Home»Food & Ferment»Preserve Your harvest time
Last update on September 21 , 2023
If you retrieve yourself blessed with an supererogatory amount of refreshing garlic , either from a homegrown crop or somehow stocked up from a husbandman ally , Ihighlysuggest ca-ca your own dried garlic powder ! This is our favorite and most versatile way to preserve garlic . Garlic gunpowder is easily incorporated into everyday meals , or other fun season blends like garlic salt or garlic capsicum pepper plant .
Would you like to save this?
We ’ll email this Charles William Post to you , so you may make out back to it later !
I agree to meet email update .
What kind of garlic should I use?
you may use any variety of ail to make garlic powder ! But there are some affair to deal if you ’re growing your own and desire to preserve it . Pictured above is a trough of our homegrown Moroccan Creole ail , which is a hardneck variety . Hardneck mixture have a shorter shelf life than soft neck multifariousness . They’ll unremarkably start to go flabby or decompose within a few month after harvest , whereas voiced neck opening types can last up to 10 months if cured and stored the right way .
We usually grow both types , butprimarily utilize hardneck garlic mixed bag for preserve – since it needs to be used faster before going downhill . We can enjoy our softneck fresh for months to come . That tell , experience liberal to use either ! Whatever you have uncommitted . Both just - harvested or aged / cured Allium sativum can be used . We often apply up as much fresh as possible for a couple month after harvest , then pull in the stay hardneck and any other bulbs from storage that are start to go flabby to make garlic powder .
Another type of Allium sativum that we have used many times to make garlic powder isgreen Allium sativum . Green garlic is simply young garlic , harvested early before the authoritative paper - wrap up clove form . It does n’t have the same curing and prospicient - term storage capacity that maturate Allium sativum does . It needs to be used or otherwise preserved within a workweek or so of crop . Therefore , dark-green garlic is a perfect contender for garlic gunpowder preserves ! The stalks are also still tender enough to use in the powder , as you ’ll see in the photos below . If you ’re curious to larn more about green ail , include other way to use it , check outthis article all about .
HOW TO MAKE GARLIC POWDER
Supplies Needed
Oven-Drying Versus Using a Dehydrator
We choose to dry our garlic in a food dehydrator instead of the oven , but that does n’t intend it is n’t potential ! I will admit operating instructions for both mode below .
Why do we favour using a food dehydrator , you expect ? Well , for a few reason . First , using a dehydrator allows us to“set it and forget it ” . No inspiration and fret over the blistering oven needed . There is also zero risk of glow it , and ensureseven and coherent drying .
Most significantly ( for us ) , is that a dehydrator allow us to dry the garlic while alsopreserving its nutritional value . While we do not abide by a raw food dieting , we try out to avoid exposing our food to to a fault live temperature when we can . particularly cure foods like Allium sativum ! If you learn ourFire Cider formula , you ’ll remember that garlic has stellar anti - bacterial , anti - fungous , immune - supercharge property . When food is exposed to heat over 118 ° F , it will reduce good nutritionary holding , antioxidants , and active enzymes . Therefore , we dry out our garlic around 100 - 110 ° F .
low-toned , and slow .
A note about our dehydrator experiences:
You will see photos of two different styles of dehydrators below . The white round tray are from when we still had abasic , affordable Nesco automobile . It beget the job done ! However , as time went on , I became more and more concerned about heating food and charge card together . We purchase ityearsago , before the days of BPA - free plastic . Also , it did n’t dry super equally , so I needed to go around the tray around occasionally . Not a huge deal , but just something to observe . It was also quite noisy , and took a recollective time to to the full dry things than most recipe quoted .
Wanting to advance to something moremodern , safe , and effective , I question our amazing Instagram community of interests about dehydrator testimonial . Theresounding answerfrom other homesteader and gardener was to invest in anExcalibur . So this wintertime , we upgraded – and have no regrets ! It is quiet , make the business done quicker , has a bombastic capacity , and more configurations – including a timer , which is a huge addition . Being that we dry everything fromchili pepperstocalendulatolemon rind , we keep it meddlesome . We opted to get the stainless steel tray option ( or you could buystainless replenishment tray ) , but all of their materials are BPA - free . They ’re also made in the USA ! We are stoked to support this California - base company .
INSTRUCTIONS
1) Peel the Garlic
withdraw the individual clove from the forefront of garlic . Next , polish off the papery skins from each clove .
This can be a tedious pain in the ass , and literal pain in the fingers ! Your fingertip can actually get slightlyburnedfrom the garlic ’s natural oils , so use caution if you ’re working with a turgid amount . I learned this the knockout way ! Consider wearing food prep gloves if you have sensitive pelt . Or , if you do n’t want your fingers to smell like garlic for days .
Onehugeperk of working with green garlic is that there are no papery bite to worry about peel . plainly slice up and dry !
Here are some commend tips to make flake garlic easy :
2) Thinly Slice the Garlic
Once the garlic is all disrobe , cut the Eugenia caryophyllatum into thin slicing . The thinner you go , the speedy they will dry . what is more , the more reproducible the cuts , the more equally they ’ll finish drying together . We typically draw a bead on for about ⅛ ” thick , if I had to measure – which I do n’t !
When working with green garlic , they can be cut a shade thicker since it is more tender and will usually dry out quicker . For gullible Allium sativum stanch , you could either trim back them into round of drinks or long thin piece .
As you go , lay the slices of garlic out evenly on your food dehydrator trays . you may pack a large amount on to each tray ! The pieces can meet side to side , but check that theyaren’t overlappingor on top of each other . We postulate infinite for safe zephyr menses between them .
Alternative Method: Food Processor + Tray Liners
Thinly slicing all the clove can be arduous and prison term - ware . Over the years , we ’ve switched to chopping our garlic in a solid food processor . Then usesilicone dehydrator tray linersor parchment paper to delineate your dehydrator tray , dump the chopped garlic onto them , spread it into a single layer , and dry out them that way .
3) Dehydrate the Garlic
Load up your solid food dehydrator with its tray full of Allium sativum , and sprain that puppy on ! We pick out to dry out ours on about100 - 110 ° F . Again , this is because we do n’t require to overheat and essentially “ Captain James Cook ” the garlic , denaturing its beneficial enzymes and antioxidant . If you are n’t overly concerned about that , you’re able to habituate a warm setting ( around130 ° F ) to get it done much quicker . It will taste just as good !
The timeit takes to in full dry will vary . It look on your dehydrator or oven , how you prepared and organized the Allium sativum , and the temperature you apply . When we used our oldNescodehydrator , it took almost 3 days on 110 ° farad to completely dry . Our Excaliburdries it nicely in about half that time , and could easily do it in less than 12 hours on a higher setting than we practice .
Keep reading to know how to tell when it ’s quick !
Drying Garlic in the Oven
To make garlic powder in the oven , follow the same prep steps outlined above – and then spread the garlic out in a thin layer on a bake pan cover with lambskin theme . Bake at140 ° Funtil it is completely crunchy dry , soul-stirring and re - spreading the garlic bits every 30 minute as you go . We have never done this , but take that this method acting takes several hours hour .
4) Check Doneness
Before removing the garlic from the dehydrator or oven , check to make indisputable they aretotally dry!If you attempt to get around them , the thin dry slices should snap and crack up crisply in half , and not bow or be ductile at all . The texture tells you if all the excess moisture has been bump off . If they ’re still bendy or cushy or else of crunchy , keep on drying !
If any moisture is left , your pulverization willclumpup subsequently in the storage container .
You may happen that some are done and some are not . In that case , you could either perpetrate out the crispy ones and proceed to dry out the others , or just keep drying it all . We only separate them partway through like this when we ’re making green garlic gunpowder , because the stalks be given to dry much quicker than the bulb portion .
5) Time to Grind!
Next , it is clock time to crunch your now bone - dry garlic into a ok powder . This can be done in a full liquidiser , food C.P.U. , or chocolate grinder . I say “ skillful ” blender , because some may not be capable to work it into a fine powder very well . In aVitamix , the result is a A-one amercement , downy pulverization . Pulse and grind it until all chunks seem to be broken up .
6) Sift
Even the well machines may not be able to successfully grind every last hard bit of dried Allium sativum . Our Vitamix leaves behind a few little“rocks”behind sometimes . I call them this because they can be damn unvoiced , so I would n’t want to accidentally bite into a bit like this . Therefore , we usually sieve our garlic powder before putting it in its final storage container .
Position afine - mesh strainerover a bowl . Next , softly stream your ground garlic pulverization into it , a niggling at a time if ask . verify to skin and collect any pulverization that has collected in the lid or sides ! That is valuable tasty material too . Shimmy and shake the sifter , separating out any remnant hard rock and roll .
I commonly execute the hoard garlic rocks back through the Vitamix once or doubly again , and get a surprising amount more pulverization out of very few of them ! sieve and reprise until you ’re quenched . We skip this step for unripened ail because it is so tender in the first place ( shown in the photo above ) .
Here are some briefvideosof the whole summons , including sifting ! Swipe through the slide by come home the arrow on the right .
A post share by Deanna ~ Homestead and Chill © ( @deannacat3)onSep 1 , 2018 at 1:42pm PDT
7) Storing Garlic Powder
Finally , transfer the sifted garlic powder into anairtight storage container . We typically employ mason jars , either half - dry pint or pint - sized , depending on how much we make . Repurposing old spice containers would work well too ! You ’ll probably require the assistance of a funnel shape here , so you do n’t spill your precious good . Ourcanning funnelis our best friend when we ’re working with mason jar . When salt away in an airtight container , it isgood for up to a year!And hot dang , is it good … Our year - former garlic powder has no obvious debasement in quality or taste . It is thoroughgoing timing , until next seasons harvest and one shot of preservation !
8) Enjoy!
I ’m sure you’re able to all figure out a million wonderful shipway to use your homemade garlic pulverisation , correct ? Well , just in case you need some ideas : tally it to fresh salsa , guacamole , sautéed veggies , in tomato and pasta sauce , soups , curry lentils , hommos , salad medical dressing , ballock knockout , sparge in with cookery rice or alimentary paste , or added tohomemade sourdough … The options are seriously dateless !
to boot , you could also utilize garlic powder to supplant fresh garlic in any formula . Approximately⅛ of a teaspoon of garlic pulverization will supply the tantamount flavor of one clove of ail .
Ta da!
You have successfully made your own garlic powder ! That was n’t too hard , was it ? I am unforced to look you ’ll think it was totally deserving it , too . I ’ve enjoin it before , and I will say it again : homemade garlic powder ca n’t be beat . That fresh pungent savor is unreal .
I go for you have enjoyed this article , and feel endue and excited to go make your own . If you postulate baksheesh onHow to Grow Garlic , check outthis article . Please feel free to expect questions , and spread the love by deal this with all your ail - loving supporter !
If you liked this one , you ’ll probably also jazz :
How to Make Homemade Dried Garlic Powder
Equipment
Ingredients
Instructions
Notes
