How long can I store garlic confit?

It's important that you store your confit garlic in the fridge and use it within two weeks. With any method of preserving a low-acid ingredient like garlic in oil, there is a risk of botulism if it's not stored correctly. This risk is very low, but it's better to be safe and store this oil properly and not at room temperature. You can find out more about botulism here if you're curious (but don't freak out!)

Why is my garlic confit hard?

When you store oil in the fridge, it can solidify. But it's easy enough to scoop out the garlic cloves you want, and the oil will melt very quickly when you take it out to use it.

Can I freeze garlic confit?

Yes, you can. It will keep well for 3 months - a good hack is to store it in ice cube trays so you can easily get a portion out.

Can I reuse the oil from garlic confit for cooking?

You sure can! This is a fab bonus of making this recipe - you get two delicious results. Replace regular olive oil with your garlic oil in any recipe that calls for olive oil for a subtle garlic hit.

How to Make Stovetop Garlic Confit

Description

Garlic confit is incredibly easy to make, uses just two ingredients and leaves you with super soft, spreadable, rich and delicious garlic cloves to use in endless ways. And the best part? This two-in-one recipe gives you confit garlic cloves AND beautiful garlic olive oil.

Want to know how to sterilize glass jars? Here’s a post breaking down the easy sterilizing process, step-by-step.

Ingredients

Scale

3 whole heads of garlic (you can really use as much garlic as you like!)
Olive oil
Jars for storage

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Instructions

Peel your garlic cloves. A quick trick for doing this is to smash the whole heads of garlic with the palm of your hand, then pop them into a container or a bowl with a lid. Give it a very good shake for roughly 30 seconds to 1 minute – then you should be able to easily slide off any skins that are remaining.
Confit your garlic. Place your peeled garlic cloves in a small saucepan. Pour enough olive oil into the pot to cover the cloves. Set the pot over low heat and bring it to a simmer, then turn the heat right down. You don’t want the olive oil to be simmering – it should be low enough that only the occasional bubble rises up. If you’re struggling with this, remove the pot from the heat for a minute to let it cool down, then keep going. Let the garlic cook for about an hour, or until the garlic cloves are looking golden, translucent and super soft when you press a spoon against them.
Cool and store. Let the garlic confit cool slightly, then transfer it to a sterilised glass jar, seal and store it in the fridge for up to two weeks.

Notes

STORAGE INSTRUCTIONS: It’s super important to store your confit garlic in the fridge and use it within two weeks. The risk of botulism is always present when it comes to storing garlic in oil, so make sure you don’t leave it out on the bench. The oil may solidify slightly in the fridge but this is totally normal – once it’s out of the fridge it won’t take long to melt and you can very easily scoop out the garlic cloves.

ADDITIONS: Try adding a couple of sprigs of fresh rosemary, thyme or oregano, or a whole fresh or dried chilli, chilli flakes, peppercorns, whole spices like star anise or some sliced fresh ginger.

HOW TO USE IT: Spread onto toast, soft garlic flatbreads, two-ingredient dough garlic naan, garlic butter dinner rolls, toss through pasta, roasted vegetables, mashed potatoes, salads or use in your favorite dips. The opportunities are genuinely endless with garlic confit.

Prep Time: 10
Cook Time: 60
Category: sauces
Method: stove top
Cuisine: french

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1/4 cup