Teach me how to pick and store garlic

[Anonymous]

I suck at picking garlic, or I'm getting them in the wrong places. They always seem to go rancid very quickly.

Where do you get good garlic? How do your store it? How long do have to use your bulb, after bringing it home?

I used to purchase the frozen cubes until I learned where they're manufactured, and ethnically don't do that anymore. The jarred ones are gross.

[Anonymous]

I buy at MOM’s or Wegmans and just store the bulbs inside a pantry shelf. They usually last a few weeks. Choose bulbs that have firm and plump cloves. I never use the premade stuff.

[Anonymous]

The garlic in the dmv, just like all produce, can be incredibly hit and miss. Don’t be too hard on yourself. Just go to Whole Foods.

[Anonymous]

Garlic is a fall crop so it is better now than it will be next spring. Squeeze the bulb in the store to mek sure there aren't mushy or empty cloves. We store ours in a garlic jar (it has airholes) on the counter.

We also have the refrigerated tube of garlic that is sold in the produce aisle of most grocery stores. It is a good backup.

[Anonymous]

I feel like this has gotten worse. I don't remember it being a problem. Now, even if I don't go home and find it has already gone bad, it's green on the inside, which means it is very old. It still is fine to use, but still odd - I do not remember consistently buying old or rotten garlic in the past.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I feel like this has gotten worse. I don't remember it being a problem. Now, even if I don't go home and find it has already gone bad, it's green on the inside, which means it is very old. It still is fine to use, but still odd - I do not remember consistently buying old or rotten garlic in the past.

Is it exposed to ionizing radiation now, like most fruit are? It could be a new practice for garlic, and it's causing more rapid deterioration.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The garlic in the dmv, just like all produce, can be incredibly hit and miss. Don’t be too hard on yourself. Just go to Whole Foods.

I've said this for years. When we take a beach trip to NJ, we get great fresh produce. The garlic in almost all the grocery stores here is old and bitter. Fresh garlic can make or break a dish.

Whole Foods is a joke. I don't think their produce is much better. People just think there is some kind of magic dust sprinkled over everything WF that makes it healthier. In reality it is just marketing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The garlic in the dmv, just like all produce, can be incredibly hit and miss. Don’t be too hard on yourself. Just go to Whole Foods.

I've said this for years. When we take a beach trip to NJ, we get great fresh produce. The garlic in almost all the grocery stores here is old and bitter. Fresh garlic can make or break a dish.

Whole Foods is a joke. I don't think their produce is much better. People just think there is some kind of magic dust sprinkled over everything WF that makes it healthier. In reality it is just marketing.

We’re all cooks here…no one thinks Whole Foods produce has magic fairy dust. In my experience where I live, Rockville Whole Foods has a much better chance of success…like 70%. Compared to wegmans, giant and Safeway, which can be awfully frustrating and can force you drive around to multiple stores to find adequate staples like garlic, onions, basil, tomatoes, etc. like giant will have garlic but the onions and tomato’s will all be bad with flies, wegmans will have tomato’s and basil but the onions and garlic are garbage. You get my drift. That’s why I say just go to Whole Foods.

[Anonymous]

In general, I try to find the heaviest garlic in the bunch, and that has worked a little better for me lately. I agree that the quality of garlic has changed quite a bit in the last year though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The garlic in the dmv, just like all produce, can be incredibly hit and miss. Don’t be too hard on yourself. Just go to Whole Foods.

I've said this for years. When we take a beach trip to NJ, we get great fresh produce. The garlic in almost all the grocery stores here is old and bitter. Fresh garlic can make or break a dish.

Whole Foods is a joke. I don't think their produce is much better. People just think there is some kind of magic dust sprinkled over everything WF that makes it healthier. In reality it is just marketing.

We’re all cooks here…no one thinks Whole Foods produce has magic fairy dust. In my experience where I live, Rockville Whole Foods has a much better chance of success…like 70%. Compared to wegmans, giant and Safeway, which can be awfully frustrating and can force you drive around to multiple stores to find adequate staples like garlic, onions, basil, tomatoes, etc. like giant will have garlic but the onions and tomato’s will all be bad with flies, wegmans will have tomato’s and basil but the onions and garlic are garbage. You get my drift. That’s why I say just go to Whole Foods.

Agree. I've tried many supermarkets but Whole Foods really wins hands down for quality and reliability of their produce. Their supply chain is amazing. What surprises me is that WF produce is also pretty price competitive yet people still go for Giant or Safeway produce.

[Anonymous]

MOM’s has the best produce, including garlic. Whole Foods is no better than Safeway or Giant.

[Anonymous]

We get them from Safeway/giant. We are Asian so we eat a lot of garlic. Store them in room temperature. Never had an issue

[Anonymous]

I use the dehydrated stuff from Penzey's (and re-hydrate it when cooking).

[Anonymous]

Look for firm heads, no separation of cloves. Personally prefer hard stem garlic with a purple tinge.