Freezing garlic, storage period, and 5 recipes! [Explanation with photos! ]

Have you ever had the experience of putting garlic in the crisper, but when you take it out to use it, you find mold at the bottom?

Speaking of garlic, it is an ingredient that can be found in vegetable stores all year round, and you may have the impression that it can be stored for a reasonable period of time without any special treatment.

It is true that garlic is an ingredient that can be stored at room temperature, but in reality, certain conditions must be met in order to store it properly.

The conditions are ``a well-ventilated place out of sunlight'' and ``a low humidity.''​

It would be fine if you could find a space under the eaves where the sun doesn't shine, but this may be difficult depending on the household (some people don't have the space in the first place, or are concerned about the smell or appearance).

In times like these, we would like you to take advantage of the `` freezing method for preserving garlic'' that we will introduce today.

In addition to specific storage methods, storage periods, and thawing methods, the second half of the article also includes easy recipes using frozen garlic.

Please refer to this as well.

Advantages of freezing garlic

You can save time by doing the preparation in advance.

When freezing garlic, you can shorten the cooking time by cutting it in advance according to the intended use.

If you store the garlic as it was when you bought it, when you want to use it, it will take 5 to 10 minutes just to prepare the garlic, peeling it and chopping it.

However, if you complete this process before freezing, you can finish cooking faster.

What's more, by pre-processing several garlic cloves at once, you can save time for the next few weeks with just one effort.

The kitchen and refrigerator no longer smell

When you peel or chop garlic, a strong garlic smell will fill your kitchen or living room.

You may have also experienced that when you store food in the refrigerator, it gradually starts to smell, and the smell transfers to other foods.

Freezing preserves alleviating these problems.

If you prepare the food in advance, wrap it in plastic wrap, and place it in a freezer bag, there will be little odor in the freezer.

Also, since the preparation has already been done, you can reduce the smell that wafts through the room every time you use garlic in cooking.

Can be stored without changing color

This is effective when grated garlic, but freezing grated garlic can prevent it from discoloring.

When you grate garlic, it is whitish-yellow at first, but if you leave it for a few hours, it turns bright green.

This is a phenomenon where the components of garlic change and oxidize when grated, but it doesn't look very good.

This happens a few hours after grating it, but you can prevent this discoloration by freezing it immediately after grinding it.

How to freeze garlic

Once the skin is removed, garlic can be sliced, chopped, or frozen in a variety of ways.

No matter which method you use, the shelf life remains the same, so please choose the method according to your cooking purpose.

When freezing one piece at a time

1) Remove the thin skin and break it up one by one. If there is any moisture, wipe it off.

2) Wrap it in plastic wrap, put it in a freezer bag, remove as much air as possible, and freeze.

When slicing and freezing

1) Remove the skin and thinly slice the garlic.

2) Wrap it in plastic wrap and place it in a freezer bag, removing as much air as possible before storing.

When chopped and frozen

1) Remove the thin skin and chop the garlic.

2) Divide into plastic wrap according to the amount that can be used up, and store each wrap in a freezer bag. At this time, remove as much air as possible and save.

When grated and frozen

1) Remove the thin skin and grate the garlic.

2) Divide into plastic wrap according to the amount that can be used up, and store each wrap in a freezer bag. At this time, remove as much air as possible and save.

*It is convenient to make it thin and flat as shown in the photo, so you can fold only the amount you need when you use it.
*Over time, the yellow garlic will turn green. The key is to freeze it as soon as possible after rubbing it.

How to thaw garlic and how long to store it

How to thaw garlic

There are two ways to thaw frozen garlic. Either let it thaw naturally in the refrigerator or use it for cooking while frozen.

This is the same whether you freeze it in pieces, slice it, chop it, or grate it.

One point of advice is to use it frozen if you want to add it to stir-fries, or to thaw it in the refrigerator if you want to make sauces.

Storage period of garlic

Garlic frozen using any method has a shelf life of 2 to 3 weeks.

Once this period is exceeded, the food will not become inedible immediately, but the texture and flavor will deteriorate, so please use it up as soon as possible.

>> 3 points to keep in mind when preserving vegetables

A nutritionist explains! About the nutrition of garlic

What is allicin?
Allicin is the source of garlic's aroma. It has effects such as preventing cancer and blood clots, antioxidant effects, and sterilization. Furthermore, allicin increases the absorption of vitamin B₁, which increases carbohydrate metabolism and can be expected to have a fatigue recovery effect.

Ingredient points
Garlic has a high bactericidal effect, aroma, and pungency, but on the other hand, it can cause gastrointestinal damage. By heating it, the spiciness will soften and the stimulation will weaken.

There are also pungent white or green buds inside the garlic cloves. This is difficult to digest and tends to burn when cooking, so be careful when removing it.

Garlic odor countermeasures
It's delicious and I want to eat a lot. However, you may feel reluctant to eat it because of bad breath.

Cooking in low-temperature oil absorbs the nutrients from garlic while eliminating its odor.

また、食事終わりに、臭い消しに効く梅干し、緑茶などタンニンの含まれるものや牛乳、りんごなどを摂ると少しは軽減できます☝

Nutritionist Ruri

Obtained nutritionist qualifications from Toita Women's Junior College and graduated from the same university. After graduating from Kyorin University, she also obtained a qualification as a food hygiene manager. Currently at DayBreak Co., Ltd., she oversees various food freezing research and writing informative content about food. Her hobbies are traveling and hula dancing.

5 easy recipes using frozen garlic

Classic side dish, spinach and bacon stir-fried with garlic

☑材料（2人分）
・ほうれん草　　1束
・ベーコン　　2枚
・にんにく　　1片
・オリーブオイル　　大さじ1
・塩・こしょう　　少々

<How to make>
1) Use frozen bacon cut into strips, spinach into easy-to-eat pieces, and minced garlic (you can defrost them naturally or use them frozen).

2) Add olive oil and garlic to a frying pan and heat over low heat.

3) When the garlic smells, add bacon and fry over medium heat.

4) Once the bacon is cooked, add the spinach and once the oil is distributed, season with salt and pepper and it's done.

You can also add shimeji mushrooms or sprinkle with grated cheese if you like.

Simple yet authentic peperoncino

☑材料（2人分）
・パスタ　　150g
・にんにく　 1片
・オリーブオイル　　大さじ1
・乾燥パセリ　　適量
・とうがらし　　1本
・塩・こしょう　　少々

<How to make>
1) Use frozen garlic that has been chopped or thinly sliced (you can thaw it naturally or use it frozen).

2) Break the chili pepper in half and remove the seeds. Also, boil water and boil the pasta (adjust the cooking time to suit the pasta).

3) Add olive oil and garlic to a frying pan and heat over medium heat.

4) When the garlic smells, reduce the heat to low and add the parsley and chili pepper.

5) Add 1-2 ladles of pasta water and simmer over medium heat until thickened.

6) Remove the garlic and parsley from the frying pan, add the drained pasta in their place, and mix with the sauce.

7) Season with salt and pepper and it's done (please sprinkle with parsley or garnish with chili peppers if you like).

If you feel that the sauce in (5) is not enough, try adding some boiled water to adjust the sauce. If you don't have a certain amount of sauce, the pasta may burn, so keep that in mind.

Super easy broccoli with garlic oil

Source: https://cookpad.com/recipe/2809424

☑材料（2人分）
・ブロッコリー １個
・とうがらし　　2本
・にんにく　　大さじ2
・塩　　小さじ1/4
・こしょう　　少々
・オリーブオイル　　大さじ4

<How to make>
1) Use finely chopped garlic (you can thaw it naturally or use it frozen). Cut the broccoli into bite-sized pieces, heat in the microwave for 3 minutes, and sprinkle with salt (not listed).

2) Remove the seeds from the chili pepper and cut into small pieces.

3) Stir-fry garlic, chili pepper, salt and pepper in olive oil, and when it smells nice, pour it over the broccoli from (1) and it's done.

Get an extra chili pepper, remove the seeds, and garnish to make the green of the broccoli stand out against the red of the chili pepper.

Garlic toast to give you energy for breakfast

☑材料（1人分）
・トースト　　1枚
・おろしにんにく　　大さじ1
・バター　　大さじ1
・塩こしょう　　適量

<How to make>
1) Use grated garlic and thaw it naturally.

2) Spread butter and grated garlic on a toaster and fry, checking the doneness.

3) Once baked, sprinkle with salt and pepper.

If you use French bread for your toast, it will instantly create a cafe-like atmosphere. You can also sprinkle some parsley if you like.

Just mix! homemade yakiniku sauce

☑材料（保存用）
・しょうゆ　　1/2カップ
・みりん　　1/2カップ
・酒　　1/2カップ
・砂糖　　大さじ1
・ごま油　　大さじ1
・にんにく　　1片
・しょうが　　1片

<How to make>
1)Use thinly sliced, minced, or grated garlic before defrosting it naturally. Grate the ginger.

2) Mix all the ingredients and let stand in a pot for about 1 minute to complete.

Try doubling or halving the amount of each to suit your taste.

Conclusion

So, how about freezing garlic?

As I mentioned at the beginning, garlic is an ingredient that can be stored at room temperature, but with some extra effort, it can be frozen.

What's more, if you cut or grate it before freezing it, you can shorten the cooking time.

I recommend buying 5 to 10 garlic cloves in bulk, cutting them into pieces, slicing them, and freezing them in bulk, as this will save you time.

If you don't have the space to store garlic, or if you're worried that the humidity will cause mold to grow on your garlic, please try this method.

>> Click here for how to freeze meat

>> Click here for how to freeze fish

>> Click here for other ways to freeze vegetables