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    Home » Recipes » Vegetable Prep Hacks

    Freezing Garlic: How to Preserve Minced Garlic

    Modified: Dec 11, 2024 · Published: Aug 8, 2019 by Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN · This post may contain affiliate links · 9 Comments

    254 shares
    Jump to Recipe Print

    Learn all about freezing garlic 101 with this ultimate meal prep hack! It’s a great way to keep minced garlic on hand for easy cooking on busy nights.

    freezing garlic pin

    This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, see my affiliate disclosure.

    Are you a garlic lover like me? I personally add it to recipes and meals at least a few times a week. In fact, I’ve used it in hundreds of recipes on this very blog.

    Usually, I opt for fresh garlic cloves, and always keep a bulb or two on the counter with other staples like onions and potatoes. But sometimes I wish I could save myself the time of preparing fresh garlic, especially on a busy evening when I’m hangry!

    And sometimes I just don’t want the lingering scent of garlic on my fingers! You can relate, can’t you?! 😉 (PS – if you have a lemon wedge on hand when you’re cooking with garlic, a squeeze of lemon juice works incredibly well at removing garlic’s smell and stickiness.)

    If you also LOVE to use garlic to season your veggies, but want an easier way to prep it, I’ve got the cooking hack for you. Read on to learn all about freezing fresh, minced garlic so you can save yourself time and money, without sacrificing flavor!

    Safety Tips for Preserving Garlic

    Before you freeze garlic, keep these safety tips in mind (1):

    • Garlic stored in oil at room temp for long periods can promote the growth of the bacterium that causes Botulism, a serious foodborne illness. To avoid this situation, it’s important to freeze minced garlic that is mixed with oil right away.
    • Garlic and oil preparations should not be kept at room temperature. They can be safely stored in the fridge, but only for a short period of time (~4 days). So, your best bet is to store garlic that’s mixed with oil in the freezer, after you make it and up until right before you add it to a dish (1).
    • Of course, it’s OK to make a garlic dipping oil (i.e. for bread) that you plan to eat right away.

    How to Safely Freeze Minced Garlic in Oil

    Garlic can be frozen in many forms, including whole raw or roasted garlic cloves, garlic paste, and minced or chopped garlic with or without oil.

    My favorite way to freeze garlic is in a little bit of oil, since I usually sautee garlic in olive oil when I’m using it in recipes anyways.

    garlic olive oil and garlic roller

    Follow these simple steps to make sure you’re following the appropriate safety precautions.

    1. Purchase a large bag of peeled garlic cloves or several fresh bulbs.
    2. Peel each clove. A silicone garlic roller is a lifesaver for this process!
    3. Add the cloves and olive oil to a food processor. The best ratio is 2 parts oil to 1 part garlic. Pulse until the cloves are chopped, but stop before they turn into a paste.
    4. Scoop out one teaspoon of the garlic/oil mixture at a time and place the teaspoons on a baking sheet.
    5. Put the baking sheet in the freezer for at least a couple of hours. Then, transfer the frozen garlic/oil teaspoons to a freezer bag.
    6. Label the bag with the date. Keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.
    7. When you want to use some frozen garlic, add 1 or 2 of the frozen teaspoons directly to the dish.
    minced garlic in food processor
    frozn garlic on sheet pan

    This process reminds me of my favorite hack for making frozen herb cubes. Check out that post if you’re interested in preserving more of your favorite veggie seasonings!

    How does freezing garlic affect taste and texture?

    The taste of frozen garlic is pretty similar to fresh, but sometimes it’s not as pungent. Frozen garlic has a mushier texture than fresh garlic, but this shouldn’t make a difference in the overall texture of a recipe if you’re just using garlic to season it.

    PSA for my fresh garlic lovers out there: Trust me, I understand the many benefits of using fresh garlic over frozen! Ha. But I also think that having common staples on hand in easy-to-use forms can be very helpful in staying on track with healthy cooking.

    There’s room for both fresh and frozen garlic in the kitchen ;-)…

    Do you need to thaw frozen garlic in oil?

    Nope! Just add a frozen garlic and oil ball directly to the pan you’re using to prepare your meal or recipe.

    frozen garlic

    How to Use Frozen Garlic

    Here are several ways to use frozen minced garlic:

    • Add to a skillet with another dash of olive oil, salt, and pepper to sautee veggies.
    • Cook with onion and other seasonings as the base of a soup.
    • Add to salad dressings.
    • Put a few teaspoons on top of garlic bread before it goes into the oven.
    • Mix into dips and sauces.

    I’d love to hear how you like this recipe! Rate/review using the stars on the recipe card or in the comments, and follow the Veg World on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest. Looking for something totally different? Browse the recipe library.

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    freezing garlic pin

    Frozen Minced Garlic in Olive Oil

    Learn how to safely freeze garlic in olive oil for easy cooking.
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Prep Time: 5 minutes mins
    Freezing time: 2 hours hrs
    Total Time: 2 hours hrs 5 minutes mins
    Servings: 25 garlic and oil balls
    Calories: 19kcal
    Author: Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN

    Equipment

    • Food processor
    • Baking sheet

    Ingredients 

    • 5 bulbs garlic - peeled and separated into cloves
    • ¼ cup olive oil

    Instructions

    • Combine the peeled garlic cloves and olive oil in a food processor. Pulse until the cloves are chopped, but stop before they turn into a paste.
    • Scoop out one teaspoon of the mixture at a time and transfer to a baking sheet. Freeze for a couple of hours before putting the teaspoons in a freezer bag. Store for up to 3 months.
    • When you want to use the frozen garlic, transfer the desired amount directly from the freezer to the dish. Do not thaw.

    Notes

    • Garlic stored in oil at room temp can promote the growth of the bacterium that causes Botulism, a serious foodborne illness. To avoid this situation, freeze minced garlic that is mixed with oil right away.
    • Do not keep garlic and oil at room temperature for long periods of time. 

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1ball | Calories: 19kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 1mg | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin C: 1mg | Iron: 1mg
    Did you make this recipe?Tag @vegworld_recipes and follow me today!
    freezing garlic instructions

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    254 shares

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    Comments

      5 from 2 votes (1 rating without comment)

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    1. Shirley Sheen

      March 24, 2025 at 11:34 pm

      5 stars
      Hi I’m just wondering do I have to mix the garlic with oil or can I freeze just garlic on its own thanks,

      Reply
      • Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN

        March 27, 2025 at 10:57 am

        Hi Shirley, good question! You can just freeze the garlic on its own. However, the oil does help preserve it better.

        Reply
    2. Michelle

      June 12, 2022 at 5:31 pm

      Is it safe to make garlic oil with herbs and keep refrigerated? Also is it ok to mince fresh garlic and add some water and keep it in a jar in the fridge?

      Reply
      • Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN

        June 14, 2022 at 11:42 am

        Hi Michelle, as discussed in the post, garlic mixed with oil can be kept in the fridge for no more than 4 days. Instead of mincing fresh garlic and adding water before storing it in the fridge, it’s best to mix it with vinegar to provide an acidic environment. You can read more about the safest ways to store garlic preparations in the fridge here: https://ucfoodsafety.ucdavis.edu/sites/g/files/dgvnsk7366/files/inline-files/250352.pdf

        Reply
    3. Carol

      October 18, 2021 at 9:05 am

      Most recipes call for cloves of minced garlic. How many teaspoons of the garlic/oil mixture do you guessimate equals a clove? Thank you,

      Reply
      • Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN

        October 18, 2021 at 9:51 am

        Hi Carol, I would estimate that about 1 teaspoon of the garlic/oil mixture is equal to 1 garlic clove.

        Reply
    4. Joyce Stephens

      July 28, 2021 at 1:18 pm

      I washed the garlic. Is that a problem

      Reply
      • Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN

        July 28, 2021 at 2:08 pm

        Hi Joyce, that shouldn’t be a problem.

        Reply
    5. Art Gorman

      April 17, 2021 at 5:42 am

      Does the same procedure for chopped, processed and sealed mechanically in bottles that’s found in the produce dept!
      Many thanks…
      Art Gorman

      Reply

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