Food - Drink
What To Look For When Buying Garlic At The Grocery Store
By HALDAN KIRSCH
Garlic might be the best spice because of its unique taste that enhances any savory dish, and a slew of health benefits like reducing blood pressure and cholesterol. Because it’s so delicious, it’s always disappointing to peel a head of garlic only to find shriveled, unusable cloves, so here’s how to pick the freshest garlic from the grocery store.
Shopping for garlic should be a sensory experience, relying primarily on two of your senses: touch and smell. Fresh garlic should feel firm and not have a lot of give when gently squeezed, but if the outer cloves feel soft or dehydrated, that garlic is already past its prime and won't last much longer.
Instead of looking for the strong scent that you associate with garlic, look for a lack of smell, which is a sign of freshness. If you can, look for garlic that still has its green stalks and roots attached to it for the freshest garlic; however, stay away from any garlic that is sprouting light green stems from beneath its skin, as this is a sign of aging.