Storing Minced Garlic: Easy Homemade Method and Freezing Tips
How to Make Minced Garlic at Home & Optimal Freezing and Storage Techniques
Making your own minced garlic in bulk is incredibly convenient as it allows for long-term storage and portion control, making your cooking process much smoother. Let me show you the best way to do it!
Ingredients- Peeled garlic cloves
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
First, purchase fresh peeled garlic cloves from your local grocery store. You can usually find a good amount for under $3.
Step 2
It’s essential to trim off the hard stem ends of the garlic cloves. While you’re at it, carefully cut away any bruised or discolored parts of the garlic to ensure the best flavor and longevity.
Step 3
Once all the tough ends and blemishes are removed, thoroughly rinse the garlic cloves under running water. After rinsing, it’s crucial to dry them completely. Pat them dry with paper towels, and if possible, let them air dry until no moisture remains. This prevents spoilage during storage.
Step 4
Now, it’s time to mince the garlic. While you can use a knife, a food processor or blender will make this task much quicker and easier. Blend the garlic until it reaches a fine, consistent mince.
Step 5
Transfer the finely minced garlic into a resealable plastic bag. To make portioning easier later, flatten the garlic inside the bag into an even layer. You can use a spatula or a rolling pin for this.
Step 6
Using a chopstick or the back of a knife, draw lines across the flattened garlic to score it into bite-sized portions. You’ll be creating a cube-like grid pattern, which makes it easy to break off individual servings later.
Step 7
Continue scoring the garlic to divide it into the desired number of portions. This scoring technique is key to easily separating the frozen garlic later.
Step 8
Place the scored bag of minced garlic into the freezer. Allow it to freeze solid for at least 6 hours, or until firm enough to break apart easily. You can check it after a few hours and break off portions if needed.
Step 9
Once frozen, break off the individual garlic cubes along the scored lines. Now, you can simply grab a cube (or as many as you need) from the freezer and add it directly to your cooking. This method ensures you always have fresh, readily available minced garlic for all your culinary creations!
