Poll: cooks and garlic fans, input needed

[Kreon]

fresh only.

I never use the jarred garlic. It doesn't taste as good as the fresh stuff.

I do have a can of garlic powder for use on things where minced/crushed garlic isn't good the for texture or hard to apply. But I rarely use it. I don't think I've bought a can in about 5 years.

 

[Gibsons]

The thing is, fresh garlic has a long shelf life. It's not expensive either.

 

[mrblotto]

I love garlic, but have never used 'fresh'. I'm thinking I need to get some when we go shopping next. How finely do you chop it up, or is it just a personal preference?

 

[guyver01]

Go Fresh or Go Home.

 

[eLiu]

Wtf, that shit tastes NOTHING like garlic. It looks like minced garlic, but that is where the similarity ends.

You're better off with garlic powder than minced. It's cheaper & it tastes kinda like garlic. Chopping up fresh garlic is not that much of a pain... and it's so damn delicious. I'm sure there are machines/aids to peel/chop for you if you're lazy.

I agree w/your wife 100%.

edit: but in your defense, some friends I cook with are of the opinion that garlic in a jar is acceptable. I am trying desperately to dispel them of this horribly wrong opinion.

 

[mcurphy]

I used the jarred garlic for years, and only recently switched to fresh garlic which I have been using for the past 2 years. I won't go back to the jarred garlic.

I agree with others that there is better flavor and aroma with fresh garlic. But I am not totally opposed to jarred garlic. I would use it if I didn't have fresh garlic as an option.

 

[NetWareHead]

And you know this because you did the test blindfolded?

I bet if somebody put a bottled garlic in some garlic skin and put fresh stuff in the bottle, you would say the stuff in the skin tasted and smelled better because you have a preconceived opinion. And skunks have a really strong smell but I don't know anybody who eats them.

I don't need to conduct a blindfolded taste and smell test to tell me that bottled pre-minced garlic is crap in comparison to the real thing, even if it were switched as you suggest. There is no comparison at all between the two.

 

[Moonbeam]

As you can see garlic is a religion and nobody will do a blind test. All people want to taste is their opinion.

One religion says my garlic can only be in a jar and another only in a skin.

I only use fresh garlic because I know how to fix it easy, but I will buy some in a jar and taste it, if I can find a small jar for sale. What is the difference between garlic that is in it's skin or in a jar if it isn't rotten. The religious should never allow their pealed garlic to sit on a plate. The glass is the devil.

 

[NetWareHead]

The canning process used to seal the cans/jars in a food factory involves heat so you end up really with cooked garlic in a jar. Add time and exposure to light and by the time it gets to you, it tastes bland.

The only pre-chopped garlic I would use is one I prepared myself. Coming from a restaurant background, when we would prep in the morning/afternoon for the evening rush, one of our tasks would be to chop up a few pounds of garlic and then immediately transfer to a container filled with oil. This way when we received an order for a dish that called for chopped garlic, we just spooned it out from under the oil and added it to the sautee. Again, the store brought prepackaged garlic in no way compares to this either since our garlic was chopped fresh daily.

 

[NetWareHead]

Also, if anybody uses pre-chopped garlic because it is a pain and time consuming to chop fresh garlic, use a mortar and pestle to smash the garlic to desired consistency. I hate chopping garlic but the M&P is 10x faster than a chefs knife. Or a garlic press would work too.

 

[olds]

I need to find a good garlic press. Last one, the handle broke. The one before that, the garlic would come up the sides of the press and escape the holes.

 

[grrl]

I haven't used minced garlic in years, so unless they've somehow made it good since then, I'll stick with fresh garlic.

 

[spidey07]

For those that don't like the hastle there is a product made just for you.

SLAPCHOP!

 

[xanis]

I need to find a good garlic press. Last one, the handle broke. The one before that, the garlic would come up the sides of the press and escape the holes.

I had that same problem until I bought a good one at Bed Bath and Beyond. A little pricey, but it's nice and solid and does a good job.

Also: Fresh garlic 95% of the time, garlic powder the other 5%.

 

[BoomerD]

oh man, it must stink like fuck in your house sometimes--though I guess you've become desensitized to it?

sometimes I drive through Gilroy, not so bad.

Other times, when that plant is running...yikes.

It's about 100 miles...YOU'RE closer to Gilroy than I am...but we often go through Gilroy on the way to/from Monterey instead of dropping down through Hollister. Better roads and she can hit the garlic stands.
The only time it stinks in my house is when I've eaten chili...or some other form of beans...or broccoli...or...eggs...or<insert your favorite gassy food>Then, you'd better bring your own gas mask because I AM the world's largest producer of natural gas.

 

[JulesMaximus]

To summarize, your wife is right.

I take a chefs knife and use the flat edge of the blade to smash the clove just enough to break the dry skin, take a sharp serrated paring knife and cut off the dried end, peel off the dried skin, and then thinly slice the clove. After that I go back to the chefs knife and mince the thin slices. Take 4-5 cloves and do this, add to any dish that calls for garlic and you can't tell me that garlic from a jar tastes anywhere near as good.

For great garlic bread, prepare 4-5 cloves of garlic as I stated above, mix in 1/2 cup of softened butter and a couple tablespoons of fresh chopped parsley and spread over a loaf of French bread halved. Cook in the oven for 10 minutes at 400 degrees or until slightly browned.

 

[slag]

I'm a garlic fan and I use minced garlic in a jar.

Ditto. I can never have too much garlic in my dishes and buy the 50 gallon minced garlic in a jar/can and go through about one every few months. If a recipe calls for 1/2 teaspoon of garlic, I put in 2-3 tablespoons of the minced stuff at least.

I think it tastes identical to fresh garlic.

 

[Perknose]

I mince my own garlic and put it into pretty much everything I cook. I fucking love garlic.

Pretty much this for me, though I also keep powdered garlic on hand for the occasional quickie. However, nothing beats fresh garlic, and I LOVE it.

 

[mcurphy]

Ditto. I can never have too much garlic in my dishes and buy the 50 gallon minced garlic in a jar/can and go through about one every few months. If a recipe calls for 1/2 teaspoon of garlic, I put in 2-3 tablespoons of the minced stuff at least.

I think it tastes identical to fresh garlic.

50 gallon drum of garlic!

Even 5 gallons would be a few years worth for me

 

[iGas]

Powder or pre mince jar garlic doesn't smells nearly as strong as fresh, and it tastes a bit bitter to me compares to fresh garlic.

1 whack with the side of a Chinese cleaver, pick off the skin and mince the garlic take roughly the same amount of time as open the jar and scoop it out with a spoon.

 

[iGas]

Originally Posted by slag
Ditto. I can never have too much garlic in my dishes and buy the 50 gallon minced garlic in a jar/can and go through about one every few months. If a recipe calls for 1/2 teaspoon of garlic, I put in 2-3 tablespoons of the minced stuff at least.

I think it tastes identical to fresh garlic.

50 gallon drum of garlic!

Even 5 gallons would be a few years worth for me

OMG!

Just imagine the dragon breath, and BO.

I go through a bout 2 bulbs a month.

 

[Perknose]

As you can see garlic is a religion and nobody will do a blind test. All people want to taste is their opinion.

One religion says my garlic can only be in a jar and another only in a skin.

I only use fresh garlic because I know how to fix it easy, but I will buy some in a jar and taste it, if I can find a small jar for sale. What is the difference between garlic that is in it's skin or in a jar if it isn't rotten. The religious should never allow their pealed garlic to sit on a plate. The glass is the devil.

Moonie I tried to buy and substitute pre-minced garlic in the past, more than once, and would have gladly stuck with it if it had come somewhat close to fresh but it didn't.

I put a TON of fresh minced garlic on my salads, and I eat salad daily in season and nearly daily off-season. Fresh veggies do it for me.

And, lol, most everything I cook contains garlic! The convenience factor would have won me over but the taste just doesn't make it.

 

[sjwaste]

Moonie I tried to buy and substitute pre-minced garlic in the past, more than once, and would have gladly stuck with it if it had come somewhat close to fresh but it didn't.

I put a TON of fresh minced garlic on my salads, and I eat salad daily in season and nearly daily off-season. Fresh veggies do it for me.

And, lol, most everything I cook contains garlic! The convenience factor would have won me over but the taste just doesn't make it.

Put differently - if you can't taste the very obvious difference between fresh and canned garlic, you shouldn't be anywhere around garlic. I'd argue further that you shouldn't be providing any sort of opinion on food without a disclaimer.

The shit in a jar tastes nothing like fresh garlic. More accurately, it has virtually no flavor of its own.

I'd be happy to taste test the two blindly. They're completely different in taste, smell, and texture.

 

[TastesLikeChicken]

Garlic should be cut fresh from whole, peeled cloves. It contains a lot volatile compounds that break down quickly which is why it's about the only ingredient that shouldn't be prepped ahead of time. I'll have it peeled and ready but it doesn't get sliced, diced, or minced until it's time to use it.

A garlic press may be the only single-tasker worth owning.

 

[Barfo]

ok in a jar