Minced garlic is available fresh in jars or dehydrated. Later, we will deduce how much minced garlic equals one clove. When you add any type of chopped garlic to a recipe, it is ready just the way it is. The positives of using pre-chopped garlic are that you don’t have to peel and cut it, and both fresh and dehydrated garlic last longer than whole cloves. The downside is that some cooks find that these two types are not always suitable substitutes for fresh garlic.
How much minced garlic is one clove?
A bulb of garlic usually contain nearly about 10 cloves.
1 clove = 1 teaspoon chopped garlic
= 1/2 teaspoon of minced garlic
= 1/8 teaspoon of garlic powder
= 1/2 teaspoon garlic flakes
= 1/4 teaspoon of granulated garlic
= 1/2 teaspoon of garlic juice
How to mince garlic?
Method #1 - (With a knife)
1. Separate the pods.
Separate the head of garlic into individual cloves. To mince the garlic, you must first prepare the cloves. Press down firmly on the bulb with your palm. Light pressure will separate the pods from each other.
To reach the pods, remove and discard the outer skin of the bulb, which has a dry texture reminiscent of paper. Be careful not to throw away small pods that might be hidden in this skin
Most recipes indicate the number of pods needed. If not, a medium-sized clove usually produces about a tablespoon of minced garlic
2. Peel the pods.
The taut transparent skin that surrounds each clove must be removed before using the garlic in cooking. There are several ways to go about it.
Cut the hard end of the pod (the one that connected it to the rest of the bulb) and press gently, but evenly, on the sides of the pod so that it pops out of its skin.
Place the surface of a knife on the pod and press firmly until the skin opens. You can then remove it with your fingers. Be careful not to completely crush the garlic clove, as the flesh may mix with the skin.
3. Cut the pod.
Cut the whole garlic clove into slices lengthwise. The thinner the slices, the better. A sharp knife is very helpful, but since garlic cloves are small, be especially careful not to cut your fingers.
To avoid accidents, some cooks hold the ingredient they are cutting (in this case, it’s a clove of garlic) with their fingertips and bend their fingers while pressing down on the food placed on it. the cutting board. In this way, the side of the knife rests against the bent phalanges, but its blade does not touch the fingertips, reducing the risk of getting cut.
For better control of the knife, place its blade on the cutting board and swing it back and forth to cut the garlic rather than moving it up and down.
4. Cut the garlic in the other direction.
Rotate the pod 90 ° and cut it again. Again, the thinner the sliced parts, the finer the garlic will be at the end. Use the same technique as in the previous step.
When you’re done, you should have dozens (if not hundreds) of tiny diced garlic. Well done ! You have just minced a clove of garlic!
5. Keep going.
If you wish, continue chopping the garlic. The more you cut it, the more tiny pieces you will get, which will produce a more pronounced flavor and aroma. If the recipe calls for it, continue to run your knife through the pile of chopped garlic to mince it even more or to get rid of any large pieces that may remain.
Remember that “finely” minced garlic is cut into many tiny dice. The “coarsely” chopped garlic is cut into a few larger pieces.
Method # 2 - (Without a knife)
1. Prepare the garlic.
Prepare the garlic by separating and peeling the cloves as usual. Here you will learn some alternatives for slicing garlic if you don’t have a knife. For each of these methods, you should prepare the garlic cloves normally before slicing them.
Detach the necessary number of pods from the bulb.
Discard the outer skin of the bulb.
Peel each pod by pressing down on its sides to pop it out of its skin or by pressing firmly on it with a knife before removing the skin with your fingers.
2. Use a fork.
An easy way to mince garlic is with the tines of a fork. This method requires a little strength in the arms, but it is particularly effective
Lay a garlic clove flat on a cutting board and take a sturdy metal fork.
Place the end of the fork tines on the garlic clove and press firmly so that the garlic goes up between the tines.
Rotate the fork and repeat the process, slicing the garlic in the other direction. Continue in this way to finely mince the garlic.
Take the pieces of garlic stuck together with a fork and remove the hard part of the minced garlic. The garlic is now ready to be cooked.
3. Use a garlic press.
A garlic press is a very practical tool for preparing garlic. It does exactly what its name suggests: it crushes the garlic and turns it into a paste. To use a garlic press, proceed as follows:
Put the clove in the hollow part of the garlic press.
Bring the garlic press handles together tightly. The garlic will come out of the other side of the tool, passing through the holes.
Scrape the inside of the tool to catch the remaining garlic and add it to the flesh that has come out of the holes. You can now use the garlic.
You can also use a morter or pastel.
4. Grate the garlic.
Try using a zest grater. It is a tool similar to a cheese grater, but with very fine holes, which allows a clove of garlic to be cut into small very thin slices quite quickly.
To use a zest grater, simply rub the garlic clove against its surface while holding it over a bowl. Small wet slices will fall into the bowl.
When the piece of garlic becomes too small for you to grate it without hurting your fingers, simply cut it with a knife or else crush it and add it to the grated garlic.
5. Use a a food processor.
Make a few short taps with the device. This should be enough to chop the garlic finely. Since garlic cloves are small, it might not be worth taking out the food processor just to mince one, but it’s a good option if you need to mince a large amount of garlic for a large dish.
Advice
Methods of crushing garlic or cutting it into extremely thin strips (eg, the zest grater) produce much stronger flavors than using a traditional knife. Be careful, because you can easily make your food taste too strong this way.
BENEFITS: Nutritional properties and functional effects
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The active ingredients of garlic, in many cases, favor the reduction of disease risk factors, increasing immunity, aiding in the decoding of organs and viscera and producing an antimicrobial and antioxidant effect. This is because it has bioactive substances that prevent the action of free radicals.
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The benefits of garlic come from substances called photochemicals, which are sulfur and non-sulfur compounds that act as antioxidants in protecting against free radicals, toxic molecules associated with the appearance of cancer cells, joint problems in the nervous system and ■■■■■■■■■ aging.
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In addition, garlic has natural antibiotics, such as allicin and garlicine - a yellow liquid that appears when garlic is chewed or cut by breaking the bulb cells, which is responsible for most of the plant’s pharmacological properties - which has action against bacteria. More than 30 garlic components with therapeutic effect have been identified.
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It has antimicrobial activity, helps the body to resist the invasion of microorganisms and to destroy certain pathogens. It is useful in the treatment of bacteria and fungi such as candida albicans , and ■■■■■■, measles and flu viruses, as well as acting against gastrointestinal parasites.
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The countless benefits do not end there! The sulfur compounds present in garlic are functional compounds with hypocholesterolemic properties, which means a reduction in the concentration of LDL (low-density lipoprotein, called bad cholesterol) and triglycerides. It also regulates blood pressure and improves healing activity.
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ANVISA recognizes the nutritional function and regulates it as a herbal medicine. It emphasizes that it is not recommended for children under three years old and people affected with gastritis, ulcers, hypotension, hypoglycemia and those who use anticoagulants.
Consumption recommendations
For the reduction of systemic blood pressure and total cholesterol, the intake should be at least 6g to 9g (one clove of garlic/day). Regular consumption of garlic in the amount of 8 g / day (a large clove), favours the proper functioning of the immune system, increases HDL cholesterol, fights bacteria and viruses, prevents atherosclerosis and cancer, reduces blood glucose and LDL cholesterol and consequently the risk of a heart attack. Both the Canadian Ministry of Health and the Commission and the German Federal Health Agency suggest eating 4g of raw garlic or 8mg of essential oils for the prevention of cardiovascular risk factors.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. How to buy it?
Choose heads that always have chubby teeth, with very firm skin and texture.
2. What to do for its Long life ?
For the garlic to the last longer, never store in the refrigerator. Always keep it out, however, in a cool and airy place. So the flavour will remain intact.
3. How to peel it?
Place the side of the knife blade over a clove of garlic. Tighten using light pressure. Then, just remove the peel with your hands.
4.Pounded, chopped or whole? Which one is the best?
Chopped and raw garlic generally tastes stronger and tastier. Punch, on the other hand, usually comes mixed with a large amount of salt, however, the flavour is less pronounced. Whole garlic cloves taste milder, especially after boiling or roasting.
5.Want to soften your taste a little?
Add lemon juice or another acidic liquid, such as vinegar.
6. Types of garlic?
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the mild green garlic
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the purple-skinned - Italian garlic
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Mexican garlic
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the common white-skinned garlic - California garlic, which is the most pungent of all.
Inference
Whether pounded, chopped, chipped or whole, in the end, it gives that special flavour to the recipes.
Also note that very finely chopped garlic tends to burn more easily than whole cloves or more coarsely chopped garlic.