Garlic

How to store Garlic

Garlic should be kept in a dry and airy place to delay sprouting and the development of rot. If well dried it should keep for several months even at room temperature, though it shows an increasing tendency to sprout as spring approaches.

Prep & Cooking tips

Separate the number of cloves you need. Peel the dry outer skin by giving the clove a gentle bash with the flat side of your knife; slice off the root end and the clove should come out easily.

Finely slice or crush the peeled cloves. Garlic prefers to be cooked very gently and can be bitter if burnt.

Unpeeled cloves and whole heads can also be used; roasted or added to cooking water for root veg, potatoes and pulses.

Easy ideas

1. Roasted

For a gooey condiment that makes most things taste better, slice the top off a whole bulb (or a whole lot of bulbs), trickle with oil, wrap loosely with foil and bake at 180°C/Gas 4 for an hour. Squeeze out the soft, golden flesh to use in salsas, salad dressings or as a sweet, mellow ketchup for roasted veg, meat or fish.

2. Raw

Add a small amount of crushed raw garlic to salad dressings or towards the very end of cooking for a fully flavoured outcome. Try this recipe for roasted broccoli with garlic and chilli.

Goes well with

Butter

Chilli

Fresh herbs

Ginger

Mediterranean and Asian cuisine

Most meat and fish

Nearly all veg