What You Will Need

• Cutting board
• Serrated Knife
• Olive oil, 3/4 cup
• Slotted spoon
• Paper towel
• Plate
• Garlic may appear to be an herb used to flavor other ingredients, but it can also stand up as a main ingredient if fried. The natural bitterness in cloves is replaced by a sweet flavor when garlic is cooked. You can use fried garlic cloves as a tasty side dish or spread on bread for an appetizer.

Step 1

• Peel the papery outer layer of a garlic bulb. The bulb should be placed bottom-side up on a cutting surface. Press down with your bottom hand on the garlic bulb to separate the cloves.

Step 2

With a serrated blade, trim the roots off the cloves of garlic. With your fingers, peel off the outer skin of the clove. If you want a milder flavor, slice the cloves. Otherwise, leave them whole if bold flavor is what you are after.

Step 3

Heat 3/4 cup olive oil for every eight garlic cloves in a medium-temperature frying pan. When the oil starts to sizzle and pop at 350 degrees Fahrenheit, add the garlic cloves. Fry the cloves of garlic for two minutes.

Step 4

With a slotted teaspoon, remove the cloves when they are golden brown. The fried garlic cloves should be drained on a plate lined with paper towels.

How to Mash Garlic

What You Will Need

• Garlic cloves
• Chef’s Knife
• Cutting board
• Sea salt or Kosher salt

You can use mashed garlic in any savory dish. By mashing garlic instead of dicing or chopping it, the flavor is softer and blends better into sauces, dressings, and soups. In just a few simple steps, you can mash the garlic.

Step 1

Place a garlic clove on the cutting surface. The woody ends should be chopped off and thrown away.

Step 2

Place the flat side of the chef’s blade against the clove. Apply pressure with the heel of your hands on the side edge of the chef’s knife to make the clove splinter. This will loosen up the peel.

Step 3

Peel the garlic and throw away the peel. Chop the garlic roughly.

Step 4

Sprinkle coarse salt on top of the garlic. Press the garlic into the board using the flat side of the knife. Repeat this process until the garlic becomes a fine paste. Now you can use the mashed garlic in any recipe.

How to freeze peeled garlic cloves

What You Will Need

• Knife
• Storage jar
• Olive oil
• Food processor

Garlic can be stored in dry conditions, but freezing it can increase its shelf life. Although the thawed cloves of garlic may not be as crisp as those in dry storage, they can still be used to cook. How you freeze garlic depends on what you intend to do with it. Use garlic in oil for sauteed food and sauces. Whole garlic cloves are best for recipes that call for total or chopped.

Dry Pack Freezing

Step 1

Peel the cloves of garlic. You can leave the cloves whole or cut them into smaller pieces.

Step 2

Store the garlic cloves in a glass container. It is best to use glass freezer containers, as the aroma of the garlic cloves can alter the taste of nearby foods.

Step 3

Keep the container sealed in the freezer. The flavor of frozen garlic can last up to a year.

Oil Pack Freezing

Step 1

Mix two parts of olive oil with one piece of peeled garlic. Put the oil and garlic in a food processing machine.

Step 2

Puree the garlic to the desired consistency. Puree the garlic until it is smooth, or you can leave some chunks of garlic in the oil if that’s what you prefer.

Step 3

Pour the garlic puree into a container for freezing, leaving 1/2-inch headspace at the top. Close the container and freeze. Oil-packed garlic doesn’t freeze solid.

Tip

Garlic bulbs can be frozen whole without peeling.

If you do not have glass jars, double-wrap the garlic and store it in two freezer bags. Double-layer plastic prevents odor transfer in the freezer.

How to Make Roasted Garlic Pasta Sauce

Roasted Garlic Sauce is an easy way to add flavor to pasta, pizza, or spaghetti. This tomato-based sauce is flavored brightly with basil, sweet yellow onions, crushed red pepper flake, and roasted garlic.

Do this first since roasting garlic will take around 30 minutes. It’s easy to roast garlic if you have never done it before. The preparation only takes a few moments.

What You Will Need

• Use ramekins that can be baked in the oven or a muffin pan
• Aluminum foil
• Large saucepan
• Blender or food processor
• One head of garlic
• Divided into two tablespoons of olive oil plus two teaspoons.
• One small yellow onion diced
• 1/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes crushed
• One 28-ounce can of crushed tomatoes
• One teaspoon of salt
• Black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon
• One teaspoon of granulated Sugar
• Use two teaspoons of Italian seasoning
• Fresh basil thinly sliced, 1/2 cup

Step 1

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Remove any outer papery layers from the garlic bulb. Leave the skin of each clove intact. Slice a quarter inch from the top of each clove using a sharp knife.

Step 2

Place the garlic bulb, cut side up, into a small ramekin. Cover the garlic tips with aluminum foil and drizzle olive oil on top. Bake in a preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until the cloves are soft and easily removed from their skin.

Step 3

Prepare the tomato sauce while the garlic is roasting. Heat the remaining two tablespoons of olive oil in a medium-high pan. Add the yellow onion diced and the crushed red pepper. Sauté, stirring frequently, for 15 minutes or until the onions are soft and translucent.

Step 4

Add the crushed tomatoes, basil, Italian seasonings, Sugar, salt, and pepper. Cook on low heat until the roasted garlic is done. Add the roasted garlic, cook for five minutes, then transfer to a food processor or blender and blend until smooth. Test the seasoning by tasting and adding more basil, salt, or pepper as necessary.

Step 5

Serve the sauce hot.

How do I freeze fresh garlic or garlic bulbs?

What You Will Need

• Garlic bulbs
• Freezer bags and plastic wrap
• Knife
• Food processor
• 1 cup of peeled cloves of garlic
• Olive oil 2 cups
• Containers that seal are available in a variety of sizes.

Garlic bulbs remain fresh when stored properly. Garlic has a pH between 5.3 and 6.3, making it a low-acid vegetable. This is according to the University of California at Davis. The likelihood of botulism growing increases when garlic bulbs are stored in humid, warm places. You can prevent botulism by freezing fresh garlic, whether cloves, bulbs, or chopped pieces, for up to 9 months.

Step 1

Put the entire bulb, skin on, into a freezer bag and store it in the freezer for up to 9 months. As needed, remove individual cloves from the frozen bulb.

Step 2

Peel and chop the garlic cloves. This chopped garlic can be stored in several layers or a freezer bag.

Step 3

In a food processor, combine 1 cup of peeled garlic cloves with 2 cups of olive oil and pulse until smooth. This garlic paste can be transferred to a freezer bag or resealable jar. I store it in the freezer and scoop out as much paste as needed. This paste will not freeze solid.