A Guide to Garlic

Our helpful garlic guide is packed full of information about how pick, store and cook with this delicious and versatile member of the (surprise!) lily family.

Author:: Rachael Ray Every Day
Publish date:: Oct 15, 2013
Updated on: Nov 28, 2016

How to Buy Garlic

When shopping for garlic, buy unblemished bulbs with dry skins and firm cloves. Skip the peeled stuff in the refrigerated section. Store bulbs in a cool, dry place (not in the fridge). Unbroken bulbs should last several months; use individual cloves within 10 days.

How to Chop Garlic

Learn how to peel and chop garlic from our test kitchen pros!

Garlic Varieties

Elephant garlic (top) is a jumbo variety with juicy cloves, loose skins and mellow flavor. Hardneck garlic (middle) is a farmers' market fave with a stiff stalk, purple, red or blue skin and easy-to-peel cloves that range in flavor from mild to sharp. Softneck garlic (bottom) is the kind you're most likely to find at the supermarket, with pungent bulbs, papery, pale skins and a long shelf life.

Use Roasted Garlic

Garlic goes from firm and sharp to creamy and sweet when roasted. Cut 1/4 inch off the top of a whole bulb, place the bulb on foil, drizzle with EVOO and wrap tightly. Bake at 400 degrees for 45 minutes until tender, squeeze the garlic "paste" out and use it in all sorts of recipes (click on to see how we use it!).

Roasted Garlic Flatbread

Adding roasted garlic to this flatbread gives it a rich, sweet flavor. We also love a good smear of garlic on a halved, toasted baguette, topped with parsley-EVOO mash and shredded Parmesan.

Roasted Garlic Flatbread with Tangy Chutney

Roasted Broccoli with Garlic

It's so simple! Just a toss here and stir there. Tip: Whisk garlic with EVOO, fresh lemon juice and salt and toss with potatoes.

Roasted Broccoli with Toasted Garlic

Blackened Shrimp with Roasted Garlic Aioli

Aioli is similar to mayonnaise and is magical when homemade. Another one of our favorite ways to eat garlic is by stirring it into Greek yogurt with sea salt, cumin and EVOO, then served with pita chips!

Blackened Shrimp with Roasted Garlic Aioli

A Clove a Day ...

It may not get you a date, but eating one fresh clove of raw garlic a day does guarantee a healthy dose of allicin, a potent immune-boosting compound. At the onset of a cold, Dr. Andrew Weil suggests chopping or crushing two cloves (to release more of the allicin), then sprinkling them on a salad, adding them to a sandwich or mixing them into yogurt. Find out how we like to use fresh garlic next!