How long does cooked garlic keep in fridge?

Question

I was wondering how long cooked garlic (in this case with pasta and a tiny bit of olive oil) keeps in the fridge. I always wonder about garlic (or onion) with oil but it was only a little oil. Still Tasty says that cooked onions last 3-5 days but nothing for cooked garlic. Would they be the same? http://stilltasty.com/fooditems/index/17825 Thank you.

Answer 1

In general the FDA recommends that you consume leftovers within 3-5 days (See their website for specific foods). In this case, I don't think the garlic is what's holding you back.

While garlic and herb infused oils do present some botulism risk, I think what they are getting at is the can of preserved garlic you've had in the fridge for 9 months.

Answer 2

My parents bought a lot of garlic (5-6 bulbs) when they visited me last time and I was scared that it would dry out and it would be a waste of money. So, my mum suggested mincing and frying the garlic in any non-flavored oil. After frying the paste in canola oil, I refrigerated it and it lasted me a month until I finished the paste.

I'm not sure about the accuracy of the information in the link that's in your question because I always make a lot of cooked onion paste (with ginger and garlic) and refrigerate it and it does last me a month and a half or so. I use the paste for Indian curries, rice recipes and stews.

But I guess the climate and humidity also has an impact of how food keeps in refrigerators in different parts of the world. For example, my mum's fried onion paste lasts her 15 days in summer in India and a month in winter. Mine lasts me a month and a half in Australia in summer.

Answer 3

I really suggest you read into botulism. Garlic infused oils grow bacteria that can kill you. Sometimes called the silent killer, there's no way to detect its present in your food.

Even cooking it in canola oil and then refrigerating is a massive issue. You need something to ensure nothing grows in the oil and you must steralise anything you use.

Garlic and botulism is a massive online discourse. Do check it out.

I suggest make it as you go. Dump some garlic in a pan with olive oil - either bake or fry and then use the oil. Don't take the risk with yourself and your loved ones.

Answer 4

Alright, so, for our culture and our cuisine, we fry garlic ALL THE TIME and store it in the refrigerator either drained from the oil or with the oil. So in our case, we would have a jar of fried garlic and another jar of the oil that the garlic was fried in (garlic oil), or we store the garlic with the oil, depending on what you want to use them for. And we keep it all in the fridge and it lasts about a month for us. I've grown up doing it like this, and so have my grandparents, no one is dead yet sooo...just saying, I think if its cooked garlic stored in oil, it shouldnt be a problem UNLESS its raw garlic thats being stored, then thats something to worry about.