lots of garlic...

[jp1]

So, our CSA has given us about 15 bulbs of garlic over the past couple of weeks. I love garlic, but...

Is there a way to store it longterm? Can I peel it, put it through the press and then put it in a jar of oil, like the stuff we buy at the store which lasts quite a long time?

Any thoughts will be much appreciated.

[Kestra]

I just keep mine in the fridge and it seems to keep for months and months - never had it go bad. I've had the same issue with my organic delivery with lots of garlic and I can't remember which bulbs are newer or older. But I never had quite that much at once. There's probably a good way to freeze it, too. Maybe minced first? Not sure.

[iris lily]

You could mince it and freeze it.

bub, the bulbs do keep a long time.

Some years ago DH grew garlic, and the bulbs were very small and very potent, and they burned my fingers when I cleaned them. I asked him not to grow any more of it.
We use a lot of garlic but it's not expensive to buy.I stay away from Elephant garlic because it's too bland.

[puglogic]

Be cautious when trying to preserve garlic in oil yourself: http://www.gourmetgarlicgardens.com/pickle.htm#anchorgarlicinoil

Seriously, the bulbs, if you keep good air circulation around them, will keep for many many weeks, and their flavor will develop. If you really want to preserve, try some of the tips on this page: http://www.gourmetgarlicgardens.com/pickle.htm

[jp1]

After I posted this I did some digging and found several sites that were concerned about preserving in oil, so I won't do that. I know that garlic is cheap, so if it goes to waste it's not the end of the world, but I work every week to try and use everything we get from the CSA. I tend to view it as a challenge of sorts.

Right now all the garlic is just sitting out on the counter and we're using it as fast as we can, which is reasonably fast since generally we LOVE garlic... And like Iris mentioned, it's seriously the most potent garlic I've ever experienced. As someone who loves garlic I consider this not just a good thing but a GREAT thing.

Maybe I'll offer a bulb or two to coworkers just to try and lessen the amount we have and then keep working on using it up with every meal.

[ApatheticNoMore]

If you just put the whole bulbs in the freezer they'll last awhile (several months at least). The cloves occasionally get brown spots from this, I just cut the brown spots off and use the rest (it's not rot or mold or anything). I started doing this accidentally when I was trying to prevent the food moths that sometimes travel with garlic. It worked for that too.

Another alternative would be to make a sauce that is very rich in garlic and freeze any excess, that will lasts months too (garlic is probably a natural antioxidant = preservative).

[Kevin]

I grow hardneck varieties of garlic, planted in late October and harvested the following July. I allow it to dry for a week or so on the bench in the greenhouse, and then it keeps perfectly well in a cool, dry larder until at least the end of the year, and sometimes into the following spring. Presumably your CSA grew this himself/herself?

Does your garlic have dry skin and stalks, with cloves that are hard and plump? If so, I'd say it's probably good for larder storage without any special treatment. Supermarket garlic, in this country at least, has usually been kept in cold storage, so when you bring it home it tends not to last very long because it thinks it is spring and starts growing. Home grown garlic doesn't have that problem, although of course it won't last for ever.

[puglogic]

jp1, bear in mind that, if the CSA grew the garlic themselves, you're not going to get this windfall of garlic consistently. This may be "it," and if you don't keep all you can, you may be regretting it come December and January :) Our hardneck garlic traditionally lasts until at least late winter the following year when stored in a cool spot....and it's a good thing, as we go through about a head a week all year round, if not more. Enjoy your bounty!

[libby]

I oven roast large amounts of garlic then store in the freezer. To roast them separate the clove but do not peel. Coat with oil and put in casserole or roaster. Bake at 375 covered about one hour. Cool and package for freezing. To use them I microwave for a few seconds then just squeeze the garlic out. Very yummy stuff!

[jp1]

It's definitely not like store bought garlic. It's more like what Kevin describes, so perhaps it will last a long time. And, yeah, this is probably all we'll get, since I don't remember getting any at all last year. As long as it'll keep for a while I'll just hang onto it and use it. I can put it in our storage room down in the basement. It's cool and dark down there.

[Kevin]

If you have a bit of ground to spare you could plant some cloves and grow your own next year. Use the biggest, plumpest bulbs, break them into cloves and push them into the soil pointy end up, so they are covered. You can put them in rows about 4 inches apart, or just poke them between other things around the garden. Hardneck varieties are planted in the autumn, so I always try to remember to do it on Halloween, so I don't forget. The next summer you should be rewarded with one bulb for every clove you planted.