554880 Fri Sep 05 07:03:01 -0700 2008 15 31 Home Cooking 0 4010579 How do you preserve garlic like the jars of whole and minced garlic found at the local grocery store? • Do you dehydrate it and store it with silica gel? • Do you peel it and store it in the freezer? • Do you pickle it in vinegar and salt using a boiling water canner? • Do you make refrigerator garlic pickles? • Can you safely store garlic in oil? Fri Sep 05 07:03:01 -0700 2008 147713 speyerer 1 4012153 Storing raw garlic in olive oil can lead to botulism . . . so at least I know that one's out! You could certainly mince a big batch of garlic, measure teaspoons of it onto a cookie sheet lined w/parchment or plastic wrap, freeze it, then put the frozen teaspoons of garlic into a freezer bag for later use. Fri Sep 05 17:04:35 -0700 2008 4010579 57371 operagirl 1 4012192 You can preserve it with vinegar and salt, like pickles. We received a jar of canned garlic from my aunt last year. It was a little 4 oz. jar packed full of cloves. I left it on the shelf for a few months, a bit wary of it. Was desperate for garlic for a recipe and was out of all other forms, so finally cracked it open. The vinegar flavor was fairly mild, definitely not strong enough to overpower the garlic. The texture of the garlic was still fairly crunchy. It worked great for cooking. There are a few cloves left in the jar in my fridge, and they still look and smell fine, even after a month (okay two months) :) So it's doable, just don't know what proportions you would use. Fri Sep 05 17:25:41 -0700 2008 4010579 169557 mamapajama 1 4012400 Why would you want to preserve garlic? It's cheap, small, stores well. I guess I don't understand. Fri Sep 05 19:27:23 -0700 2008 4010579 131001 c oliver 2 4012437 I can think of one reason -- pickled garlic is delicious! I've never made it myself, but have bought jars of it in Gilroy. Garlic loses a lot of its astringency after pickling, so you can eat the still crunchy cloves straight from the jar . . . They'd probably be killer in martinis and bloody marys too! Fri Sep 05 19:47:22 -0700 2008 4012400 57371 operagirl 3 4012940 Ah, I reread OP and realize it's a two-parter. Storage AND pickling. I understand pickling. Didn't understand just the storage part. Thanks for pointing that out. Sat Sep 06 07:26:40 -0700 2008 4012437 131001 c oliver 1 4013283 We have had it at a restaurant in Mexico where they mince it, fry it in oil until brown, then store it in more oil. They serve it on top of fish but we always ask for it just as a condiment on the side. It becomes kind of candied when stored in the oil. I haven't tried it at home yet but it is really good down there! Sat Sep 06 10:52:28 -0700 2008 4010579 161922 jodymaryk 1 4013380 If you are talking about the large jars of peeled garlic found at places like Costco, after much trial and error, I've found two very good ways to handle them. 1. Put the garlic in the food processor, add just enough oil (I use olive or grape seed) to get things going, and let it process till very finely minced. Spread the mixture thinly onto a shallow baking pan with sides. Cover tightly with foil. Freeze overnight. Next day, break into big chunks and place in a plastic freezer bag. Keep frozen. It's easy to break off a small piece as you need it. 2. Put the garlic in a heavy saucepan. Cover with olive oil so the garlic is about one-fourth the total level. Simmer on low till garlic is soft and golden. Don't burn or it's bitter. Add chopped fresh parsley, Italian herbs or herbes de Provence, dried or fresh basil, oregano, marjoram, thyme, a spoon or two of Dijon mustard and onion powder, a few spoons of wine vinegar. Let cook for another 15 minutes or so. Remove from heat. Use a stick blender to incorporate the ingredients. Taste. You may want to add salt,pepper, or more herbs, mustard, or vinegar. I have also added either a bit of soy sauce or Asian fish sauce which rounds out the flavor. Sorry I cannot give exact proportions, I dump and cook till it tastes good! This idea is based on a rather pricey condiment called "GranMere's". You add a spoonful to steamed vegetables, salads, sauces, or anything that needs a little seasoning boost. Keep in the fridge. Stores for weeks and weeks. Sat Sep 06 11:41:37 -0700 2008 4010579 111345 rexsreine 1 4013982 I just roasted 9 heads of garlic and now that they are peeled, they are safely and lovingly tucked in the freezer, ready for use. It makes weekday cooking really easy. I also mince fresh ginger and store that in the freezer and freeze my pesto. YUM Sat Sep 06 16:51:11 -0700 2008 4010579 142336 rtms 2 4016318 rtms, I'm curious what you use the roasted garlic for? Not in the place of fresh, so what please? I like eating roasted garlic occasionally but not sure how I would use it in cooking. Thanks. Sun Sep 07 20:13:45 -0700 2008 4013982 131001 c oliver 3 4157923 Hi c oliver sorry for the delayed reply. i've been away. I put the garlic in everything from salad dressings, white bean garlic spread, garlic mashed pototoes, quick fried noodles, ratatouille, curried cauliflower soup, oven ribs, roast chicken. You get a hint of garlic without the harshness. I really use it instead of fresh garlic for many dishes and save my good garlic for lamb. Sat Nov 08 07:56:20 -0800 2008 4016318 142336 rtms 4 4157936 This is what I love about CH. All the ideas. I too love garlic but not always that harshness. Thanks, rtms. Sat Nov 08 08:04:56 -0800 2008 4157923 131001 c oliver 4 4158037 Another question. Do you freeze them on a baking sheet and then put in a plastic bag so they don't stick together? Sat Nov 08 09:10:21 -0800 2008 4157923 131001 c oliver 5 4165325 After finding a bargain bag of 25+ whole garlic heads @ Sam's, I just threw the whole heads in plastic zipper bags and put them in the freezer. I take them out as I need them, and break off the cloves. The only thing that appears to happen is that they turn gold and translucent. But freezing does not seem to affect the taste. Anyone have further info about freezing garlic? Good idea or bad? Tue Nov 11 13:37:06 -0800 2008 4158037 139705 mededitor 5 4166284 They are pretty dry when they're cooked. I just put them in a ziploc bag and take a clove or two out, as needed. Because of the irregular shape the cloves only make limited contact and are easy to break apart and because I love garlic, I don't mind an extra clove or two. Tue Nov 11 19:59:17 -0800 2008 4158037 142336 rtms 1 4165946 Dehydrate it. Store it whole long term and grind it into garlic powder in small batches or as you use it. Just an option. There are others up there. Tue Nov 11 17:28:06 -0800 2008 4010579 109552 garfish