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Any storage secrets?

(18 Posts)
Aldom Wed 24-Jun-26 15:08:26

Oops... forgot the photo.

Aldom Wed 24-Jun-26 15:07:40

I keep garlic in the fridge in this pottery jar. Stays fresh for a very long time. No odour in the fridge either.

JamesandJon33 Wed 24-Jun-26 15:07:28

Should say instantly accessible

kittylester Wed 24-Jun-26 15:06:12

I have just learnt that you can freeze chopped spring onions. I use small quantities in cooking quite often but never a whole bunch.

Agree with the grated parmesan and using Lazy Garlic and ginger.

I use whole garlic cloves quite often too and keep the rest in a garlic pot in the pantry cupboard which has 2 outside walls and is quite cool.

If I don't use a whole pack of chicken thigh fillets (I rarely buy breasts) I chop the the remainder and freeze it in amounts of 150g in bags. I can then get out as much as I need. Similarly with bacon and mince.

JamesandJon33 Wed 24-Jun-26 15:05:18

‘Lazy Garlic’ in a jar, isn’t bad. Not like the real thing but instantly acc

dalrymple23 Wed 24-Jun-26 15:04:32

You can buy frozen garlic, which is a useful standby. I buy a large quantity of fresh, grate it (using the food processor, freeze it flat, then bag it. Lasts for ages. I do the same w ith ginger.

Ditto Parmesan and Grana Padano. Grate it, freeze it flat, bag it and just take out what you need as and when.

The deep freeze has to be everyone's bestie!!!

M0nica Wed 24-Jun-26 15:00:02

I keep garlic in my vegetable basket for months at a time. Until they dry like leaves or rot. Fauling that by tubes of garlic paste

Ungrated parmesan will last 6 months or more, kept in the wrapper and in a plastic box.

Milk is made into cheese to preserve it Look at all the pictures of cheese stores. No refrigeration. The cheeses kept wrapped (no polythene) on airy wooden shelves. It can be kept like that for several years. Hard parmesan is meant to be kept for even longer.

If you are worried. Cut cheese into small pieces and freeze. I always have cheddar cheese in the fridge for about a month or more and parmesan even longer

Sarnia Wed 24-Jun-26 13:29:35

I now buy frozen vegetables. There is no waste and I can use just what I need. Every bit as nutritious as fresh.

Tortoiselover Wed 24-Jun-26 13:21:22

Frozen chopped garlic and ready grated parmesan keeps well

Grandmaofone Wed 24-Jun-26 13:14:27

Taj frozen crushed garlic in little blocks, also ginger,
from Sainsbury although it must be available elsewhere
as must different suppliers

a piece of Parmesan or hard cheese grated, in small
packs in the freezer drawer

Astitchintime Wed 24-Jun-26 13:12:30

I buy the jars of lazy garlic……..lasts for ages when kept in the fridge. As for parmesan cheese 🤮……..I would sooner boil my own head than eat that! cannot abide the smell, let alone the taste!

aonk Wed 24-Jun-26 13:02:07

Ocado and (I think) Sainsbury’s sell frozen chopped garlic. It’s so useful. Also Sainsbury’s sell their own make of grated Italian cheese in a cardboard container which is kept in the fridge and lasts some time. It isn’t pure Parmesan but fine for me.

Alwaysoptumistic Wed 24-Jun-26 11:04:01

I gave up buying fresh garlic awhile ago as I was throwing so much away. I now buy the tubes of puréed garlic. Not quite as good as fresh but no waste

teabagwoman Wed 24-Jun-26 10:55:55

I store grated Parmesan in the freezer. I don’t use a lot as I can’t eat tomato dishes and it seems to last for months.

ferry23 Wed 24-Jun-26 10:55:10

Nell82

I buy large blocks of English parmesan style cheese from our farmers' market. The stall holder recommended wrapping half in foil and storing it in the freezer.

Might be worth a try?

Ooh, thanks Nell will definitely give that a try.

SueDonim Wed 24-Jun-26 10:54:39

In the past, I’ve grated a piece of Parmesan and then frozen it, to use straight out of the freezer.

For garlic I use the jars of puree. I still end up throwing out the last bits at times but overall, it’s an easy option.

I also freeze left over herbs in bags. Some are only fit for cooking with eg basil but it’s nice to have fresh ones to hand.

Nell82 Wed 24-Jun-26 10:47:25

I buy large blocks of English parmesan style cheese from our farmers' market. The stall holder recommended wrapping half in foil and storing it in the freezer.

Might be worth a try?

ferry23 Wed 24-Jun-26 10:39:12

As many of you will testify, living alone frequently means buying food you know you will probably throw away. The world of food shopping is not geared up for single people.

I now have to rely on supermarket deliveries which is even worse as there is very little in "single person size".

The two things I struggle to store successfully are parmesan and garlic. I've tried double wrapping in foil and film, foil only, wrapping and putting in zip lock bags. I've kept in the door of the fridge, in the main fridge and for the garlic in the salad crisper.

The garlic isn't the end of the world as it hardly breaks the bank to buy a new bulb, and I accept no shop is going to sell half a garlic bulb! Even though I do hate the waste. But Italian hard cheeses are expensive and I have to shave or cut off mouldy bits every time I use them. Or sometimes they are just past redemption.

I keep hovering over the jars of garlic cloves but I'm not convinced.

Any foolproof tips?