gfunkdave

I had a specific question but thought that, since I didn’t see a thread on garlic, I could just create a generic garlic thread.

but my question: how long does peeled garlic last in the fridge? I discovered that the Asian grocery down the street sells plastic pint containers of peeled garlic cloves. Yay! But how long will it stay good? I’ve been slowly using one from the fridge for the last month or so.

SanDiego1K

Let me add a question. We use garlic a lot. We buy a jar of chopped garlic from Costco. How much flavor do we give up by not peeling and chopping fresh garlic?

YVR Cockroach

I don't know how long it'll last (my grandmother used to keep a bigger jar of these, I peel whatever I need) but contrary to popular belief, it's all peeled by compressed air (videos from manufacturers on YT). Where it's grown, if from China, has an 1,800 year history of cultivating the stuff in the locality (ShanDong). Some French TV investigatory producer made a show about it. I'm sure they sent samples to France check for contaminants (they do that for everything not grown in France) but mentioned nothing in the show so I guess there as nothing to report.

gfunkdave

When I have bought the prechopped garlic it always tastes weak and not garlicky enough compared to fresh. Did you buy a bulb and chop it up to compare?

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Oh! This is Gfunkdave's BIG GARLIC TIP that nobody seems to know. Does garlic give you gas or a stomachache? It's actually the germ inside the garlic that upsets your stomach. Slice the clove in half lengthwise and use the tip of your knife to pry out the germ. Very fresh garlic won't have a germ but if it's been sitting (at the grocery store or on your countertop) for more than a few days it will start to develop. It starts as a fibrous growth the color of the clove but then turns green. Get rid of it and garlic won't bother your stomach anymore. It's additional work but you'll be able to enjoy garlic without the stomach upset.

This has been Gfunkdave's BIG GARLIC TIP, please resume your regularly scheduled programming now.

BamaVol

I switched to the jar of pre chopped garlic and since I don’t use it constantly, it probably lasts for months. I don't detect a weakening of strength or flavor compared to fresh or between day 1 and day 120. I also buy a bulb from time to time since some recipes call for whole cloves. Fresh garlic will last a couple months before it dehydrates and gets moldy. I do not refrigerate garlic any more than I would refrigerate an onion or a potato (until cut, anyway). They do fine in the produce basket on the hutch.

I bought a jar last week and the expiration date is 1/31/25. That’s impressive. Of course, once I open it, that date is meaningless.

StuckInYYZ

Technically it can last very long. That said, it can start to sprout depending on how you store it. Usually removing the paper stops/slows it down, but occasionally you get a mutant. Of course, if it does start sprout, then best thing to do is plant it and start becoming garlic self-sufficient.

If it's the same Kirkland chopped garlic that I'm thinking of (a sizeable jar in some sort of brine), it depends. If you strain it from the storage liquid, then you give up a lot. If you just spoon it in, you're still losing some of the intensity, but it's usable. Remember, much of the flavour is going to leech out of the garlic itself and dilute in the liquid. I keep a jar of it myself, but really for emergency purposes. It also sometimes depends on the type of garlic (Hardneck vs. Softneck). Long story short, Hardneck is better, but doesn't last as long on the shelves. Softneck is more common due to shelf-life.

JBord

I don't know the answer, and it depends on how it's stored...is it in oil or just dry garlic cloves in a plastic container? Stored in oil will last quite a while.
Better question, if you're not using a lot of it at once, why not just buy a head at a time? One quick smash with the side of a knife and the paper drops off. Or they actually sell little plastic/rubber cans where you shake the paper off and get whole heads. Assuming it's the peeling that's the problem for you.
I have to believe garlic loses potency over time.

Quite a bit in my experience. Sample it side by side. I need a lot more of the pre-chopped jarred garlic to match fresh garlic.
I should qualify this with the fact that I love garlic, and we always have 2-3 heads in our pantry. Bucket list items include the Gilroy fest and that restaurant in San Francisco where every menu item has garlic. So I may be more sensitive to the taste .

corky

I have been to Garlic festival in Gilroy many times and it is wonderful. Unfortunately they don't have it anymore. The restaurant is The Stinking Rose and I had been to the one in Beverly Hills many times and even had my birthday there once. It has closed but maybe the SF one is still going.

BamaVol

I did not know (or remember) that the festival is no more. Does that mean the dried bean festival in Tracy is also a thing of the past? I have great memories of that one. And Gilroy, of all places, is where I saw one of the two tornados I’ve witnessed.

corky

There was a shooting a couple of years ago. It was the loveliest of hometown festivals for years and raised a lot of money for local charities but of course someone had to bring a gun because it is the American way.

JBord

I didn't know that. A small town nearby me had a "Garlic Fest" last summer. We were cautiously excited, but stayed for all of about 15 minutes. Disappointing.
And yes - Stinking Rose!

PresRDC

I buy fresh garlic and use a garlic press. Brings lots of flavor and don't need to peel the bulbs. I do this in lieu of chopping garlic. My Ragu all Bolognese calls for sliced garlic. That I do by hand, trying to emulate the prison scene from Goodfellas as much as possible,

corky

Gilroy is known as the garlic capital and supplies a very big percent of the country's garlic. Miles and miles of fields and it smells wonderful.

obscure2k

I always keep Dorot garlic cubes in freezer as I don't do much cooking. This product work very well. https://dorotgardens.com/product-crushed-garlic/

LapLap

The only time I keep peeled garlic is when I peel it myself and include in a batch of jangajji (Korean slightly sweet soy sauce pickle - perfect for cauliflower stems BTW)

Problem with pickling garlic is the chance of the garlic turning blue. Even with a decent, fresh batch, I might still get a rogue clove, like Tobias Fünke in Arrested Development, determined to join the Blue Man Group. I know they’re still OK to eat, but overcoming the eww-yuck reaction makes them less enjoyable.

I wonder if pre-peeled packed garlic has less or more of a tendency to turn blue/green when pickled this way.

For the times I grate garlic I use a wasabi grater. Once done, just waive the grater under a cold running tap for a couple of seconds. Avoids the (for me) considerable downside of cleaning out a garlic press. (Muji has these kinds of stainless steel wasabi graters in their kitchen section - also useful for fresh ginger)