Garlic is a low-maintenance kitchen staple with a fairly long shelf life, but even so, the beloved allium is not immune to inevitably spoiling with time. Ultimately, freshness boils down to storage.

When stored properly, garlic can stay fresh up to six months—and even longer in the refrigerator or freezer.

"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." Ah, garlic! If there's one flavor that we can't do without when making dinner, it's that odiferous allium ...