# Why remove garlic from stews if they are going to be frozen? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 15, 2012, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-remove-garlic-from-stews-if-they-are-going-to-be-frozen/628276 "2012-07-15T03:28:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2012, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-remove-garlic-from-stews-if-they-are-going-to-be-frozen/628276/1 "2012-07-15T03:28:19Z")
I was looking through a book of slow cooker recipes. Every single one says that if you are going to freeze it, remove the garlic and only add it in when defrosting and about to serve. Why? What happens if you freeze a dish with garlic in it? ---
**Author:** ![carnut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnut/32/3531_2.png) [@carnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnut)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2012, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-remove-garlic-from-stews-if-they-are-going-to-be-frozen/628276/2 "2012-07-15T04:10:03Z")
Interesting. And now I’m curious too. I’ve never heard of this before. But then, I don’t often follow recipes when using the slow cooker. Because I usually crush the garlic before adding it, I would not be able to remove it. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2012, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-remove-garlic-from-stews-if-they-are-going-to-be-frozen/628276/3 "2012-07-15T04:44:51Z")
No idea from personal experience, but Thrifyfun says; “Garlic can be frozen either as cloves or as a whole head, but it will lose some of it’s texture and its potent flavor during freezing.” A couple of other places mention no such thing. [garlic-central.com](http://garlic-central.com) says; People frequently ask whether or not it’s possible to freeze garlic. Well, yes, you can freeze it - but from my experience it’s not a good idea. Garlic can be frozen either as seperate cloves or as a complete head. It can be successfully defrosted and used in cooking. Unfortunately the flavour will never be as good as it was originally. The garlic simply isn’t as potent and sometimes the texture deteriorates as well. Arguably it’s not worth using. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2012, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-remove-garlic-from-stews-if-they-are-going-to-be-frozen/628276/4 "2012-07-15T13:06:59Z")
Garlic does lose something when frozen. When I make a batch of slow-cooker stew or soup I usually do a basic recipe, then add seasonings to tweak it after thawing. You don’t have to do it that way, it’s just that the spices seem a bit muted sometimes after the freezing. ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2012, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-remove-garlic-from-stews-if-they-are-going-to-be-frozen/628276/5 "2012-07-15T13:31:46Z")
Thanks. Probably too much hassle to do this for me, so I will just go heavy on the garlic in the first place, to make up for losses in freezing. ---
**Author:** ![Antigen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/848f3c/32.png) [@Antigen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antigen)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2012, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-remove-garlic-from-stews-if-they-are-going-to-be-frozen/628276/6 "2012-07-15T14:50:51Z")
I make giant batches of spaghetti sauce and store containers of it in the freezer all the time. It’s got a bunch of garlic in it, and I’ve _never_ been disappointed in how it turns out when it’s been stored and thawed. ---
**Author:** ![carnut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnut/32/3531_2.png) [@carnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnut)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2012, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-remove-garlic-from-stews-if-they-are-going-to-be-frozen/628276/7 "2012-07-15T17:20:57Z")
I hadn’t really thought about this much. I do occasionally add spices again after freezing but for some reason (d’oh) it never occurred to me that this is what is happening. Now I know why I like to add a bit more garlic to my pesto after I thaw it. Ignorance fought!