Garlic vs garlic paste
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pepperhead212
Executive Chef
You can certainly use your own garlic instead of garlic paste - in fact, I'm not a fan of jarred garlic, or garlic and ginger sauces, often called for in Indian recipes. As with minced garlic in jars, chemicals must be added, to prevent botulism. And the flavor just isn't as good! People I know that use these I'm getting hooked on fresh garlic, though they were using those forever.
If something, for some reason, needs the garlic in a paste, you can do this on the board or in a mortar. Aioli would be something you might not want the minced garlic in large pieces.
If something, for some reason, needs the garlic in a paste, you can do this on the board or in a mortar. Aioli would be something you might not want the minced garlic in large pieces.
Chief Longwind Of The North
Certified/Certifiable
You can use garlic, freshly minced, or crushed instead of garlic paste. Just be aware that some strains of garlic are more potent than others. Elephant garlic, for instance, though large in size, has a milder flavor than say a French Rocambole, a hardneck variety that is fairly assertive.
Take a little taste of your minced garlic before adding it into your recipe. Also, if you roast the garlic bulb until soft, it will lose its bite, and become sweet, yet with a wonderful garlic flavor.
Seeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North
Take a little taste of your minced garlic before adding it into your recipe. Also, if you roast the garlic bulb until soft, it will lose its bite, and become sweet, yet with a wonderful garlic flavor.
Seeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North
blissful
Master Chef
- Joined
- Mar 25, 2008
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- 6,410
I made a mix of hummus and minced garlic, to spread on toast, then baked in the oven for garlic bread (with lasagna). It probably would have been nice in a paste, but I didn't bother. I keep minced garlic in the freezer from our garlic harvest, flat, in zip lock bags.
Cooking Goddess
Chef Extraordinaire
Garlic crushed with a press is close in consistency to garlic paste. You can also make your own paste by smashing a clove on a cutting board, adding a little salt, and then smooshing the garlic and salt around in circles with the side of the knife until it's smooth. Adjust salt in the recipe to allow for what you used on the garlic.
larry_stewart
Master Chef
Ive never found pre-made store bought garlic paste to be good, and they rarely resemble true, fresh garlic flavor ( unless its just been thee brands Ive tried).
Fresh garlic will have a more intense garlic flavor ( which for me is a good thing). And unless you paste it yourself ( as mentioned above) there may be a consistency issue. But I always use fresh garlic ( minced, finely chopped ...). and never store bought paste.
Fresh garlic will have a more intense garlic flavor ( which for me is a good thing). And unless you paste it yourself ( as mentioned above) there may be a consistency issue. But I always use fresh garlic ( minced, finely chopped ...). and never store bought paste.
msmofet
Chef Extraordinaire
- Joined
- Apr 5, 2009
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I now peel 3-4 whole builds/heads of garlic and put in my mini food processor. Pulse till finely minced. Nothing added. Place in ziploc bags and freeze. Break off a piece for recipe and put bag back in freezer. I also have yellow onion, red onion, green onion, shallot, basil, oregano, thyme, rosemary, sage and parsley processed the same way in the freezer. So quick and easy to add to recipes. For things like tomato salad I just smash a couple cloves and add without chopping. They release flavor and can be removed easily.
Just Cooking
Master Chef
karadekoolaid
Head Chef
I would absolutely recommend using fresh garlic over minced.The difference between a fresh product, and a processed one is enormous.
Another vote for fresh or home frozen garlic. You can also get a paste like consistency by grating garlic with a microplane food grater.
buckytom
Chef Extraordinaire
This.
This.
And this.
Baking a head of garlic (top cut off, salted, drizzled with oil, wrapped in foil and baked) will make a nice paste if you are averse to knife work, or using a single use tool such as a press.
karadekoolaid
Head Chef
Quite agree - but roasted garlic has a completely different flavour from fresh.
larry_stewart
Master Chef
True, but then again, so does the pre-packaged crap. At least the roasted garlic tastes good
So I will mince the garlic and use that instead of garlic paste. Same difference it seems.
