# Preserve whole garlic cloves



## crabapple (Jan 1, 2012)

I left my garlic in the ground to long & the protective skin rotted away.
On some of the clove the clove skin also washes away when cleaning the bulb/cloves.
So How do you preserve unprotected garlic cloves?


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## AdmiralD7S (Dec 6, 2012)

Never thought about them being in too long...need to check mine!

If you can't save for replanting and just want garlic for cooking, I imagine you could still mince them and dry them out.


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## AdmiralD7S (Dec 6, 2012)

This intrigued me, so I started doing a little research on it. Popular opinion seems to be that as soon as the protective layer is gone, you can use them but not store them as whole cloves for very long (which may prohibit replanting in the fall).


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## AdmiralD7S (Dec 6, 2012)

crabapple said:


> I left my garlic in the ground to long & the protective skin rotted away.
> 
> On some of the clove the clove skin also washes away when cleaning the bulb/cloves.
> 
> So How do you preserve unprotected garlic cloves?


This intrigued me, so I started doing a little research on it. Popular opinion seems to be that as soon as the protective layer is gone, you can use them but not store them as whole cloves for very long (which may prohibit replanting in the fall).


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## crabapple (Jan 1, 2012)

AdmiralD7S said:


> This intrigued me, so I started doing a little research on it. Popular opinion seems to be that as soon as the protective layer is gone, you can use them but not store them as whole cloves for very long (which may prohibit replanting in the fall).


I buy new garlic from "WeGrowGarlic" every July/August to plant in the Fall.
So I do not need seed garlic, but I have bulbils/mourning stars tops from this years garlic that I will plant in the Fall, much like walking onions.
These seed like bulbils (not true garlic seeds) will become rounds.
A round is a single bulb, not cloves, it will take another year for rounds to spilt into cloves.
A few may clove the first year, but not all & they are to small for much of anything, but mincing.

http://www.wegrowgarlic.com


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## kyredneck (Aug 12, 2012)

crabapple said:


> .....How do you preserve unprotected garlic cloves?


Easy peasy. Ferment them. Been doing it for years. They'll keep >2 years in the fridge, use just like fresh garlic.


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## lilmissy0740 (Mar 7, 2011)

You can clean the cloves, put them in oil and store in frig. Put them in distilled water and store in frig. At the Mother Earth. News. Fair I took a class about storing garlic. If you are on Facebook the company is called Enon Valley, they also have a website I do believe. If you don't find the information you want let me know and I will pull my notes out and give you the exact way to store it.


Sent from my iPad using Survival Forum


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## kyredneck (Aug 12, 2012)

botulism, garlic, and oil

lacto fermented garlic cloves

"...Fred Breidt, USDA specialist, on fermented vegetables: "There has never been a documented case of foodborne illness from fermented vegetables. Risky is not a word I would use to describe vegetable fermentation."......"
Debunking the Botulism Fear

[add]

Risk of Botulism with Garlic?

"...My husband and I enjoy cooking with garlic, but keeping fresh always on hand without reverting to the chopped bottled variety was difficult. We usually take a rainy afternoon and *peel a BUNCH of garlic cloves and store them in a jar in the fridge filled with olive oil.* We love the mild nutty taste the garlic develops this way. I recently read an article that said, "*never store garlic in olive oil for this could lead to botulism*? EEK! Anyone got any insight into this? P.S. That was ALL the article said about it.

BOTULISM WARNING 
Regardless of its flavor potency, garlic is a low-acid vegetable. The pH of a clove of garlic typically ranges from 5.3 to 6.3. As with all low-acid vegetables, garlic will support the growth and subsequent toxin production of the bacterium Clostridium botulinum when given the right conditions. These conditions include improper home canning and improper preparation and storage of fresh herb and garlic-in-oil mixtures. Moisture, room temperature, lack of oxygen, and low-acid conditions all favor the growth of Clostridium botulinum. When growing, this bacterium produces an extremely potent toxin that causes the illness botulism. If untreated, death can result within a few days of consuming the toxic food. "

WHICH MEANS YOU ARE AT RISK OF GETTING SICK FROM STORING IT THE WAY YOU DO....."


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## ZoomZoom (Dec 18, 2009)

Can you clean them, put in a ziplock and freeze?


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## crabapple (Jan 1, 2012)

kyredneck said:


> botulism, garlic, and oil
> 
> lacto fermented garlic cloves
> 
> ...


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## kyredneck (Aug 12, 2012)

crabapple said:


> ....I read an article that said to soak the clean/ skinned cloves in vinegar for 24 hours to raise the acid before putting them in olive oil.
> Drain the vinegar, save for salad dressing & fill the the jar with olive oil until it cover the cloves.
> I however, would like to hear from people who do this every year & can tell me how to tweak the preserve of clean cloves.


I'd be more interested to know if there were any USDA standards/research that shows that a 24 hr soak in vinegar kills botulism spores.


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## crabapple (Jan 1, 2012)

kyredneck said:


> I'd be more interested to know if there were any USDA standards/research that shows that a 24 hr soak in vinegar kills botulism spores.


http://en.allexperts.com/q/Food-Safety-Issues-767/2012/3/garlic-botulism.htm

http://www.livestrong.com/article/485148-eating-raw-garlic-botulism/

Below is a insert from the 2nd web site.
I soap my cloves for 24 or more hours in the refrigerator starting yesterday, then I will drain small batches & cover with Oliver oil & return to the refrigerator until used up.
Thank you for bring this Issue up.

"Prevention
Eating raw garlic on its own doesn't pose a threat of botulism, since it's exposed to air. Nor does heating garlic in oil, or mixing raw garlic and oil and using it right away. To preserve garlic, you can put it in vinegar, which has a high acid content that will inhibit the growth of botulism. However, it's still best to refrigerate it, which lets it keep up to four months.) You can chop garlic and freeze it, plain or with oil. If you're mixing garlic and/or herbs with oil, make a small batch, refrigerate it and use within a week. Never store garlic with oil at room temperature, and never keep it too long in the refrigerator. Chilling the oil slows down, but doesn't entirely prevent, the growth of botulinum toxins. Better yet, use commercially prepared oils with garlic."


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## camo2460 (Feb 10, 2013)

Here's a recipe I found on line, enjoy.


Preserved Garlic

You will need a pressure canner and lots of garlic to make this recipe. I recommend that you grow your own garlic or buy it at a farmer’s market, but any garlic will work. Make this in small jars, as a few cloves go a long way in the flavor department. Half-pints are best, and don’t go larger than a pint. Using anything larger than a pint could mess up the sealing process — pressure canning recipes are designed for size and time, so changing the size of a jar can screw up the calculus. Stick to half-pints and pints.

Use the best ingredients you can. Break out a good olive oil here. It doesn’t have to be the ultra premium variety, but you will notice the difference between extra virgin and crappy processed oils. Paul Virant’s original recipe calls for champagne vinegar, which is nice, but I prefer sherry vinegar because it is darker and a bit more assertive. Malt vinegar would be another good choice. I also use more olive oil and less sugar than Paul does.

Once you make these, the garlic should store in the shelf for a year or more. Keep the jars in the fridge once you’ve opened them.



Makes 4 half pints. 


Prep Time: 10 minutes 

Cook Time: 45 minutes 
5 cups of peeled garlic cloves, about 2 pounds of whole garlic
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup sherry vinegar

__________

1.Turn your oven to 220 degrees. Place 5 half-pint jars and their lids on a baking tray in the oven. (You must use unused lids for this recipe, although the rims can be reused.) This will sterilize everything. I always put an extra jar in because yields can be variable; large garlic cloves can change things, so it’s best to be ready for extra.
2.In a large saute pan, heat the oil and cook the garlic cloves over medium heat. Sprinkle the salt over them. Cook, stirring often, until they begin to brown. This can take anywhere from 8 to 20 minutes, depending on the heat you’re using and how moist the garlic cloves are. Once they are starting to brown, mix the sugar into the pan and continue to cook until it begins to caramelize, about 2-5 minutes.
3.Add the vinegar, turn up the heat to medium-high, and cook this down for a minute or two.
4.Remove the jars from the oven. Pack the garlic and the oil and juices into the jars. Leave 1 inch of headspace. Wipe the rims of the jars and seal.
5.Put your pressure canner on your most powerful burner. Use your finger to wipe a film of oil around the inner edge of the canner, as this will help create an airtight seal; read your canner’s directions for more detail on this. Get your tap water as hot as it will go and pour enough water into the pressure canner to come up about 2 inches. Put the jars of garlic into the canner and follow its directions to seal the canner.
6.Turn the heat up to high under the pressure canner and allow it to vent for 7 minutes before setting the weight at the 10 PSI marker. Let the pressure build to 10 PSI before setting the timer. Process 10 minutes for half-pints, 20 minutes for pints. (If you are at altitude, you will need to go up to 15PSI. Follow the directions on your canner.)
7.Turn off the heat and allow the PSI to return to zero before taking the weight off the steam vent. Carefully open the canner, making sure you don’t get scalded by the steam. Left out the jars and let them cool before storing them in the pantry.


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## crabapple (Jan 1, 2012)

kyredneck said:


> I'd be more interested to know if there were any USDA standards/research that shows that a 24 hr soak in vinegar kills botulism spores.


This is what I found.

http://www.clemson.edu/extension/hgic/food/pdf/hgic3470.pdf


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## nightwing (Jul 26, 2014)

I love garlic and herbs in olive oil on toasted french bread 
so this is great I need to hit the farmers market maybe I can find some 
elephant garlic I think that is what it's called really large cloves and 
has a good flavor and I still have half pint jars left .


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## crabapple (Jan 1, 2012)

nightwing said:


> I love garlic and herbs in olive oil on toasted french bread
> so this is great I need to hit the farmers market maybe I can find some
> elephant garlic I think that is what it's called really large cloves and
> has a good flavor and I still have half pint jars left .


It is mild too, it is a leek, not a true garlic, but I have grown it for 3 years, it is easy to grow.
I have a hot garlic called Georgian Fire, from the county not the state.


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## crabapple (Jan 1, 2012)

I have garlic cloves that are still wrapped tight in the garlic bulb, but have been drink for 24 months.
What is the best way to process this garlic?


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## crabapple (Jan 1, 2012)

I am growing more elephant garlic this year.


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