Can You Freeze Garlic?

Hello [Greeting]

Thank you for joining us in the mini series about garlic and how it can provide you with 
health benefits. Today we are going to answer a very common question we get asked 
about preserving garlic – can it be frozen?


Can Garlic Be Frozen?

Yes, it definitely can! And you can freeze garlic in a variety of different ways. You can 
put the entire whole bulb of garlic in the freezer without peeling it, you can remove 
cloves and peel or unpeel before freezing, and you can chop or mince it before freezing. 

As you will see below, a good way to freeze your garlic if you want to chop or mince 
your garlic cloves before freezing, is to freeze them in oil. But this should only be done if 
you intend to freeze it.


Freezing is Ideal for Garlic-Infused Oil

Not only is it possible to freeze garlic to preserve, but when you make your own garlic-
infused oil using minced garlic, freezing is actually recommended by the USDA. The 
reason for this is because if you store garlic-infused oil at room temperature or just in 
the refrigerator, it could potentially produce botulism toxins and bacteria. This is usually 
only true in the garlic is minced ahead of time and put into oil. If you plan to go this 
route, make the oil, then pour it into an ice cube tray. Each frozen garlic oil cube can be 
removed for cooking as needed.

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