Preserving garlic

[lazy gardener]

I did a little bit of reading regarding methods of preserving garlic today. I know that drying it is an option. I read about filling the jars with peeled cloves, then covering with boiling vinegar and capping the jars. They are supposed to last a year in fridge when processed this way. The pickled cloves can also be HWB. Supposedly, if garlic is preserved in vinegar, it does not taste "pickled" if the cloves are rinsed before use. Then there is the preserving in olive oil, and either refrigerating or freezing. Caution given with that method, concern about possible food poisoning if not refrigerated immediately. I have a friend who has simply placed peeled cloves in a mason jar, and then frozen them. She says that they maintain flavor well, and are still flavorful a year later. So... given the ease, and the fact that our freezer is being cleaned out, I chose to freeze them.

GD and I spent the afternoon peeling and washing the smaller cloves. I sent her home with a small bag full. And I have 2 full pints, plus 1/2 pint in the freezer. It's a joy to look at those jars, and know the ease of simply pulling a few cloves out of the freezer as needed.

Now, here's my ? to you all. How have you preserved garlic, or have you bothered to, and what did you like or dislike about your method????????

 

[Labradors]

I tried smashing a few cloves, chopping them small, sometimes mixing them with fresh ginger when I had some, and then putting them into a baggie in the freezer. If you smush the mixture and make it nice and thin, it's easy to grab a small amount to add to cooking. A great time-saver!

 

[Zoomie]

I want to try pickling garlic but so far, when the garlic is ready, I am not. So what I did instead: I put the cloves in a big steel bowl with a good lid and shook it really hard. I had heard this would peel them and it worked!!! Then I sliced them and put them in my dehydrator. When they were really dry, I put them in my blender and powdered them. I keep the garlic powder in a glass dispenser and have been using it for over a year now and it works great.

I still want to try pickling, though. I'd also like to try pickling the scapes.

 

[garp94]

I peel and mince or crush it, then let it sit in olive oil in the fridge. I've not had a problem, and it is so nice to do it all at once and still have crushed garlic to use months later. They hold the flavor better than water. I've not compared them to garlic in vinegar. Might try that next

 

[garp94]

Aha, found it. I haven't done this yet, but plan on preserving some garlic this way this fall.
https://honest-food.net/how-to-preserve-garlic/

 

[wyoDreamer]

Thank you for the recipe, I WILL be trying this

 

[wyoDreamer]

I can't find the sherry vinegar that is called for in the recipe. Do you think that white wine vinegar would work?
Any opinions

 

[Folly's place]

I peel and freeze them in a jar, or a freezer bag. They keep for a long time and work fine .
Mary

 

[wyoDreamer]

I have cooked up the garlic following that recipe. I did not get it canned up though, hopefully tomarrow. It tastes fantastic. The garlic i used was store bought and turned out to be old and starting to sprout. I cut the garlic cloves into quarters, removing the sprouts as they tend to be bitter. Cooking the cloves down in slow heat did keep it from getting bitter. See how it turns out when i have canned it.

I wonder if freezing at this point would be a good option? with the garlic in vinegar and oil.

 

[garp94]

freezing should be fine. you've already changed the texture by cooking, and that's my usual issue with freezing plant products.

I did make the canned recipe, using apple cider vinegar. Came out nice, but a little sweet. not a surprise since you do add sugar. although next time i might try brown sugar. I haven't opened a jar yet, just used / tasted a jar that didn't stay sealed when cooling [i overfilled it ]