Garlic is like salt. Its ubiquity is absolute, which means there are only a few savory recipes that don’t name for a teaspoon right here or a tablespoon there. Its operate can be comparable: cooks all over the world often use it to make different components pop, which means it’s extra more likely to be discovered within the background of a dish so as to add depth and complexity, reasonably than shining on the forefront. After all, this isn’t all the time the case. From toum to garlic bread, there are moments when cooks need garlic to be the star. 

How a lot or how little you utilize of the bulb is irrelevant. What issues is the way you retailer it, so that you simply all the time have a clove helpful while you want it. Too many instances, I’ve peeled again the papery pores and skin to discover a mushy, blackened inside that reeks of decay. In an effort to determine the most effective storage methodology for this standard allium, I requested cooks throughout the nation for his or her recommendation. Each response I acquired included the phrases “cool,” “dry,” and “well-ventilated.” Zachary Chancey, head chef of the eating places on the Alida Lodge in Savannah, Georgia, defined it greatest: You need to mimic the “breathable surroundings of a root cellar, permitting moisture to flee whereas protecting gentle out.” And one of the simplest ways to do that in your house kitchen? A ceramic garlic keeper. 

Cormomu Garlic Storage Pod 

If heat temperatures and extra moisture are the enemies of garlic’s longevity, the within of a ceramic jar is its haven. In Cormomu’s mannequin, its cool, dry inside is punctuated with holes on the skin for optimum airflow. This fashion, the allium can thrive with out sprouting. 

Emily Susman of Emma Claire’s Kitchen additionally advisable this keeper, writing that “breathable containers are your greatest pal” on this state of affairs. (Susman famous that whereas potatoes take pleasure in an analogous surroundings, it’s greatest to maintain the 2 components separate because the duo spoils quicker when saved collectively.) Chef Josh Gadsden of Excessive Cotton in Charleston, South Carolina, added that bulbs can final for “three to 5 months” in the event that they’re saved in an surroundings like this. 

When coping with chopped garlic, the foundations change. As a substitute of protecting it in your counter, toss the remnants in an hermetic container and retailer them within the fridge. Gadsden advisable utilizing it inside per week for optimum freshness. If the scent turns into an excessive amount of, Susman instructed putting a charcoal-filled bag, like this purifying choice, contained in the fridge to assist take up the odor.  

For those who add this intelligent ceramic garlic keeper to your cart at this time, you’ll by no means be with out garlic once more. Prime members can seize it on Amazon for underneath $20. 

Store Extra Produce Savers  

Rubbermaid FreshWorks Massive Produce Storage Container 

Cole & Mason Contemporary Herb Keeper 

Freshglow FreshPaper Sheets

Stasher Reusable Silicone Stretch Lids, Set of three

Prepworks by Progressive Berry Keeper 

On the time of publishing, the worth was $19.