FoodKeeper-based refrigerated planning reference
How long does garlic last in the fridge?
Well Stockd’s curated reference uses about 90 days refrigerated for garlic, assuming a refrigerator kept at 40°F (4°C) or below. This is a planning estimate drawn from the app’s FoodKeeper/FSIS-based catalog, not a package date or a safety guarantee.
Read the full guide: Can you freeze chopped onions and garlic?
Unopened, opened, and frozen
The single fridge number above is a planning figure. Most of the questions people actually ask about garlic turn on whether the package has been opened, so those windows are listed separately here.
- Unopened
- 3 to 5 months as a whole head in a cool dark place
- Opened or cut
- Peeled cloves hold about 1 week refrigerated; chopped garlic 2 to 3 days
- Freezer
- About 300 days at best quality. Frozen food stays safe indefinitely at 0°F; the window is about texture and flavour.
- How to store it
- Whole heads belong in a ventilated container in the pantry, not the fridge. Never store raw garlic in oil at room temperature — that is a botulism risk.
How to tell if garlic has gone bad
Dates are estimates; these are the checks that actually decide it. When more than one of these is present, throw it out rather than tasting to find out.
- Green shoots through the cloves
- Soft or hollow cloves
- Brown spots
- Powdery mould at the base
How to use this window
This longer planning window is still affected by packaging, temperature, ripeness, and whether the item has been opened.
Well Stockd does not know when this food was harvested, packed, purchased, opened, prepared, or moved between storage locations. Record the relevant opened, prepared, or refrigerated date, follow package directions, keep your refrigerator at 40°F or below, and use the official item listing when food safety is in question.
Primary sources and limits
The repository catalog identifies USDA FoodKeeper and FSIS typical refrigerated storage guidance as its source. FoodKeeper explains that storage times are guidelines and that actual quality varies with growing, handling, distribution, and storage conditions.