Be Your "Secret Advantage" in the Kitchen! Garlic and Butter are a wonderful combination. On a busy week night, If you want to skip the peeling and mincing garlic, prepare in advance a stash of frozen garlic butter. Storing this amazing combination in the freezer will preserve the garlicky flavor for a long time. What is nice here is that garlic butter can be used to make (our favorite) garlic noodles or add amazing flavor to a dish of pasta. Garlic butter can also add pizzazz and energetic flavor to ramen, spaghetti and garlic bread.
Garlic butter is essentially a compound butter. To stock, your freezer with the magical combination, begin by softening unsalted butter and then mix together chopped or minced garlic. A good ratio of garlic to butter is three or four large garlic cloves and six to eight tablespoons (1 stick) of unsalted butter. To add more flavor, try mixing in fresh or dried herbs such as oregano or parsley. Shape the compound-garlic butter into easy-to-use balls before freezing. Place the garlic butter in a zip-top bag or air-tight plastic or glass container. Another option is to fill ice cube trays with the compound butter which will allow you to use portions of little cubes of garlic butter with ease.
Freezing Roasted Garlic
Freezing Roasted Garlic is similar to freezing chopped or minced garlic. The only difference is you will need to roast the garlic in the oven first. You can roast garlic and then freeze it to preserve its savory flavor. Roast garlic in the oven, then mash it to help the roasted garlic flesh escape the papery skin. Transfer this mashed roasted garlic to parchment paper or wax paper, which you then submerge in the freezer for two to three hours. Pull it out and transfer the frozen roasted garlic to freezer-safe bags for long-term storage. Try freezing roasted garlic paste in ice cube trays. Dedicate this ice cube tray to garlic, as it will smell garlicky for a long time. Also, gently rinse the frozen cubes under running water to remove any frost or freezer burn.
How to Thaw Garlic
After removing frozen garlic cloves from the freezer, thaw garlic like you would other vegetables. One option is to thaw in the refrigerator (slower). Another option is to thaw in a bowl of water (quicker). Frozen garlic is fairly easy to cut with a sharp knife. If you are in a hurry, slice and dice frozen cloves and add them directly to your dish as it is cooking. If you are preparing a meal, there’s no need to thaw frozen chopped, roasted or pureed garlic. Add it directly into your dish from frozen, and it will melt as it cooks. After removing frozen crushed, minced or garlic-butter, thaw in the refrigerator or use directly in your meal preparation.
How to Use Frozen Garlic
After removing garlic from the freezer, thaw the garlic. Handle thawed items as you would any perishable food. After the thawing is complete, garlic can be used in virtually every way you would use fresh garlic. Garlic is most often used as a flavoring agent but can also be eaten as a vegetable. It is used to flavor many foods, such as salad dressings, vinaigrettes, marinades, sauces, vegetables, meats, soups, and stews. It is often used to make garlic butter and garlic toast. You do not need to wait for frozen garlic to thaw before placing it into a soup or stew you are assembling. Let the frozen garlic heat up with the rest of the stew and enjoy its fragrant flavors.
Dehydrate Garlic for Long Term Storage
If you have a lot of garlic and you want to keep it long term, and you do not have freezer space, another method for preserving it is by dehydrating to remove the moisture. Begin by peeling garlic cloves. Slice garlic very thin with a sharp knife or rotary food processor. Arrange the cut cloves in a dehydrator keeping air space between slices. Set the dehydrator to 110-115 degrees Fahrenheit and allow the sliced clove "rings" to dry until all of them are crispy and break easily (like a potato chip). Store the results in an airtight container in a cool, dry spot out of sunlight. Use a vacuum seal machine to store dehydrated garlic for even longer storage. And, you can always place the dehydrated garlic powder in the freezer!
Other Way to Store Garlic
Make black garlic.
