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This study investigates the effects of different temperature conditions on the quality of black garlic (BG) during the aging process. Two temperature protocols were employed: gradual heating and cooling (GHC), where the temperature was slowly raised from 45 °C to 77 °C and then lowered to 59 °C at a rate of 1 °C per hour, and rapid heating and cooling (RHC), where the temperature was quickly raised from 45 °C to 85 °C and then lowered to 56 °C at a rate of 1 °C every 30 min. Changes in surface color, hardness, moisture, pH, fructose, total polyphenol content (TPC), and key sulfur compounds such as alliin, S-allylcysteine (SAC), and γ-glutamyl-S-allylcysteine (γ-GSAC) were analyzed. Our findings showed that GHC led to a higher increase in TPC and fructose content by the 15th day compared to RHC. In contrast, RHC retained significantly higher SAC concentrations, approximately 1.7 times that of GHC, by the end of the aging period. Surface color changes, particularly in lightness and redness, were more pronounced under GHC, while RHC demonstrated superior moisture retention. These findings indicate that GHC is better suited for products prioritizing polyphenols and sugars, while RHC is more optimal for SAC-enriched BG. This study provides valuable insights into optimizing BG production for diverse food and medicinal applications through precise temperature modulation.

Garlic, a once-a-year crop, is mass-produced in a single event. Most of the garlic harvested during the year, unless consumed or processed immediately, should be stored. Stored raw garlic (SRG) can be used to make black garlic (BG) via aging, and storage may affect the properties and quality of the BG compared with the use of raw garlic that has not been stored. This study was performed to identify the effect of long-term storage of raw garlic on the quality of BG products. SRG was aged for 21 days at 40–86 °C for BG production. Moisture content and pH gradually decreased with the aging period. Total phenolic, total flavonoid, and fructose contents were significantly increased during the aging period. Compared with non-stored raw garlic (NSRG), alliin and S-allylcysteine (SAC) contents were 1.7-fold and 5.9-fold higher in SRG, respectively, and γ-glutamyl-S-allylcysteine (γ-GSAC) content was 2.8-fold lower in SRG. The contents of alliin and γ-GSAC reduced as the aging period of SRG and NSRG progressed. However, the SAC content of NSRG increased with aging, but the SAC content of SRG decreased or increased slightly with extended aging. The antioxidant activity was also higher in BG made from NSRG rather than SRG. These results show that the SAC content is relatively low in BG manufactured from SRG compared with NSRG. Our findings suggest that it is necessary to establish an aging method suitable for SRG in BG production with high SAC content, a representative indicator of BG.