I love making my own ingredients. Things that you usually purchase at the grocery store, I like to try making my own. I call it ‘cooking DIY’. Sometimes it works, sometimes not so much!
I recently discovered that it was possible to make your own jarred minced garlic. After reading the very short list of ingredients on a few bottles at the grocery store I realized how easy it would be! Most of them contain garlic, water, and citric acid, with maybe some olive oil in there. That’s it.
Making your own minced garlic is actually an easy thing to do!
Or course it’s a great thing to have fresh garlic on hand for most cooking, but a jar of garlic in the fridge is awfully handy. But I’m cheap and those little jars aren’t cheap when you consider how inexpensive fresh garlic is.
And believe me, this is the easiest recipe to make – it’s quick and cheap – so I’m a happy camper.
Ingredients For Making Jarred Minced Garlic
The first step is to gather your supplies – dried minced garlic, olive oil, a pint-sized jar, hot water and a 1/4 tsp of lemon juice/citric acid.
You’re going to need some dried minced garlic. We have a bulk store nearby so I had my husband stop on his way to work and pick up a scoopful (which worked out to less than $2 and I didn’t need all of it for this recipe so I still have some in my spice drawer).
His only complaint was that it made the car smell fairly pungent on the trip home!
- Fresh Garlic Bulbs or Dried Minced Garlic
- Lemon Juice – bottled is easier and less messy
- Olive Oil – I used what I had to hand – no special oil is required just make sure it doesn’t have a tinge of chilli or flavouring as this will then taint the taste of you jarred mince garlic.
- Water
Tools & Equipment To Make Homemade Jarred Garlic
- Garlic Crusher or Onion Chopper
- Small Jar – preferably with rubber seal to lock in moisture for long-lasting taste.
- A tablespoon or tablespoon measuring cup
- Chopping Board
How Long Can I Keep Garlic In Olive Oil?
Olive oil is a great natural preservative but only for a certain amount of time. The minced garlic in olive oil is suitable for storing in the refrigerator for anything from 2-3 weeks in an airtight container. If the garlic is frozen it can last up to 4 months in an airtight container.
To freeze garlic you do not need to store it in oil, you can simply strip the cloves of the shell and store them in a container or Ziploc bag.
When storing garlic you have to be careful not to cause Botulism, this is caused by foods made at home that haven’t been canned, stored or preserved properly. To prevent this when storing garlic make sure you use plenty of oil and use within the 2-3 week time frame.
This is why you must follow proper procedures when storing garlic in olive oil. To reduce the risk of getting Botulism from garlic in olive oil you’ll need to store your raw garlic in olive oil inside the refrigerator and use it within 2-3 weeks. You can safely store garlic in oil for about 4 months in the freezer.
Can You Freeze Garlic?
You can freeze garlic whether crushed, whole or minced. Garlic is easy to freeze and it is actually is one of the few foods that are just as good frozen as it is fresh.
To freeze garlic as whole segments you simply need to remove the cloves from the bulb, skin and remove the tough end, once it is peeled it can be stored in an airtight container or Ziploc back and placed in the freezer. You can then use them whole or grate them while frozen to create minced style garlic.
You can also freeze minced garlic to make it easier to add to dishes. There is no need to thaw out the garlic before using it unless you are wanting to roast it.
How To Thaw Frozen Garlic
You don’t have to defrost garlic before using it but it can help in certain recipes. If you are using garlic for soups, sauteing or in sauces, you may not need to thaw the garlic at all.
If you do wish to thaw your garlic before cooking you can simply take out the amount you need and leave it at room temperature, this should take a few minutes to thaw. Alternatively, you can place the garlic on a microwavable plate and place in the microwave for 5-10 seconds.
I would suggest doing small chunks of garlic in the microwave to help the defrosting be quicker and more even. You can do this method for both whole cloves or for minced garlic.
Simple Steps To Homemade Jarred Garlic
This is super simple and easy to do and actually satisfying as you are achieving something that is in the long run going to be so helpful to your cooking routine.
We have used both fresh garlic bulbs and dried garlic and we get the same results each time so use what you have to hand and what you can afford. We found that 3 bulbs of garlic worked best for filling a standard size palm-sized jar.
Step One
Start by rolling the garlic bulb on a hard surface with the palm of your hand. This will help loosen the segments of the garlic bulb and make it easier to separate and peel.
Don’t worry about how firm you are pressing, you may find garlic cloves get a little soft or squished out of shape, this just simply means the cloves were ready to be used.
Step Two
The first step is pretty simple – add enough dried minced garlic to fill the jar about 1/2 full.
Use a spoon to move the dried mince garlic into the jar until it meets the level you are happy with.
If you are using fresh garlic bulbs remove all the cloves from the main bulb and set to aside.
Start by cutting off both ends of each clove and peeling away the shell. That will leave a clean garlic clove ready to mince. Make sure you cut plenty of the tough end to get rid of the rind.
I used a garlic crusher though you can use a knife, food processor or onion chopper to break the cloves up. Make sure you cut up the garlic small enough or into small enough chunks for you to use when cooking.
Once chopped up and minced place them in the jar.
Step Three
To help preserve the garlic for a long period of time you want to add ingredients which help keep the garlic in a fresh state.
Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and lemon juice to the jar. This may change depending on the size of your jar and how much garlic you are wanting to make.
Step Four
After that, just fill the jar with boiling water but be sure to leave a 1/2″ gap at the top for the garlic to swell up.
If you haven’t been able to make quite 1/3 full of minced garlic you won’t require as much water, oil and lemon juice.
Cover it securely and shake well. Careful of the top though – that gets pretty hot!
That’s it. Keep it tightly covered and refrigerated when you’re not using it.
Now you’ve got a huge jar of garlic that cost way less than those little jars at the store! Quick, easy, and frugal – gotta love that combination!
Just for future reference – 1 teaspoon is equal to 1 clove of garlic but this is a bit milder than fresh minced garlic so you could add a bit more.
Make Your Own Jarred Minced Garlic
This easy jarred minced garlic is useful for a number of recipes and is a much cheaper option than buying store bought minced garlic.
Ingredients
- Fresh Garlic Bulbs or Dried Minced Garlic
- Lemon Juice - bottled is easier and less messy
- Olive Oil - I used what I had to hand - no special oil is required just make sure it doesn't have a tinge of chilli or flavouring as this will then taint the taste of you jarred minced garlic.
- Water
Instructions
1. The first step is pretty simple - add enough dried minced garlic to fill the jar about 1/3 full. Use a spoon to move the dried mince garlic into the jar until it meets the level you are happy with.
If you are using fresh garlic bulbs remove all the cloves from the main bulb and set to aside. Start by cutting off both ends of each clove and peeling away the shell. That will leave a clean garlic clove ready to mince.
I used a garlic crusher though you can use a knife, food processor or onion chopper to break the cloves up. Once chopped up and minced place them in the jar.
2. To help preserve the garlic for a long period of time you want to add ingredients which help keep the garlic in a fresh state.
Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and lemon juice to the jar. This may change depending on the size of your jar and how much garlic you are wanting to make.
3. After that, just fill the jar with boiling water but be sure to leave a 1/2" gap at the top for the garlic to swell up.
If you haven't been able to make quite 1/3 full of minced garlic you won't require as much water, oil and lemon juice.
Cover it securely and shake well. Careful of the top though - that gets pretty hot! That's it. Keep it tightly covered and refrigerated when you're not using it.
Now you've got a huge jar of garlic that cost way less than those little jars at the store! Quick, easy, and frugal - gotta love that combination!
Notes
1 teaspoon is equal to 1 clove of garlic but this is a bit milder than fresh minced garlic so you could add a bit more if you like.
Hi all! I’m Cora Benson, and I’ve been blogging about food, recipes and things that happen in my kitchen since 2019.