Using Up a Tub of Garlic Before It Expires: Can I Freeze It?

[chefann]

I loathe peeling garlic, and I am making the Creamy One Pot Pasta at 2 shows this weekend (today and tomorrow). While I was at Costco this morning, I picked up a tub of whole peeled garlic cloves. Hooray!

Unfortunately, it's ginormous. I was already planning to make the Microwave White Chicken Chili in October, so I know I can use a bunch more of it before the expiration date (Oct. 15 - and I dug through the display to find one with the "best" expiration date). There's no way I'm going to use it all before the date, especially considering the wasteland that's my current October schedule.

Anyone know if I can freeze the garlic? The tub says "keep refrigerated," and there's nothing on it that says NOT to freeze. (I did check already on epicurious.com and didn't find anything.)

 

[Ginger428]

Freezing won't work, the cloves get weird & when they defrost they are mushy...on a lighter note, I've bought those from Costco mant times & they last a long time in the fridge. I would say at least a few months...HTH

 

[chefann]

Freezing won't work, the cloves get weird & when they defrost they are mushy...on a lighter note, I've bought those from Costco mant times & they last a long time in the fridge. I would say at least a few months...HTH

Thanks. I'll see how long they last in the fridge.

If I'm going to use them for the chili, it wouldn't matter if they got a little mushy, since they get mashed up after roasting anyway. And that's exactly what I figured would happen if I froze them.

 

[Hathery]

This link http://cecalaveras.ucdavis.edu/garlic.htm might be helpful to you

 

[AnnieBee]

Could you roast a whole lot and then freeze it once roasted? (Maybe that was in the garlic link, haven't had a chance to read it yet...).

 

[lacychef]

You know, I hate peeling & slicing it too.....so I just use the garlic press for this recipe.

 

[ilovepc]

You know, I hate peeling & slicing it too.....so I just use the garlic press for this recipe.

Me too. Garlic press beats slicing it anyday! :thumbup:

 

[chefann]

This link http://cecalaveras.ucdavis.edu/garlic.htm might be helpful to you

Thank you!!

 

[chefjeanine]

I loathe peeling garlic, and I am making the Creamy One Pot Pasta at 2 shows this weekend (today and tomorrow). While I was at Costco this morning, I picked up a tub of whole peeled garlic cloves.

Anyone know if I can freeze the garlic? The tub says "keep refrigerated," and there's nothing on it that says NOT to freeze. (I did check already on epicurious.com and didn't find anything.)

I don't know if it makes a difference because it's been peeled, but I freeze garlic all the time (I only keep it in my freezer). I don't peel the cloves but I break the head into the individual cloves and put them in a freezer bag. I've never had any problem with using them later.

 

[LeslieSGI]

We had a giant jar of garlic cloves from Sam's that were left from a chili cook off event that would have gone to waste.
I washed them and put them in a 13*9 baking pan with a drizzling of olive oil and covered the pan with foil and baked slowly (250 degrees maybe) for about 45 minutes to an hour or so as I recall. Anyway, you know they are done when they are a light to medium brown and soft and smushy. I let them cool and then put the cloves and the juice/oil in tightly covered jars (recycled old salsa jars) and stored them in the refrigerator.
We use them in all sorts of recipes including mashed potatoes, spread on bread or boboli pizzas, etc. It is a sweet roasted garlic and everyone is amazed that I made it so easily. Give that a try.​

 

[ChefBeckyD]

We had a giant jar of garlic cloves from Sam's that were left from a chili cook off event that would have gone to waste.
I washed them and put them in a 13*9 baking pan with a drizzling of olive oil and covered the pan with foil and baked slowly (250 degrees maybe) for about 45 minutes to an hour or so as I recall. Anyway, you know they are done when they are a light to medium brown and soft and smushy. I let them cool and then put the cloves and the juice/oil in tightly covered jars (recycled old salsa jars) and stored them in the refrigerator.
We use them in all sorts of recipes including mashed potatoes, spread on bread or boboli pizzas, etc. It is a sweet roasted garlic and everyone is amazed that I made it so easily. Give that a try.​

Oh my - that sounds so delicious!

 

[Ginger428]

We had a giant jar of garlic cloves from Sam's that were left from a chili cook off event that would have gone to waste.
I washed them and put them in a 13*9 baking pan with a drizzling of olive oil and covered the pan with foil and baked slowly (250 degrees maybe) for about 45 minutes to an hour or so as I recall. Anyway, you know they are done when they are a light to medium brown and soft and smushy. I let them cool and then put the cloves and the juice/oil in tightly covered jars (recycled old salsa jars) and stored them in the refrigerator.
We use them in all sorts of recipes including mashed potatoes, spread on bread or boboli pizzas, etc. It is a sweet roasted garlic and everyone is amazed that I made it so easily. Give that a try.​

Geeez...I'm dying now for some garlic bread!!!

 

[lauradahl]

I actually did a bridal shower some time back where my host (a small caterer) had her garlic in the freezer and pulled it out to thaw and we used it in the Clubhosue Chicken Squares. Couldn't tell a difference. I have not done it myself, I tend to use it before it goes bad, but I've seen it done!

 

[aksusan]

I always buy fresh garlic, break the heads apart into individual cloves and store them in the freezer in a plastic freezer bag. They last in there for quite a long time. When you're ready to use them I just take them out and let them sit on the counter for a few minutes before putting them in the garlic press. I've found that they actually squeeze through a little easier (I've got arthritis and sometimes it's hard to get the unfrozen cloves to go through easily). Anyway, the cloves in the freezer is with the skins still on, but I've also had some in there where the skin just comes off and they're fine too. I would think if you freeze them individually on a sheet pan and then pop them in a freezer bag they should be fine. You're going to be pressing them or chopping them up when they come out anyway so the texture might not matter that much.
Got a little wordy, hope it made sense.

 

[zmom58]

The link above about garlic contains a lot of great, useful information. Be sure to read it when you have time! I have also heard that the jarred prepared garlic in the produce dept. has short expiration dates because it turns to formaldahyde afer a time. Don't know if that's true, so it's best to use fresh!
Deb

 

[jkinak]

I keep garlic in the freezer all the time in a ziploc bag. You know where I heard this tip about five years ago?? AT A PAMPERED CHEF PARTY!!!

 

[PamperChefCarol]

I loathe peeling garlic, and I am making the Creamy One Pot Pasta at 2 shows this weekend (today and tomorrow). While I was at Costco this morning, I picked up a tub of whole peeled garlic cloves. Hooray!

Unfortunately, it's ginormous. I was already planning to make the Microwave White Chicken Chili in October, so I know I can use a bunch more of it before the expiration date (Oct. 15 - and I dug through the display to find one with the "best" expiration date). There's no way I'm going to use it all before the date, especially considering the wasteland that's my current October schedule.

Anyone know if I can freeze the garlic? The tub says "keep refrigerated," and there's nothing on it that says NOT to freeze. (I did check already on epicurious.com and didn't find anything.)

Anne.. whatever possessed you to get the giant tub??? Our garlic press presses the garlic with the skin still on. Personally, I peel my garlic before I press it ( a quick smash with the santuko knife to loosen the skin and it's off), but even when I don't the garlic press works great. Plus a bulb of garlic is so much more manageable.

You could make one of of those 40 cloves of garlic chicken recipes.

 

[chefann]

Anne.. whatever possessed you to get the giant tub??? Our garlic press presses the garlic with the skin still on. Personally, I peel my garlic before I press it ( a quick smash with the santuko knife to loosen the skin and it's off), but even when I don't the garlic press works great. Plus a bulb of garlic is so much more manageable.

You could make one of of those 40 cloves of garlic chicken recipes.

I got the tub because the One Pot Pasta calls for slicing peeled garlic. That gives a different flavor than pressing the garlic, as there is less cell damage than pressing.

 

[PamperChefCarol]

I got the tub because the One Pot Pasta calls for slicing peeled garlic. That gives a different flavor than pressing the garlic, as there is less cell damage than pressing.

I am totally with you on the flavor differences, but the thought of you and the giant tub was humorous to me. Had you not got the tub, I would have said ask your hostess to "help" and peel the garlic for you. This would work great with the interactive format. Which, BTW, I haven't been able to incorporate into my shows. All of my guests just want to be entertained, and they want me to do it.

 

[chefann]

OMG! It is just not my day! :grumpy:After discovering water in the basement in the area where we have cabinets stored for our eventual remodel, I started making dinner. We're having the Micro Chicken Chili, so I can use some of the garlic. (Well, it's also yummy, and makes good leftovers for me to pack in DH's lunch.)I forgot to cover the batter bowl with the garlic in it, and burned it. It's black, crispy and stinky. :yuck: The second batch turned out better, since I remembered to put a piece of saran on top of the bowl (I don't know where the lids are for my batter bowls). It takes a lot less time peeled than whole heads.

 

[GourmetGirl]

Ann I am so sorry you are having such a crappy day! I think you need to treat yourself to something yummy for dessert!

 

[chefann]

Oh, definitely. There's a carton of ice cream in the freezer with my name on it.

 

[GourmetGirl]

Good! and to indulge your day even more I say eat it strait from the carton with a big spoon

 

[jrstephens]

to put a piece of saran on top of the bowl (I don't know where the lids are for my batter bowls).

Would you like for me to order you a replacement part?