I used to buy garlic in those big mesh bags because it felt like a deal. Then I would find half of it sprouting green shoots by week two, and the rest had gone soft and mushy. I threw away more garlic than I cooked with for a year.

Garlic does not go bad because it is old. It goes bad because of light, heat, and moisture. Get those three things right and a bulb can easily last two months.

Pick the right bulbs at the store

Start at the store. Squeeze the bulb gently. It should feel firm and heavy for its size. Soft spots mean it is already turning. Skip bulbs with any green shoots poking out, because they are already on the clock.

Store it in the open, not the fridge

Your fridge is the wrong home for whole garlic bulbs. The cold makes them sprout faster and the dampness breeds mold. Instead, keep garlic in a cool, dark, dry place with airflow.

• A mesh bag or wire basket works great.
• A paper bag with the top folded open is fine too.
• Skip the sealed plastic container. Garlic needs to breathe.

I keep mine in a ceramic garlic keeper on the counter, away from the stove. It has tiny holes for airflow and it blocks the light. That one change fixed most of my waste problem.

Keep it away from potatoes and onions

This one surprised me. Potatoes and onions give off moisture and gases that make garlic sprout faster. If your pantry stores them all together, separate them. I moved my potatoes to a cabinet on the other side of the kitchen and garlic started lasting noticeably longer.

What if it already sprouted?

Do not toss it. A sprouted clove is still safe to eat, just a little bitter. Cut the green shoot out before chopping and the flavor is fine. If the sprout is long, the clove itself might be shriveled. In that case, plant the clove in a pot of soil and grow garlic greens. They taste like a milder scallion and they are great in stir fries.

That is it. Firm bulbs, cool dark spot, and keep it away from the potato bin. I have not thrown out a single garlic bulb in months.