How to Freeze Garlic

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Can you freeze garlic?

Yes, absolutely! You can freeze garlic. And if you cook with garlic as much as I do, you’ll realize that freezing garlic can be such a life saver. I use garlic in a majority of my dinner recipes, especially the Lebanese dishes. Doing it in bulk saves you so much time and I’m going to share with you my easy tutorial!

It can be so tedious to peel a garlic clove or two, chop, mince or press it on a daily basis. Freezing garlic in bulk every 3-4 months makes it easy to have on hand to throw in recipes when you’re in a pinch. Yes, frozen garlic won’t have the crunchy texture of fresh garlic. But the flavor definitely stays strong and robust, and it’s way better than the jarred garlic you would find at the grocery store.

But wait, can you just refrigerate garlic? Yes, but it’s not recommended for more than 4-5 days because the flavor and texture worsen and can actually become toxic. If you find yourself with extra garlic, or if you’re trying to save time for meal prep, freezing garlic is the way to go!

How to freeze garlic

Garlic is very easy and forgiving when it comes to freezing. There are many ways to freeze garlic:

• Whole unpeeled garlic bulbs
• Individual unpeeled garlic cloves
• Individual peeled garlic cloves
• Minced garlic
• Garlic paste

Depending on your cooking needs and garlic usage, any of those methods for freezing garlic are great. The one I use mostly that I’m going to share with you is how to freeze garlic paste. But first we have to make the garlic paste.

How to make garlic paste

Peel the garlic

First, if you’re starting with fresh garlic, peel the garlic completely and remove any large green sprouts. I go to the prepared foods section of my local health store and they usually give me a large tub of freshly peeled garlic.

Remove brown stems

The garlic I buy in bulk is peeled using a machine, which is so much easier than peeling it myself. But this method leaves the brown stems on them, so I recommend using a paring knife to remove them. It should take 10-15 minutes for 5 cups of garlic.

Chop or blend in food processor

1. Use a knife to chop finely repeatedly. You make garlic paste with just a really sharp knife and flakey course salt. The salt helps speed up the chopping by breaking it down further and softening it as you chop. This method is excellent if you are preparing a small amount or don’t have a food processor.
2. Use a food processor to pulse the garlic. When preparing multiple cups of garlic like I do in bulk, I always use a food processor. There’s no need to add salt or oil, but you can if you wish. If adding salt, add 1 teaspoon for 4-5 cups of garlic cloves. If adding oil, you can use as much as ½ cup oil.

Just a minute of pulsing in the blender, and we’re in business – garlic paste! You can stop when it’s minced or continue until it looks more like a paste like I did here.

Transfer garlic to freezer safe bags

Transfer the garlic paste into small freezer safe storage bags. You can use a knife to draw lines to partition small 1 inch squares, which will be equivalent to about 1 teaspoon of garlic paste.

How to store garlic

I prefer to use ziplock storage bags for garlic because I can lay them flat in the freezer. It’s easy to peel off a chunk of what I need without having to thaw any part of it. I know a lot of people prefer not to use plastic though.

Here are some container options

• Freezer safe tupperware
• Freezer plastic bags
• Break resistant plastic containers
• Glass containers
• Well folded aluminum foil
• Ice trays

Guidelines for freezing containers

Whatever container you use, just make sure you’re freezing garlic in an air tight and moisture resistant package so that the garlic stays fresh. Some sources say you can store garlic in the freezer for up to 6 months. But I try to limit mine to 3 months for best flavor, like with anything else I freeze. Here are my suggested container guidelines.

• Air tight and moisture resistant
• Freezer safe so it doesn’t crack
• Can be written on to indicate date frozen

Tips for freezing garlic

1. Select the highest quality organic garlic you can find in the store. The more fresh and high quality the garlic is, the better flavor after freezing it. You’ll know it’s fresh because the garlic will feel firm. Make sure there are no wet spots, no green sprouts and definitely no mold anywhere.
2. Dry the garlic after peeling it and removing any sprouts or stems. Controlling the moisture helps to keep a fresh a robust flavor after frozen.
3. Use freezer safe airtight containers as mentioned above that work for you. This not only helps maintain fresh flavor and reduce any risk of freezer burn.

Frequently asked questions

You can use frozen garlic as you would fresh garlic . The garlic won’t have the same texture (it’s softer). But the flavor will still be strong. It’s a great solution for recipes when the texture of the garlic isn’t important.

I especially love using it when the garlic will be cooked, like in soups, sauces, stir-frys and stews, but you can still use in a fresh salad if you wanted.

More tutorials with garlic

• How to Peel Garlic Fast
• How to Chop and Peel Garlic
• How to Make Lebanese Garlic Sauce

Recipes with garlic

• Chicken Lemon Rice Soup
• Garlic Lemon Tuna Pasta
• Garlic Parmesan Roasted Potatoes
• Garlic Butter Shrimp Spaghetti
• Sheet Pan Salmon with Lemon and Garlic
• Shish Chicken Kabobs
• Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce
• Garlic Butter Shrimp
• Olive Oil Garlic Bread
• Okra Stew

If you’ve tried this tutorial on How to Freeze Garlic helpful, or if you’ve made any other recipe on FeelGoodFoodie, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave me a comment below! I would love to hear about your experience making it. And if you snapped some shots of it, share it with me on Instagram so I can repost on my stories!