Exact Answer: Up to 6 months
Garlic is renowned for its flavors and health benefits. The garlic can last for 3 to 6 months if they are stored properly. The type, quality, storage, and size of the garlic would influence the lasting time. The top-quality garlic can easily last for 2 to 6 months depending on how the person stores it.
Everyone should store the whole head of garlic as it would last longer than the garlic cloves. The peeled garlic would not last for more than 1 to 3 weeks. The unpeeled garlic cloves can stay fresh for 3 to 4 weeks if stored in cool temperature places.
The garlic should be stored in air-tight containers as moisture and heat exposure can degrade the quality of the garlic.
How Long Does Fresh Garlic Last?
| Garlic | Time |
| In months | 6 months |
| In weeks | 24 weeks |
The shelf life of the garlic would get affected by its storage. People should follow food safety storage techniques to make the garlic last for around 3 to 6 months. Everyone can also store the garlic in the freezer. People need to put the garlic in an air-tight container before storing it in the fridge.
Freezing the peeled garlic in the freezer would make it last for 4 to 6 months without any spoilage symptoms. Garlic is known for its distinctive flavors. People would see a change in the flavors and texture of the garlic if they are spoiled or about to expire.
If you are willing to store the chopped garlic, then it would not stay for more than 1 to 3 days inside the fridge. Therefore, it’s always best to not peel the garlic if you are not going to use it within 2 to 3 days. You can purchase packaged garlic from the stores. The packaged garlic may come with an expiry or best before date.
People can use the packaged garlic after the best before date if they are in good condition. The peeled garlic would not stay in good condition for a long time if they are not stored in ventilated places. The whole head of garlic can be stored in your kitchen in a dark and dry place with good ventilation.
Heat can destroy the quality of the fresh garlic. Heat would increase the chances of bacterial growth in the fresh garlic. The bacteria or pathogens present in the environment would not be able to grow in an extremely cold climate. Therefore, a fridge and freezer are the best options to make the fresh garlic last longer.
People should avoid storing the garlic facing directly towards the sun. The sunlight or ultraviolet rays would not allow the garlic to maintain its freshness. The peeled garlic if stored facing towards the sunlight would go bad in 2 to 3 hours.
Why Does Fresh Garlic Last This Long?
The garlic would start showing spoilage symptoms such as discoloration and bad smell if they are gone bad. The sprouted garlic is not going to cause any side effects for the human body. The sprouted garlic would not taste similar to the normal garlic. People should purchase good quality garlic to make it last longer.
The fresh and top-quality garlic would be white in color. If you see the garlic turning yellow, then it’s a sign that it is not in a good condition. There are many forms of garlic available in the market. The store-bought pre-minced or pre-peeled garlic would stay for around 1 week if stored in the refrigerator.
The climatic conditions would also affect the shelf life of the garlic. In summers, the hot air would not allow the garlic to last for more than 1 to 3 days at room temperature. In winters, the cool air would help the garlic to last for more than 3 to 4 days at room temperature.
Everyone should avoid peeling the garlic cloves if they are going to store them at room temperature. The outer coating of the garlic plays a vital role in keeping it fresh for a very long time. Once, the outer coating of the garlic is peeled, then it would not last for more than 2 to 4 weeks inside the fridge or freezer.
Conclusion
The lasting time of garlic would be around 6 months if stored in cool temperature places. Everyone should avoid storing the garlic in moisture-rich places. Humidity would degrade the shelf life of the garlic. Garlic would develop spoilage symptoms if they are stored with other expired or spoiled fruits and vegetables.
It’s better to store the garlic inside the fridge rather than storing it at room temperature. It’s better to not peel the garlic cloves as the exposed area of cloves would start hosting bacterial or pathogen growth.
References
- https://academic.oup.com/jn/article-abstract/131/3/951S/4687053
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/pmc1670690/
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