I recently found myself with a huge harvest of hard neck garlic and no possible way to use it all before it began sprouting. I love garlic and cooking with garlic but even so, I knew I needed figure out how to preserve garlic.
While I’ve canned before, I’d never thought to preserve garlic like that. My brother visited us last week and was kind enough to spend a couple hours showing me how to can it.
As it turns out, it was almost ridiculously simple. It’s so simple and so effective that I wish I had learned to do it years ago.
I am so excited to have garlic ready to use now in the refrigerator and excited to share my findings with you!
This garlic tastes FRESH. If you’ve ever bought a jar of minced garlic or peeled cloves in oil or vinegar, this doesn’t resemble any of those things. I have used the preserved cloves in a couple of recipes already and the taste is exactly the same as fresh.
How to Store Garlic
Raw, dried garlic can be kept for months in a cool and dark environment. However, here in the very warm southwest, it rarely lasts over a month in my home before it sprouts. Preserving it with this easy pickling method helps keep it fresh for months.
Wondering if this method yields garlic with a pickled, vinegary taste? It doesn’t. The natural oils of the garlic prevent the vinegar from being absorbed into the cloves! Handy, right?
To use your preserved garlic, just take out the number of cloves you need, rinse quickly with water and use as desired. If you want a slight vinegar bite to the garlic, or if you are using it in a recipe that also calls for vinegar, simply use the garlic without rinsing.
I plan to try some dressings and marinades using the garlic infused vinegar once I’ve used the cloves from the jars!
Also called pickling garlic, this method is one of the most common ways to save your garlic harvest. The jars can also be processed in a hot water bath or pressure canner and then stored at room temperature.
I had enough space in my refrigerator that I decided to simply line a back shelf with my jars. I am so excited to have garden fresh garlic stored in my refrigerator for the winter!
Selecting Garlic
If you don’t grow and harvest your own garlic in a home garden, follow these tips for selecting the best and freshest heads of garlic from your farmer’s market or grocery store to use in your preserved garlic recipe:
First, look for heads of garlic without sprouting. Sprouting is an immediate indicator that the garlic is no longer fresh and not worth your money.
Next, give the garlic a quick “sniff and squeeze.” If it smells mildewy or moldy, give it a pass. That’s an almost sure indicator that the garlic has gone rotten.
Fresh garlic cloves should never be soft or squishy. A fresh head of garlic will be firm to the touch and not yield with a light squeeze.
How to Peel Garlic
Arguably the most time-consuming part of the process of preserving garlic is peeling it. Of course, you can just use your fingers and peel away but if you’re looking for a faster process or run into a stubborn clove whose skin just won’t peel, here are a few popular tricks.
One well-known way of peeling garlic cloves in a flash is by hitting the clove with the flat side of the knife. For this recipe, we want to preserve whole cloves intact so be careful not to smash your garlic if you try this method.
Many home cooks like to place their garlic cloves in a glass jar with a closed lid then vigorously shake to loosen the garlic skin. This is definitely effective but, again, just be careful you don’t smash your garlic cloves!
Using the microwave to loosen the skin before peeling could also be handy for this recipe, since we’re peeling a LOT of garlic cloves here!
Preparing Garlic
Depending on when your garlic was harvested you might notice some brown spots on the cloves. This is perfectly normal and doesn’t mean your garlic is rotten.
After rinsing once, I used a small paring knife to trim off brown spots on my garlic cloves. After all the brown spots are removed, rinse the garlic bulbs a second time and proceed with the recipe as directed.
Storing Garlic
If you use the method outlined in the recipe, you’ll need to store your jars of preserved garlic in the refrigerator to make them last. Designate one side of a shelf or a shelf on the inside of a drawer for your garlic jars. They should stay fresh for several months and even up to a year.
Sticking with this basic refrigerator canning method is by far the easiest way to preserve garlic but you can also use a traditional canning method. Following a hot water or pressure canning method with sterilized jars and lids allows you to store your preserved garlic at room temperature for up to a year or more.
How to Use Preserved Garlic
You can use your preserved garlic anywhere you’d use the fresh stuff! And believe me when I tell you it maintains all the same aromatic, flavorful goodness of a freshly harvested garlic bulb.
Sauteed garlic is a must-have for countless savory recipes. We use it in everything from Garlicky Ginger Stir-Fry for a quick and easy weeknight meal to Sauteed Zucchini Ribbons.
Preserved garlic (rinsed and patted dry) is also amazing roasted! Use it in Roasted Garlic Quinoa with Mushrooms, Roasted Garlic and Bacon Guacamole and Roasted Garlic White Bean Dip and be everyone’s new best friend.
I also love garlic as an ingredient in salad dressing, sauces, marinades and savory spreads. It’s just divine in Beer and Garlic Marinade, Mojo Marinade, and in Homemade Ranch Dressing. This Chipotle Garlic Sauce served with roasted fingerling potatoes are a garlic lovers’ dream.
True garlic fanatics NEED to try my Garlic Lover’s Potato Salad. That recipe alone is worth “putting up” a big batch of garlic so you have it on hand anytime a craving strikes.
Give preserving your own garlic a try. I guarantee you won’t be sorry! It’s an easy and money-saving way to ensure you always have garlic on hand anytime you need it.
Why Does Garlic Turn Blue
Updated 9/19/12 to answer multiple questions regarding, Why Did My Garlic Turn Blue? If your garlic does turn blue, it is still safe to eat.
This can happen when enzymes and amino acids present in garlic react with the sulfur compounds responsible for garlic’s pungent smell. I’ve seen this happen a few times now and apparently, it is fairly common.
Kitchen Tip: I use this pot and these jars when preserving garlic.
- Garlic heads broken apart and cloves peeled
- Distilled vinegar
- Large pot for boiling the vinegar
- Jars for storing the garlic
- Break apart your heads of garlic and peel the cloves. Place the peeled cloves of garlic in a large mixing bowl and fill with water. Use your fingertips to scrub any dirt off of the cloves. Once the cloves are cleaned, transfer them to a large strainer and rinse well.
- Depending on when your garlic was harvested, you might have very few brown spots on the cloves. My garlic was harvested late this year, so the ends were quite brown with some spots on the cloves as well. Use a small paring knife to trim the spots and then transfer the cleaned and trimmed cloves back to the strainer. Rinse again.
- Bring the vinegar to a boil in a large pot. For several hundred cloves of garlic, I used about 8 cups of vinegar. Place the clean garlic cloves into small jars. (I prefer to use small vs large jars to avoid contaminating a huge amount if the jar is open for too long in the refrigerator.) I filled 10 half pint jars with garlic. Once the vinegar has boiled, pour it over the garlic and screw the lids on tight.
- Let the jars come to room temperature on the counter overnight and then store in the refrigerator. This will keep in the refrigerator for up to a year. Enjoy!
{originally posted 9/14/12 – recipe notes and photos updated 12/26/18}
Gavin Keogh says
A tip for peeling garlic is to blanch the garlic in boiling water. That is to say place the cloves in boiling water for a couple of minutes then cool in cold water immediately. The skin will then slide straight off. I have also preserved garlic in brine and this works well.
Garlic turning green or blue in vinegar is common and the garlic I’d still fine to eat!