Garlic is a popular must-have in homes as it’s used for so many different reasons. Garlic is used in so many recipes—meals, bread, and dressings—and is also known for its ability to reduce the risk of heart disease by reducing cholesterol. I’m sure you’re here because you agree and want to know how long it will last.
Well, the shelf life and how long-lasting garlic is solely depends on how long and where it is actually stored. A properly stored fresh and whole garlic bulb is likely to last up to five months in the pantry and two months in the freezer.
Garlic, like other vegetables, does not really have a best before date or an expiration date. This is because its shelf life can last as long as a year or as short as a few days based on how you store it.
Also, processed garlic is likely to stay good for about a week inside the refrigerator and ten to twelve months in the freezer. This is the same thing as frozen cooked garlic.
However, minced garlic in a jar does go bad. Minced garlic in a jar actually does have a shelf life and is packaged in olive oil. It will normally last 18–24 months unopened in the pantry or about three months in the refrigerator. This mostly depends on the number of preservatives in the jar of garlic and the method of storage.
How to tell if minced garlic is bad?
- Kindly open the jar and smell the garlic. If it smells odd, then it might be that it is beginning to get spoiled.
- Minced garlic in a jar should be a nice cream color. If you notice a change in color in the liquid or garlic, then it is not as fresh anymore. Do know that garlic can mold, so do look for dark specks or the fuzzy parts.
- Lastly, try to have a taste of the garlic or its oil. It is normally supposed to taste fresh. If it doesn’t, then it might have gotten bad.
If you have any serious convictions that the garlic may have gotten spoilt, it is okay to throw away the jar and get a new one. It is better to spend a couple bucks on a fresh garlic head than use bad garlic.
Can you use old minced garlic?
Well, it depends on what you want to use the minced garlic for. If it’s for cooking, then the answer is no. Minced garlic gets bad even in the fridge after some time. It does not necessarily mean that it is rotten, but it definitely goes off and will no longer be worthy of use and cooking. Throw it away at this point.
When you taste it, the only way to know if any old minced garlic is bad is by actually tasting it. And yes, it is likely to lose some flavor, but it’s surely not going to kill you or make you sick.
An opened bottle of minced garlic is likely to last in the fridge for up to 48 hours. It will last 18 to 24 months when properly stored in the refrigerator.
Storing your minced garlic very well is vital to its shelf life, as it definitely would not last so long if not properly kept. Ensure it is stored and kept. Put it in the fridge after using it, and if you leave it out for too long, do well to smell it before you continue using it, as it might just be that it has gotten bad overtime.
What happens if you eat garlic that has gone bad?
Consuming bad garlic can easily cause botulism. Even though food-borne botulism is very rare, it can still pose fatal health risks to you.
Clostridium botulinum is the bacteria that causes botulism. It normally forms inactive spores that can actually be found in low-acid vegetables like garlic. Under certain conditions, these bacteria may become active. Low acidity and a lack of oxygen, moisture, and temperature can actually cause the development of the bacteria. It is known that garlic has a low acidity, if not
Properly stored, it can develop active toxic spores.
For emphasis, it is very important that you safeguard and properly store your garlic to prevent it from getting bad. Always check for bad or spoilt garlic if you’ve stored it in your fridge for a long period of time.
Do not just go ahead and eat them or use them to cook anything else. You might put yourself at a high risk of contracting botulism. Also, do not forget that it is better to throw away a spoilt jar of minced garlic and get another one for the sake of your health.
Does dry minced garlic go bad?
Yes, dry minced garlic does get bad and has a shelf life too. If properly stored, dry minced garlic can last up to two to three years.
To maximize the shelf life of dry minced garlic purchased in bulk and to retain flavor and potency, store them in containers with tight-fitting lids.
You might wonder if dry minced garlic can still be used after it’s past its expiry date. Well, the answer is yes, if the garlic has been well stored and kept safely over time. The “best before” date stipulated on the label of the product only signifies the producer’s estimated date of expiration, and it’s not always true. It’s just the estimated date for the product to remain at peak quality.
It is also proper to know that dried minced garlic does not actually spoil. A commercially packaged dry minced garlic will not spoil but will, however, start to lose its potency overtime. So the storage time indicated on the label is for best quality only.
Proper storage measures are to be taken very seriously if you want to prolong the shelf life of your garlic.
What color should minced garlic be?
A fresh head of garlic is supposed to look close to white and not yellow. If your garlic is beginning to have a yellow color, then it probably has begun going bad.
If you keep the whole head of your garlic unpeeled, it will last for close to six months. This is if it is properly stored, actually. A single unpeeled clove is likely to last for about three weeks, but once you take off the skin, you begin to notice that the skin starts to peel more quickly.
Individual peeled cleaves will last up to a week in the fridge, while minced garlic will last no more than a day unless it is stored and covered in olive oil, in which case it is likely to last at least two or three days. If you’re going to peel your garlic, peel the ones you’re going to use immediately. Do not peel the rest. They get bad and go to waste.
What does rotten garlic smell like?
Garlic is one of the most used vegetables for culinary or cuisine-related reasons around the world. Whole garlic does last for some time at room temperature without getting spoilt. You can always feel, smell, and examine the garlic to determine if it’s actually gone bad.
If your garlic stops giving that fresh garlic smell and instead gives a rather dull smell, then it is actually beginning to go bad and will soon degenerate into rotting.
Let’s quickly look at some signs we can easily use to notice a bad garlic.
- Look for the rotten head on the outside of the head or unpeeled cloves: if your garlic eventually gets very bad, it is likely to start showing through the skin. You may see brown or black areas on the garlic.
- Feel for mushiness through the peel; if your garlic is still good, it’s supposed to be firm and strong, just like an onion. If it feels too soft or gives way when you try to peel off a clove, then it’s probably gone bad.
- Check if there’s a yellow hue or bad spots when you peel the garlic: If you find out the presence of these things, even if the garlic looks okay from the outside, just know it is spoilt or getting bad. Normally, a fresh garlic head is supposed to be white.
- Lastly, smell your garlic: your garlic should have a strong garlic smell when it is peeled. If it doesn’t possess that garlic fresh smell, then look for any sour or vinegary smell. If it does smell this way, then just know that it is beginning to rot.
Why does my garlic taste bitter?
It is a known fact that garlic burns easily, and when it has been cooked for too long or at a temperature that is too high, it will turn bitter. Do not allow your garlic to cook for too long, as it will definitely make it start tasting bitter.