Freeze Whole Heads of Garlic

Believe it or not, the easiest way to peel and store garlic is to simply put it in an air-tight bag or container and put it in the freezer, the whole head unpeeled!

I was given this tip 20 years ago from a beloved, elderly neighbor who was like a grandma to me. I needed to borrow some garlic from her and was surprised when she went to her freezer, pulled out a yellow margarine container and told me to take what I needed. Looking inside, I saw she had several heads of garlic in the tub.

I was really surprised, because back then, they said you should never freeze garlic. When I questioned her on this, she waved her hand and scoffed, saying "They don't know what they're talking about!". She said she'd been freezing garlic for many years, not only to preserve it, but to make it easier to peel.

She was right! Take as many cloves as you need from the bulb, let them sit on the counter for a couple of minutes before you need them. You cut the root end off, then holding the other end of the clove, give it a gentle squeeze and the clove slides right out! I was amazed! No more sticky, garlicky fingers or mess!

I've used this method ever since and shared it with others. Last summer, while visiting my mom in Arizona, a cousin was lamenting about not ever being able to use up the wonderful garlic she grew every year. When I shared my tip, she questioned it like I did so many years ago, but agreed to try it. When I saw her this summer, she said she couldn't thank me enough for the tip, as they were still enjoying garlic from the previous summer!

*Tip: I don't use frozen garlic if I'm going to be using it raw, such as salads. While it's still good, it is slightly yellowed and a bit softer, which might detract from eating it raw but doesn't make any difference once cooked.