The Absolute Best Way To Store Green Garlic To Keep It Fresh And Crisp

Harvested young, before the bulbs even form, green garlic's vibrant exterior alone makes it fantastic for almost any dish. Sadly, between a trip home from the farmers' market and finally ending up on your plate, it's all too easy for it to lose that freshness. Contrary to popular belief, you can't always apply all the usual ways to keep garlic fresh to its younger version. What you will need, instead, is a glass of water or a damp paper towel.

Moisture is your best bet for keeping green garlic fresh and crisp long enough to elevate your dishes throughout the week. Just wrap it in a damp paper towel before placing it in a plastic bag for fridge storage (the crisper drawer should work). That said, one of the most common produce storage mistakes to avoid is rinsing it before storing, and the case also applies here. This might give the green garlic a slimy coating as well as exposing it to more bacteria, so keep it dry right until before you cook. These steps should last it for about five to seven days.

Another alternative is to keep it in a glass or container, with water covering up to a little over the white root area. This should keep it from wilting for roughly a week, although the tips might turn slightly yellow. Both the fridge and the kitchen counter are suitable for this storage method.

While it might not be a good idea to fully wash the green garlic before putting it in the fridge, there is still a way for you to clean it when prepping for storage. It starts with peeling off the outer leaves, which are usually slightly tougher and darker in color compared to the tender leaves within. Between their crevices is where dirt and impurities usually get stuck. Don't chuck the leaves into the trash just yet, however. You can still clean and use them to flavor dressings, sauces, soups, compound butter, or as a garnish, perhaps even make a green garlic purée. Once the leaves are sorted, trim off the roots at the bottom, although this won't be necessary if you decide to stick the green garlic in water.

These same steps of preparation also apply if you freeze the green garlic for even longer preservation. From there on, freeze the stalks whole and grate them into the dishes you're cooking whenever you need a quick aroma boost. Alternatively, you can slice the cleaned green garlic into tiny circles. Flash-freeze them first, then freeze them in airtight bags to use whenever you need. Finely diced, the pieces can even be frozen into cubes with ice trays with water or oil. This is the easy way to repurpose wilted herbs many often utilize, and green garlic is no different. Maybe even mix it with other chopped herbs while you're at it. Straight from the freezer, they make an amazing shortcut for whenever your soups and stews need a herby kick.