Garlic is something you often buy by the bulb but use one or two cloves at a time. Stored well, a dry whole bulb can remain useful for a good while. Stored badly, it can sprout, turn rubbery, develop mould or become unpleasantly soft before you've reached the last clove.
The right method depends on whether garlic is whole, separated into cloves, peeled or chopped. The Royal Horticultural Society advises storing dried homegrown garlic in a cool, dry, airy position after curing. For ordinary shopping, similar conditions are a good starting point.
Choose a firm, sound bulb
Look for bulbs that feel reasonably solid with dry outer wrappers. A few loose papery layers are normal, but widespread softness, visible mould and wet areas are warnings.
A bulb with several exposed cloves because its wrapper has broken may not keep as well as one whose skin is intact. Use it sooner.
Large bulbs aren't necessarily better than small ones. Different varieties have different clove sizes and flavours, and a small firm bulb can be excellent.
If you notice a rotten smell or damp decay while shopping, leave that garlic behind rather than assuming the outer layers will protect the rest.
Keep whole bulbs cool, dry and ventilated
A suitable pantry basket or ventilated cupboard is usually better than a warm, sealed plastic bag. The bulb should be protected from moisture while air can circulate around it.
Avoid placing garlic immediately above a steaming kettle or close to a cooker. Extra humidity and heat can encourage deterioration.
A little mesh bag is convenient, but an open dry bowl in a suitable cupboard can also work. There's no need to buy a special ceramic garlic pot if you already have a suitable storage place.
Don't keep garlic in direct sunlight on a window shelf. The temperature may fluctuate and shorten its useful life.
Is the refrigerator a good place for whole garlic?
The RHS describes cool dry storage for cured garlic rather than a damp refrigerator drawer. Whole bulbs generally keep more consistently in a dry ventilated location.
A refrigerator is more appropriate for certain prepared ingredients, but putting whole cured bulbs in a humid environment may encourage changes you don't want.
If your kitchen is extremely warm, look for a cooler dry cupboard or purchase smaller quantities more frequently.
Avoid moving bulbs repeatedly between cold and warm areas, where condensation can develop on the surface.
Don't peel all the cloves in advance
The papery wrappers protect the cloves from drying and damage. Keep cloves attached to the bulb until you need them where possible.
Once you pull the bulb apart, the individual cloves are more exposed to air. They may still keep for a period if their skins remain intact, but check them more frequently.
Peeled cloves require different handling and generally keep for a shorter time. Store them appropriately chilled if you are preparing them in advance.
The simplest way to avoid waste is to peel the number of cloves a recipe needs, not an entire month's supply on Sunday.
What if the garlic begins sprouting?
A small green shoot can appear even when the rest of a firm clove is still suitable for cooking. The flavour may become sharper or slightly bitter.
Split the clove and inspect it. If the centre has begun growing but the remainder is sound, you can remove the shoot if your recipe calls for a milder result.
A soft, wet, mouldy clove is different and should be discarded. Don't assume every colour change is harmless merely because garlic sometimes sprouts.
If bulbs repeatedly sprout in storage, check whether the cupboard is too warm or whether you've kept them longer than suits their variety.
Homegrown garlic needs curing
After harvesting, garlic contains moisture in the stems and outer layers. The RHS recommends drying the harvested bulbs in a warm, dry, ventilated place before long-term storage.
Leave enough foliage and stems attached as instructed by the growing method. Spread the bulbs so air can circulate rather than piling them into a damp bucket.
Once the outer wrappers are properly dry, brush away loose soil and trim according to the cultivation guidance. Avoid washing harvested storage bulbs and putting them away wet.
Damaged or poorly cured bulbs are better used promptly instead of mixed into a large winter store.
Should you put garlic in oil?
Do not store homemade raw garlic in oil at room temperature. Garlic submerged in oil can create conditions favourable to Clostridium botulinum, which causes botulism.
Oregon State University Extension recommends refrigerating untreated garlic-in-oil mixtures at 4°C or below for no more than four days, or freezing them for longer storage.
Do not assume that adding ordinary kitchen herbs or a small squeeze of lemon makes a homemade mixture shelf-stable.
Commercial bottled garlic products are made using specific processing methods; follow their printed storage instructions instead of treating them like a homemade jar.
Freezing garlic for cooking
Garlic can be frozen for later use. Oregon State University Extension describes freezing unpeeled cloves or chopped garlic in tightly wrapped packaging.
You can freeze individual cloves, or chop and portion garlic so you can add a small amount directly to a pan.
Keep the packages tightly sealed. Garlic has a strong odour that can affect other freezer items if the bag is left open.
After thawing, the texture may be softer. That is generally fine for sauces, stews and other cooked meals where a crisp raw clove is not the goal.
Handling peeled garlic hygienically
If you prepare peeled cloves for a recipe later the same day, use a clean knife, board and food-safe container.
Keep prepared cloves refrigerated appropriately rather than allowing them to sit indefinitely in a warm kitchen, particularly if mixed with other ingredients.
Use a clean utensil when removing cloves from storage. Avoid adding new prepared cloves to an old container without cleaning it first.
A strong garlic smell isn't by itself evidence that a product is safe; look at the full storage history and signs of spoilage.
Black garlic and ordinary spoiled garlic
Commercial black garlic is produced by a controlled ageing process that changes its colour and flavour. It isn't the same thing as an ordinary clove that has become black in a cupboard.
Do not attempt to create black garlic by leaving ordinary bulbs in uncontrolled warm storage and hoping for the best.
If an everyday clove turns dark and develops a rotten texture or smell, discard it. A kitchen cupboard is for storing cured garlic, not inventing a fermentation method.
For a particular speciality product, follow its manufacturer instructions and storage requirements.
A straightforward garlic routine
Keep whole sound bulbs dry, away from heat and with good ventilation. Break off only the cloves you need.
Use sprouting bulbs sooner, discard spoiled ones and freeze surplus garlic for cooked dishes if necessary.
If you grow your own, cure the harvest thoroughly before storing it. Most garlic problems are easier to prevent with dry storage and sensible quantities than to fix after the cloves have deteriorated.
Sources checked
Royal Horticultural Society: garlic growing and storage and Oregon State University Extension: preserving garlic.