Have you ever started a recipe and gone to reach for your garlic stash only to find out you’re completely out of the kitchen essential? Oh, the horror!
But wait! Maybe if you just put a little garlic powder in instead, no one will notice. We’ve all done it. But the truth is, not all garlic is the same.
From jarred to powder and salt, each garlic form has its own purpose. While none of these will ever live up to the flavor of fresh garlic, there are some benefits of keeping them on hand — and more than just out of convenience. To get the best results from your garlic, here’s what you need to know:
Fresh Garlic vs. Jarred Garlic
The difference here is pretty obvious: One comes in a jar ready to use, and the other is a bundle of cloves that you have to peel, mince, and slice yourself.
The clear winner when it comes to these two options is fresh garlic. Jarred garlic is substantially less flavorful than fresh garlic — this could be because it’s not peeled but instead, the shell is blasted off with air, plus it soaks in water or oil for who really knows how long. Not only is fresh garlic more aromatic than jarred, but it also has a hint of heat when it’s raw that jarred garlic doesn’t.
Peeling fresh garlic can be a pain — especially since it makes your hands sticky and smelly — so there are pre-peeled options that you can purchase at the store. However, this convenient option won’t last as long as the garlic in the bulb.
If you really don’t like peeling garlic, you can always purchase a garlic peeler that will make peeling a more pleasant experience.
When it comes to preparing fresh garlic, you can either chop, mince, or crush it. Each method releases the garlic’s flavor differently. If you want a mild flavor, you should use chopped garlic, you can chop it either by hand or with a garlic chopper. You can also use crushed garlic for a mild flavor that will release over time. If you want an immediate and intense flavor, you should use minced garlic, you can mince it either by hand or with a garlic mincer.
Sometimes chopping garlic is just a lot of work, and you don’t have time for it. That’s when jarred garlic comes into play. Jarred garlic is a convenient item to have on hand and it lasts much longer than fresh garlic. So, if you don’t use garlic a lot, you won’t have to worry about wasting a whole bulb after it goes bad in a few weeks.
If you’re using jarred garlic in a recipe, the general rule of thumb is ½ teaspoon for every clove — but feel free to use more to make up for the flavor loss. Another option if you like the convenience of jarred garlic is to make your own. Simply mince a couple of cloves and bottle them with some olive oil.
Fresh Garlic vs. Garlic Powder
Garlic powder is dried garlic bulbs ground into a fine powder. Garlic powder is, obviously, more convenient than fresh garlic because all you have to do is grab a single spice from your cupboard rather than peel and mince each bulb.
However, like most spices, garlic powder isn’t as flavorful as its fresh counterpart — especially as it sits in your cupboard for months, or years (come on, we’ve all done it). Even though it’s less flavorful, there are times when garlic powder is a good choice to use.
If you’re making a garlic-forward meal where you want an overpowering taste of garlic, you should stick with fresh garlic. But, if you’re making a dish where you want the garlic flavor dispersed throughout, like on a slab of meat, garlic powder is your better option. Fresh garlic doesn’t easily stick to foods or spread out evenly no matter how finely you mince it.
Try using garlic powder for rubs, stews, dips, and sauces, but if you really need to use garlic powder as a replacement for fresh garlic, then ½ teaspoon is roughly equal to one clove.
Garlic Powder vs. Garlic Salt
As you might be able to gather from the name, garlic powder and garlic salt are different seasonings. They may look the same, but they cannot be used interchangeably.
Garlic salt is a mixture of garlic powder and table salt, which makes it a seasoning salt. While garlic powder, as explained above, is just dried and ground garlic cloves.
Because garlic salt is a mixture of garlic powder and salt, the garlic flavor is more diluted. So if you’re looking for a milder garlic flavor in your dish, you can use garlic salt — but make sure to account for the salt in the seasoning by holding back on or skipping any additional salt that the recipe may call for.
Related:
- How to Roast Garlic 5 Easy Ways
- Garlic vs. Purple Garlic: What’s the Difference?
- 100 Recipes for Garlic Lovers
