Substitute Onion Salt and Garlic Salt

[MsSusieQ]

Can you substitute onion salt and garlic salt for regular onions and garlic in a recipe? There is a recipe that I want to do that calls for 1 large shallot to be minced and put in at the beginning of the recipe but I am allergic to the real ingredient. I would like to substitute onion salt for this ingredient but I am not sure how much I should put in. Could you help me?

[Wyogal]

How about onion powder and garlic powder instead of salt? I don't tend to use it because it gives me heartburn. You may need to try it out, to taste. maybe 1/4 teaspoon to start with.

[MsSusieQ]

I have tried onion powder and garlic powder but don't really care for them. I really like the taste of onion salt with parsley and garlic salt. Could you maybe tell me about how much to use of these items?

[luvs]

can you taste as you cook?

[Andy M.]

Where you are trying to replace shallots with onion salt, you have to use more than if you are just trying to enhance the flavor of a dish. By the time you add enough onion salt to replace the shallots, the dish may be too salty.

Onion and garlic salts are combinations of salt and onion or garlic powder (granulated onion or garlic). Using these in place of the salts allows you to adjust the onion or garlic flavors separately from the saltiness.

[linicx]

To give you an idea of conversion, 1# of granulated garlic equals 5# of fresh garlic or 1/4 tsp. equals 1 medium garlic clove.

[GrillingFool]

You probably like them because of the salt content, which kicks up the perceived flavor.
I'd recommend using just the powders in the recipe and see how it tastes, then adding salt if you think it needs it.

[Claire]

What can we say? If you are allergic to the fresh ingredient, then you have no way of knowing if the powder or salt will cause a reaction, since it contains the real thing.

If there is a brand of powder/salt you KNOW that you can use, I recommend buying the garlic/onion/whatever salt, then using it in place of the salt in the recipe, then while cooking taste a lot until it is where you want it to be.

[Scotch]

Onion salt, garlic salt, onion powder, and garlic powder all include the real thing -- onions or garlic. If you're truly allergic to either onions or garlic or both, I would think you would also have an allergic reaction to the salt or powder made with these things. If not, I'd check with my physician and have some tests run to determine if I really am allergic to them.