The best way to cheat at garlic?

[Viot]

Time poor and trying to cook healthily. Can't always be bothered to do all the garlic paperwork and mincing.

Not keen on jarlic. Is there a good brand?

Does it freeze well? How? (I freeze chopped spring onions and celery with great success).

How do you cheat at garlic?

Been mentioned already but Taj frozen garlic is great and cheap, and I also like the jars of paste from South Asian brands (natco?) Garlic powder I use in soups/chilli, but it has different mellower taste, almost like roasted garlic.

I use M&S garlic paste in the jar. Much more convenient. I don’t like the frozen garlic, but that’s because I’m not a fan of diced garlic anyway as I find the pieces too big.

Taj crushed garlic from Sainsbury’s are perfect for cooking. Frozen in small, individual blocks. Some frozen minced garlic in cartons etc can “clump” and be difficult to use.

Not what you asked for but I got one of these a couple of years ago after using a friend’s and have never looked back! It takes seconds to crush and much easier to clean than a traditional press. It’s also strangely satisfying.

This is the best I've found. Often on bogof in Tesco or Morrisons.

You what now...? 😁

Yes. Zyliss garlic press is what I have and no peeling is required. The only pain is that it can’t go in the dishwasher.

I peel the cloves, freeze overnight on a baking sheet and then pop into a freezer bag, no effort at all. When needed I take the cloves out, leave to soften on the side whilst I prep the other veg etc and find them so much easier and less fiddly to chop when semi frozen. Started doing this for cost efficiency as I was always throwing so much garlic away it, but the convenience of it is great!

Yes we do the same. I buy the bigger chunkier large garlics as they’re less faffy, and also just put the whole unpeeled clove in and squash. The residue comes out more easily too when it’s got the skin in there. And I tend to give it a fairly cursory wash as it’s only ever going to be used for more garlic squashing.

Also if you are peeling them, run a handful of cloves under the tap first, as the skin is way easier to peel off when wet - it’s less papery and finicky.

My favourite way to cook garlic is Gordon Ramsey/Jamie Oliver (can’t remember which), you the garlic bulb and slice the very top bit off so you can see all the cloves, then roast it and when it’s cooked the garlic is really soft and sweet and can be squeezed out of the whole bulb. You could do that once with a baking tray full and freeze them.

I agree. Lazy garlic is disgusting. Use the paste or just dried garlic granules - they taste fine Not as lovely as freshly chopped, but at least it just tastes of garlic not weird pungent, rancid other stuff.

Yup, this. I'll top'n'tail it and put it in the crusher. Squish, done.

I buy a huge bag of peeled cloves in a local Indian shop for £5 & freeze it then use one of those rocking mincers. I've bought Taj frozen garlic too and give the pack a bashing with a meat tenderiser before taking out what I need.

If you're going to freeze it, the easiest way to mince it is in the processor bowl of a stick blender--you can do loads at once. I bet it would freeze well in an ice cube tray then, and store well in any airtight container once frozen into blocks.

Yes, this - it takes about 2 seconds to do a clove. No peeling or anything required. I don’t understand how prepping garlic can possibly be so time consuming!

I use the frozen chopped stuff. Just use a cube at a time. Also do frozen ginger and onion

I reckon this is the right solution for me.

You can buy bags of whole frozen garlic too but you may have to go to bigger supermarkets or maybe a far east Asian grocery store. But of course it's easy enough to do yourself!

It does clump a bit sometimes but you just have to bash the bag on the counter agitate it slightly and it comes apart quite nicely.

I use garlic powder for some things, but not everything. I always have fresh garlic, frozen garlic and garlic powder, and often smoked or black garlic too. That covers pretty much everything and means I can 'cheat' when I want to!

There is a difference in the flavour profile of the finished dish depending on whether the garlic is finely chopped, crushed, bashed with a knife and sliced, or, indeed, left whole. So one size doesn't fit all!

I use fresh garlic but I always have frozen garlic cubes in the freezer in case I run out. I always use frozen ginger as well because it's a faff to prepare.

As pp said most of the time I grate ginger off a frozen root, peel and all. Much easier, and always nice and fresh. I only chop/slice if it actually matters to the recipe. I've got a bag of chopped ginger as well and one of chillies - emergency rations in case I run out and forget to replenish.

TAJ frozen garlic, garlic and ginger and chilli peppers are great. I always have bags of them in the freezer.

Powdered garlic is your friend.

If you peel and blend four or five (or ten) garlic bulbs in one go, then spoon the garlic into a freezer bag, press it flat and freeze on a flat surface you get a sheet of frozen garlic and can easily break a little bit off straight out the freezer any time you need it.

I keep a bag of garlic powder as back up to the frozen. I tie a twisty tie tag round the bag neck & put it in an airtight container, this stops it clumping up, ditto onion powder.