I love garlic. So I never hesitate to buy the gigantic buckets of peeled garlic cloves every time I get the chance at Sams. When I started buying the bulk garlic, I couldn’t use it fast enough before it started to go bad. Now that I know how to use it I am getting the most for my money! Instead of buying that pre-chopped garlic packed in God knows what, use your food processor and a little olive oil and make your own! It stores in your fridge beautifully, and makes it so easy to have minced garlic for your recipes. I also roast batches of the garlic cloves in foil and freeze it off in batches. That way when I need roasted garlic (and let’s be honest, when don’t I?) I can pull a bag out of the freezer and toss it in any recipe!

I’m all about saving money, eating less preservatives and quick help at dinner time. These really aren’t recipes, more directions for preparation, so adjust as needed! 🙂

Chopped Garlic

In a food processor pulse garlic until minced, move garlic to storage container, leaving about 1/2 inch from top of jar. Top with about 1/2 inch of olive oil and seal tightly. This will last about 2-3 weeks in the fridge. I add a little more oil when I am about half way down the jar to help keep the garlic moist.

1 teaspoon of chopped garlic = 1 garlic clove (approximate)

Roasted Garlic Cloves

Preheat oven to 400. Place garlic cloves on a large sheet of aluminum foil. Drizzle with olive oil to moisten the cloves. Fold up sides of foil to form a sealed pouch. Place on baking sheet and roast for 20-30 minutes until garlic is golden and soft.

Store in an airtight container in the fridge. To freeze, place in a freezer safe bag. I store mine in small snack size bags so I can have small portions, inside a freezer bag and freeze.