# Refrigerating roasted garlic? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 18, 2013, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/refrigerating-roasted-garlic/656009 "2013-04-18T04:13:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2013, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/refrigerating-roasted-garlic/656009/1 "2013-04-18T04:13:15Z")
Needed some roasted garlic, put a few extra heads into the toaster oven while I was at it. It occurred to me: I leave raw garlic sitting out in a basket on the counter until I need it. Is there anything about the roasting process that would require the roasted versions to go into the fridge? ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2013, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/refrigerating-roasted-garlic/656009/2 "2013-04-18T04:27:13Z")
I’m going to say yes, there’s something that happens that necessitates it being refrigerated after being roasted. Don’t know what, but I wouldn’t leave it out. I can say, however, that after being roasted, it will be fine in the fridge for at least a few days (IME) and probably up to a week or so. You wouldn’t leave cooked carrots or cooked onions out, but in their raw form, both of them are fine at room temperature as well. ---
**Author:** ![azraiel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@azraiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/azraiel)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2013, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/refrigerating-roasted-garlic/656009/3 "2013-04-18T05:50:20Z")
> [@purplehorseshoe](#): > > Needed some roasted garlic, put a few extra heads into the toaster oven while I was at it. It occurred to me: I leave raw garlic sitting out in a basket on the counter until I need it. Is there anything about the roasting process that would require the roasted versions to go into the fridge? Extrapolating from my ass and brewing principles: yes. Raw garlic is made of starches–complex carbohydrates inaccessible to your average kitchen flora. By roasting (heating), you’ve broken the carbohydrates into simple sugars that are easily accessed by yeast, bacteria, etc. Refrigeration will retard those growths for a few days. Again, all of this is pulled from my third point of contact and some (very) rudimentary understanding of chemistry. ---
**Author:** ![SeaDragonTattoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2013, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/refrigerating-roasted-garlic/656009/4 "2013-04-18T06:11:17Z")
Whole uncooked garlic cloves and bulbs are alive and can conceivably be planted if they’re organic or at least not sprayed with a growth retardant. As alive things, they fight off “infections” like bacteria and mold. Once cooked, it’s quite dead and is now compost for anything that wants to grow on it. Definitely refrigerate. ---
**Author:** ![azraiel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@azraiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/azraiel)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2013, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/refrigerating-roasted-garlic/656009/5 "2013-04-18T06:23:14Z")
> [@SeaDragonTattoo](#): > > Whole uncooked garlic cloves and bulbs are alive and can conceivably be planted if they’re organic or at least not sprayed with a growth retardant. As alive things, they fight off “infections” like bacteria and mold. Once cooked, it’s quite dead and is now compost for anything that wants to grow on it. Definitely refrigerate. Seriously? That’s a whole lotta Ric Flair.