You've been storing garlic wrong as experts share worst place to keep it

Garlic Clove Cutting Board.
-Credit: (Image: Getty)


It's safe to say that garlic is one of the most important ingredients in the kitchen for many people.

From soups and pasta dishes to sauces and dressings, a few cloves of garlic can go a long way in adding an extra flavour punch to your cooking. But the way you store it could be affecting its flavour.

According to research by Cornell University, "storing fresh garlic in the fridge is generally not a good idea”.

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As for why, Sur La Table chef Richard Temples explained on Martha Stewart’s site: “The cold temperature in the fridge mimics autumn to garlic, and causes it to sprout within a couple [of] weeks. Sprouts are edible but can have a bitter flavour."

In this case, it's just the taste that's affected, but if you've made garlic confit or oil, it can actually be dangerous to store it in the fridge. Lifting the lid on the grim science behind garlic storage, researchers shared: “This is because garlic bulbs are low-acidity, making them prone to Clostridium botulinum, better known as the culprit behind botulism".

Garlic shouldn't be stored in the fridge
Garlic shouldn't be stored in the fridge -Credit:Getty Images/iStockphoto

When it comes to where you should keep the ingredient, research says garlic bulbs are best stored in temperatures of around 15.5C to 18C. They should be stored away from direct sunlight inside anything that lets the garlic breathe a little, like a paper bag, mesh container or wire basket.

Garlic isn't the only ingredient you may have been storing in the wrong place. If you keep your cooking oil conveniently beside the hob, we've got some bad news for you.

Experts at gut health company ZOE say it's one of the worst places to keep cooking oil because of fluctuating temperatures and light exposure. Speaking on ZOE's podcast, Elizabeth Berger, a distributor of fine olive oils, said: "You want to keep it where the temperature is constant.

"So away from the stove, away from a window where the temperature will fluctuate quite a lot. If you can keep it, you could always keep it in a cupboard, perhaps where you keep your salt and pepper and that sort of thing."

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