How To Store Roasted Garlic Overnight and For Few Days

Roasted garlic is a delicious seasoning that can enhance the flavor of many foods. While it is easy to make roasted garlic, the process of roasting garlic can be time-consuming. That’s why many people choose to roast a bunch one time, then store the rest for later use. If you are wondering how to store roasted garlic, then here is a simple trick for you:

To store the roasted garlic overnight place it in a Ziplock bag with olive oil and put it in the refrigerator. Make sure to keep the cloves inside the protective outer peel. Avoid storing roasted garlic at room temperature because it causes botulism bacteria.

From this, it can last for up to three days in the fridge before going bad. You will notice that your roasted garlic has gone bad if it becomes brown, mushy, and smells rotten. Another way is to cover the garlic with oil and store it in a sealed canister in the fridge.

How To Store Roasted Garlic

If you are fond of using roasted garlic in your recipe, having them in bulk is a good idea so that you have a continuous supply of it. Storing garlic is easy, and there are different ways to do it:

Using oil

This technique is applicable if you will be using roasted garlic within 2 weeks. If you want to know how to store roasted garlic in olive oil, then follow these steps:

1. Place cooled, peeled the roasted garlic cloves in an airtight container, then pour enough olive oil over the top to completely cover all of the cloves.
2. Pop the lid on and put the container in the refrigerator. These roasted cloves can stay good for about two weeks in the fridge.

Olive oil is a natural preservative that helps prevent the garlic from spoiling by isolating it from the air. Think of it as a way to seal the roasted garlic, because it can delay oxidation, deterioration, and molding.

Remember:

Do not leave oil-covered garlic out at room temperature, as this can be a perfect breeding ground for botulism-causing bacteria. The low acidity, warm temperatures, and absence of oxygen can create favorable conditions for bacteria to grow.

In the freezer

For long-term storage, storing the roasted garlic in the freezer is the best possible solution. Here are the steps on how to store roasted garlic in the freezer.

1. Once the roasted garlic has cooled, simply peel off the papery skin. Arrange the garlic cloves on a baking sheet, then freeze.
2. Once frozen, you can transfer the gloves to a freezer-safe container or bag, then freeze.

You can take out as many cloves as you need at a time, then leave the frozen roasted garlic at room temperature to thaw before using.

Alternatively, here is another way to store roasted garlic in the freezer:

1. Hold the head of the garlic on the bottom, un-cut side, then squeeze upwards with your fingers so that the roasted cloves will begin to pop out.
2. Try to hold the garlic heads over the plate or other clean surfaces while you are squeezing the cloves out.
3. Mash the cloves and put them in an ice cube tray. This is a great way to make easy-to-use cubes of roasted garlic that you can just pop out for later use.
4. Once the cubes have frozen, you can pop them out and put them all in a Ziplock bag together.

Using this method, you should be able to store your roasted garlic for up to 10 to 12 months in the freezer. Frozen cooked garlic tends to have a longer shelf life than frozen raw garlic.

How To Roast Garlic?

Roasted garlic seems indulgent, but it is really just garlic with a little bit of olive oil. To roast garlic, here is the best way to do it:

Slice off the top of the cloves

If we don’t expose the cloves, they will burst through the papery skins and burn. And we don’t want that to happen.

Drizzle with some olive oil

The oil increases the surface temperature of anything it touches that can lead to more caramelization. It also helps in preventing the garlic from drying out, so that it stays soft and spreadable.

Enclose the garlic

Garlic may burn in dry, high heat, so we want to provide an environment that keeps it evenly heated and protected from other elements. Most recipes suggest wrapping the garlic in foil.

Roast the garlic until it turns golden and soft

The deeper the color of the garlic, the deeper the flavor. Roasting can take anywhere from 40 to 70 minutes. There are many factors that can affect here, such as the length of time, size of the garlic, quantity, freshness, the amount of oil used, and the roasting time.

Allow the garlic to cool

The garlic will be blazing hot out of the oven, so let it cool for about ten minutes before you touch it. Do not leave the roasted garlic at room temperature, because the garlic in oil stored at room temperature can provide an ideal environment for Clostridium botulinum to grow and produce toxins.

You may also try this alternative way to roast your garlic. Here are the steps to follow:

1. Cut the cloves open on one end to allow room for expansion, then toss them in oil and roast them inside a saucepan.
2. Using oven mitts, carefully shake the pan every ten minutes to cook the cloves evenly. Set the timer at 20 to 40 minutes in the oven. Keep in mind that small cloves will finish faster, so you need to remove those from the pan sooner than the rest.

Uses Of Roasted Garlic

• Smear it onto bread or crackers. You can top it off with some flaky salt or make roasted garlic bread.
• To make compound butter. Smash the garlic cloves to make a paste with a fork and stir in room-temperature butter. Season with salt and then put it in the fridge and use it up within four days.
• Add it to your favorite recipes. Savory recipes that are creamy or taste like garlic are the best choices. Think of baked potatoes with sour cream or tomato-based pasta dishes or soups, and dips and sauces, like hummus and tahini sauce.

Tip: When replacing raw garlic with roasted garlic, add more roasted garlic since the flavor is more mellow.

Roasted garlic recipe

Source: Cookie+Kate

Ingredients:

• 1 or more heads of garlic
• 1 to 2 teaspoons of extra virgin olive oil

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Hold each head of garlic from the base and carefully slice off the top, exposing the garlic cloves. You may need to peel off some of the outer papery material to see better. You may use a paring knife to cut off the tops of the cloves on the sides. Repeat for additional heads of garlic as needed.
2. Place the garlic bulb in a stainless steel saucepan or skillet with an oven-safe lid. Drizzle each bulb with 1 to 2 teaspoons of olive oil, enough to coat the exposed tops. You may use your fingers to rub the oil to reach the bottom of the pan.
3. Cover your pan and bake for 40 to 70 minutes, then check every 10 minutes. After 40 minutes, the heads will turn nicely golden and are soft enough to easily pierce through with a paring knife.
4. Allow the roasted garlic to cool for at least 10 minutes, or until you can safely touch them. To release the cloves, use a fork or grapefruit spoon or you can just gently squeeze them from the base.
5. Use your roasted garlic immediately or you can refrigerate them for up to 4 days, or you can freeze them for several months. Do not leave them at room temperature.