How to Prepare and Preserve Garlic
We all add garlic to various recipes due to its flavour, which can enhance any dish. It’s a big part of our everyday cooking routine, but do you know how to prepare it correctly? Here’s everything you need to know about properly using it in your recipes.
What You Need to Know About Garlic
Garlic is part of the allium family of vegetables, which includes onions, leeks and chives. It’s often used as an aromatic ingredient in recipes. Garlic originating from Spain and China, for example, is available at grocery stores all year long. When it comes to < strong>Quebec garlic, it’s harvested around mid-July and is available for purchase a few weeks later. Given that it’ll keep between 3 to 12 months, you'll continue to find it in the produce aisle for a long while. ]
How to Chop Garlic
With a Knife: We prefer chopping it with a knife for a more precise cut and to create less food waste. To make a garlic paste, simply crush the clove with the flat part of the knife and then add a little salt to it. This extracts the water from the garlic and easily turns it into a smooth paste.
With a Garlic Press: Using a garlic press is also practical, especially since it can go into the dishwasher. It will release more liquid, but the taste will be just as good. You won’t notice a difference in dishes.
With a Grater: We enjoy finely grating the garlic for a dressing or any other use that requires it to be raw. It intensifies the flavour, distributes it evenly, and prevents you from biting into large chunks.
Do You Need to Degerm Garlic?
When it comes to edibility, removing the germ (or sprout) isn’t necessary. However, note that this is the most bitter part of garlic, so leaving it in could make you feel the sensation of indigestion. To remove it, cut the clove lengthwise in two and use the tip of the knife.
How to Easily Remove the Peel
You’ll likely find many tips and tricks to peeling garlic, but the simplest consists of just pressing down on it with the bottom of a bowl or the flat part of a knife. The peel can then be removed easily.
How to Remove the Smell of Garlic from Your Hands
All you need to do is wet your hands and then rub them on a stainless steel surface. The sulphur molecules, which cause the bad odour, cling to the metal, thus eliminating the smell.
Conserving Garlic and Making It Last Longer
Place the garlic bulbs in a cool, dry place away from any light. There are containers designed for this very purpose that work well.