Garlic Question

[Juniper]

Hi--I'm new. I've been reading these boards for several weeks. I hope there's room for one more...you all seem so great!

I'm going to pose my first question. Can someone explain to me the difference between minced garlic, pressed garlic, and garlic spray (not garlic cooking spray). I'm talking about the spray that is on www.garlicvalleyfarms.com. (http://www.garlicvalleyfarms.com.)

I've seen recipes call for minced, chopped, pressed, etc. What is the difference.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH!!

[junietoo]

Welcome, Juniper. I'll wade in even though I've never used garlic sprays. The different descriptions of garlic you describe are simply different ways to prepare the cloves.

Pressed usually means putting the clove through a garlic press. Minced usually means chopping the cloves very finely, but not as finely as if it were pressed. Chopped means cut up into bigger pieces than minced.

I use a garlic press for most recipes unless there is more than a few seconds of sauteing involved. It's easy to overcook garlic and burned garlic is bitter.

The main idea is to achieve the highest garlic concentration in the food as possible without causing a mass evacuation of the neighborhood http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/biggrin.gif

[SandyM]

Originally posted by junietoo:
The main idea is to achieve the highest garlic concentration in the food as possible without causing a mass evacuation of the neighborhood

Hmmm......no wonder I haven't seen my neighbors around in a while....... http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/biggrin.gif

[MrsReber]

Whenever I press garlic, the taste is always much stronger than when I mince or chop. That must be why I always use the press!

Sandy, the smell of garlic always makes me hungry. I'd show up at your door if I were your neighbor!

[Jewel]

I buy the Spaghetti Sauce sized-jars of bottled Minced Garlic in the convenient economy size at Costco, usually two or three at a time, but there are times when I buy whole garlic for certain recipes that call for 'pressed'. Personally, I don't really like pressing garlic, I feel like it's leaving so much behind. (All the outer 'shell' area squeezes out the sides and I have to put it back and try again!) but when a recipe calls for 'pressed garlic' I know that the juice is important to the flavor of the recipe. Minced you get the garlic, pressed you get crushed garlic pulp and lots of the garlic juice.

I haven't tried the Garlic Spray, but that actually might make satisfying my husband's fantasies a little easier! He says instead of that perfume I always wear, all I really need to do is dab a bit 'o garlic juice behind each ear... http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/wink.gif

[funnybone]

I bought a Pampered Chef garlic press last year and have not minced garlic since. This press is fantastic (and I have had a few others before that were garbage). You don't even need to peel the clove!!!!!!

[KellyD]

Jewel -

I have to admit that I used to feel that way about using a garlic press - until I bought the Pampered chef version. I'm not generally a big fan of PC products (don't anybody hit me...), but that press is fabulous. I don't even peel it - and it works great.

Juniper - it sounds like your question has been answered pretty well. But one more tip - purists will tell you never to use the bottled stuff. But we're all busy, so I use it when I'm in a hurry - which is a lot of the time. But nothing beats the flavor of the fresh stuff!

[Gail]

Originally posted by Jewel:
... Personally, I don't really like pressing garlic, I feel like it's leaving so much behind. (All the outer 'shell' area squeezes out the sides and I have to put it back and try again!) ...)

Jewel, if you're losing garlic through the sides of your press, you might want to think about investing in another model. Can't remember what magazine study I was reading (Consumer Reports??) but a well-made press isn't supposed to ooze out of the sides. Although I don't have this model (always meant to buy one) Zyliss's Susi garlic press has been top rated by seemingly everyone for years.

Another thing I've found-- I can make use of a lot more of the garlic by pre-peeling the clove before putting it in the press. (or dropping the clove in and crunching it to facilitate peeling, removing the peel and tossing it back in again for a final squeeze.) Just recently, I decided to try it the other way and though it's admittedly simpler putting the whole, unpeeled clove in, I found the yield of garlic that came out of the press was considerably less.

...just my experience, anyway...

[buddie]

i took a cooking class a long time ago and ever since then i do nothing but mince and chop my garlic. we were told that anytime you press garlic through a presser you will get a much more acidic tasting garlic because you have squished all the pores (something like that).

[MrsReber]

BarbaraL, my husband used to only use bottled garlic. Until I moved in! It doesn't seem to have any flavor, that's why I don't use it. It seems pointless to me. I'd even rather use garlic powder than garlic in a jar because it has more flavor. That's my only problem with it. Believe me, I'm all for saving time and cutting corners, but not at the expense of taste- especially not when it comes to garlic!

[Tiger]

Right now my house is filled with garlic smell. I'm making Dracula's Revenge!

[ZORICH1]

Originally posted by Juniper:
Hi--I'm new. I've been reading these boards for several weeks. I hope there's room for one more...you all seem so great!

I'm going to pose my first question. Can someone explain to me the difference between minced garlic, pressed garlic, and garlic spray (not garlic cooking spray). I'm talking about the spray that is on www.garlicvalleyfarms.com. (http://www.garlicvalleyfarms.com.)

I've seen recipes call for minced, chopped, pressed, etc. What is the difference.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH!!

[BarbaraL]

Thanks for the comment, KellyD. I've always used fresh garlic. My husband brought home some of the bottled stuff, but I've never used it (thought it smelled funny). I've wondered if I was being too much of a purist (especially when in a rush, or when the fresh garlic starts to sprout. Glad to know the fresh is best, but bottled will do in a pinch!

[Emdg]

I have used garlic spray before. I must admit I originally bought it to make a pest control concoction for my garden http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/biggrin.gif I feel that it is only good for garlic bread, so not really worth it.

I have the Zyliss Susi and really like it. I always peel garlic before pressing because I feel that the peel clogs the holes.

I admit to using the jarred minced stuff now and again, although I try for fresh. BarbaraL you can use sprouted garlic as long as it's not too mushy.

Good luck with the stinking rose Juniper!