Exact Answer: Up to 3 weeks
The garlic cloves’ shelf life would depend on how the person stores the garlic cloves. The head of the garlic cloves plays important role in helping the garlic stay fresh for a long time. Once the cloves of the garlic are separated from their head, then it would not stay fresh for more than 3 weeks.
Sometimes, the garlic can stay fresh for more than 3 weeks, if they are stored in favorable conditions. The garlic cloves need a cool and dry place to get stored. The cloves of the garlic should be stored in an air-tight container. As they may get spoiled if they come in contact with moisture. The hot climatic conditions can make the clove get dry very soon.
How Long Do Garlic Cloves Last?
| Garlic Cloves | Time |
| In weeks | 3 weeks |
| In days | 21 days |
The garlic cloves would not last long if they are stored in an open container. If the cloves are not peeled, then they would last for more than 3 weeks. The peeled garlic cloves would last for around 5 to 7 days. People should also find any ventilated place where they can store the garlic cloves.
It’s not mandatory that the garlic cloves should be stored inside the fridge, but they should be kept in a cool place, not at a hot temperature area. If someone stores the peeled garlic cloves without putting them inside the sealed containers, then it would go bad in a few hours.
Sometimes, the unpeeled garlic cloves can stay fresh for around 5 weeks if they are kept at an extremely cool temperature. Garlic cloves should not be kept facing directly towards the sun. As the heat coming from the sun rays would damage the garlic cloves within a few hours.
The heat would allow the garlic to host many harmful bacteria or pathogens that can cause illness in humans. Everyone should avoid eating garlic that is gone badly. As expired garlic would cause foodborne illness that may cause many life-threatening diseases in humans.
Nobody should keep the garlic cloves with any other vegetables or citrus fruits. As the vegetables or fruits may go bad earlier than the garlic cloves. If any vegetables or fruit is expired, then it would cause the garlic cloves to go bad within 24 hours. People can also store garlic cloves in the freezer.
As the frozen garlic cloves can last for more than 1 month. Everyone should defrost garlic cloves before using them in any food dishes. The garlic cloves would spread an unpleasant smell in the whole fridge. Therefore, the person can also use a clean paper towel to cover it up, before putting it in the containers.
Why Do Garlic Cloves Last For This Long?
The lasting time of garlic cloves depends on the quality of the garlic. The person should try to find the best quality of garlic to make them last extremely long. People can also find packed garlic cloves in the markets. The shelf life of the packed garlic cloves would be mentioned in the outer packaging of the person.
The person should not use expired garlic cloves as they will cause dizziness and breathing issues. Sometimes, the garlic cloves can cause serious bacterial infections, if they are affected by dangerous bacteria. Everyone should clean the garlic clove before using it as germs may have affected the garlic cloves.
The brown spots on the garlic cloves come as a sign of spoilage. The garlic would get very dry when they are about to expire. The spicy smell of the garlic would vanish when the garlic cloves are expired.
Conclusion
The garlic cloves would last for more than 3 weeks if they are stored in a dry, dark, ventilated, and cool place. Everyone can store the garlic in any container which is free from moisture. The person should store the garlic cloves in a container that is free from germs and bacteria.
Sometimes, the garlic cloves may host viruses that would cause illness in the body of humans. Therefore, use safety storage methods to avoid the expiry of garlic cloves very early.
