Recipes

[Black Cat Back]

I'm a beginner when it comes to cooking and experimenting with new recipies.   I am a great baker, but never mastered the cooking aspect in the kitchen.

Tonight, I made stir fry and used garlic for the first time.    I did a so-so job of getting to the garlic and mincing it.    

I still have some of the bulb left over and am not sure how to store it.  

Can I put peeled garlic in the refrigerator and use it again?   I would appreciate advice.   

Thanks!!

[IamMrsG]

@Black Cat Back  Yes, you can cover it with vinegar and store it at room temperature. (Use them both later in a salad dressing.)  Or you can store your peeled garlic in a covered container in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks.   Whatever you do, though, do not store it covered in olive oil -- that encourages the growth of a toxic bacteria.   

Edited to add:  I forgot to mention you can freeze your peeled garlic.  

[sandraskates]

I just leave the bulb with its non-used cloves in a basket in the kitchen until I'm ready to use more of the cloves. If the cloves start to sprout I throw them out and get a new bulb.

As for leftover garlic that you've already chopped or minced up - you'll probably get differing opinions on what to do.

I recently read that garlic should not be chopped or minced until just just before you're about to use it in your recipe. Therefore I only chop up just what I'm going to use.

[Black Cat Back]

Thanks so much.

No, I'm not saving the minced garlic, just the parts of the bulb I didn't use yet.

[IamMrsG]

@Black Cat Back   Now I'm confused.  Is your remaining garlic peeled (papery skin removed)?  If so, I've addressed that.  If not, as was previously mentioned, store the still intact garlic in a dry place.  

[Black Cat Back]

No, the remaining garlic is still in paper to some point.   The cloves are still attached to one another, after I used a few in my recipe.

[jlkz]

DH does a lot of the cooking.  He has stored the unpeeled cloves in a lidded glass container in the refrigerator.  They keep quite well this way.  Agree with the poster who cautioned against covering the cloves with oil--leads to toxic bacteria situation.    ( Noticed that the store jars of minced garlic that I use for large batches of sauce contain only water, not oil. )

[novamc1]

• I always have an unpeeled whole or partial garlic bulb in my refrigerator, stored in a small, airtight container--sometimes for a couple of weeks. 
• I've not had luck leaving a new or unused portion out in the open air---it goes bad before  I can use it.  Refrigeration might rob the bulb of some flavor or quality, but I'd rather lose that than lose the whole bulb to sprouting or rot.

[RedTop]

When I use garlic bulbs in my cooking, I seperate the cloves, smash and mince what I need, then put the remaining unpeeled cloves inside a small glass jar in the refrigerator.   

[nrm]

Hot Street, you probably already know this but in case you don't I thought I'd mention that when you're sautéing garlic don't put it in hot oil. Start out at medium / high heat and let it sauté for 30 seconds or so. If it burns you'll have to throw it out. I made shrimp and linguini from the Barefoot Contessa recipe one time and the oil was too hot. Had to start over. That recipe is foolproof if the timing is right and the garlic is cooked correctly. I also use more garlic than the recipe calls for.