[shokkyy]

I want to convert some of my garlic crop into jars of chopped garlic, which I tend to use quite a lot of cos it's just more convenient when you're cooking. When you buy chopped garlic it's very dry, but when you chop up a garlic glove it's pretty moist. So how do they make chopped garlic so dry? Anyone done this? Do they dry the cloves in an oven first or something like that?

[New shoot]

You could do it in a low oven - as low as it will go - and prop the door open slightly.  Chop it up first and expect it to take at least 12 hours.

I've dried garlic before in a dehydrator but tbh it really is exactly the same as shop bought stuff so I thought what a waste of a crop and leccy.  I'm going to have a go at this today so thought you might like the recipe as well  

Thai style pickled garlic - makes about 225g

10 garlic bulbs divided into cloves but unpeeled
600ml white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
100g sugar

Boil the vinegar in a pan and stir in the salt and sugar.  Keep stirring until the syrup is smooth and simmering.
Drop in the garlic and bring the syrup to a boil, simmer 5 mins then remove from heat and allow to cool.
Pack the garlic into clean sterilised jars and pour over the syrup, making sure you cover the cloves.
Leave at least 1 week before using.  If the skins are still tough, peel the cloves before using is stir frys, soups, salads or with fish or eggs.

[mumofstig]

I've only ever seen chopped garlic in oil or in vinegar................or do you mean the dried garlic granules?

[shokkyy]

I've only ever seen chopped garlic in oil or in vinegar................or do you mean the dried garlic granules?

The stuff in white wine vinegar is normally called Lazy Garlic or something like that. The stuff I buy is called chopped garlic and it's just dry chopped up garlic. It's always in with the herbs and stuff. I suspect they must dry it out before chopping though, not after, because when I chop up a garlic clove it's always quite moist inside and because of that it's just not possible to chop it up in such a uniform way.

[catllar]

I was told by a chefy friend that you shouldn't chop garlic but should just splat it with the blade of a knife and then if it's a bit big rough finish it off with a quick chop through. I've done this for years. I find that chopped garlic doesn't seem to release the oils as well as splatting it and splatting is  (technical term) is soooo much more satisfying!

[mumofstig]

Italian chefs say that you get a less harsh flavour from slicing..........bashing is quick but bruises the garlic, and the flavour  ..........I can't see that it makes much difference.

It's like the advice to tear basil rather than chop it......just crazy 

[catllar]

You are right MoS - I don't suppose many of us could tell the difference in a blind tasting of chopped or splatted, cut or torn! I guess it's just what you get used to doing and the splat method is very satisfying! Could be one of many candidates under that knife blade - take THAT you swine! Thump - splat!

[Snoop]

Actually... I can tell the difference between pressed garlic and cut garlic. Honest! You seem to get more garlic flavour when it's pressed. No idea why. Perhaps because you don't waste juice on the chopping board. Anyway, for speed of cutting, why not try a press? Washing it up is a pain, admittedly, but stick it in a cup of water or under a running tap straight away, before the bits left behind stick to the press.

I can't believe I'm about to post this! Sorry everyone.

[shokkyy]

Actually... I can tell the difference between pressed garlic and cut garlic. Honest! You seem to get more garlic flavour when it's pressed. No idea why. Perhaps because you don't waste juice on the chopping board. Anyway, for speed of cutting, why not try a press? Washing it up is a pain, admittedly, but stick it in a cup of water or under a running tap straight away, before the bits left behind stick to the press.

I can't believe I'm about to post this! Sorry everyone.

Actually ... I'm with you on that one. I can tell the difference too, and I think it's the fact that you're squeezing the juice directly into your cooking. I like to have a pot of Lazy Garlic (wet) as well as chopped garlic (dry) in my spice rack, so I can grab whichever one is best for what I'm making. Quite apart from taste, I like wet chopped garlic for when you need the garlic to blend with all the other ingredients, like a casserole, but dry chopped garlic for when you want it to brown and stay separate, like sauteed veg.

My favourite gadget for chopping garlic at the moment is one of those plastic twister things, which are fantastically fast and easy with zero garlic lost, but the end result is wet, like a garlic crusher. I think I'm going to have to try drying some garlic in an oven, to see if that gives me what I want. Even then, I have a feeling the only way I'm going to get the same result as the chopped garlic sold is by chopping it with a knife, but I'll try a clove or two in the twister after drying to see what happens.

I always thought the reason chefs splat a clove with a knife is because that's the easiest way to peel it.

[rainbow1]

Actually... I can tell the difference between pressed garlic and cut garlic. Honest! You seem to get more garlic flavour when it's pressed. No idea why. Perhaps because you don't waste juice on the chopping board. Anyway, for speed of cutting, why not try a press? Washing it up is a pain, admittedly, but stick it in a cup of water or under a running tap straight away, before the bits left behind stick to the press.

I can't believe I'm about to post this! Sorry everyone.

I’ve just purchased a garlic crusher with a removable U shaped crushing channel affair (really can't think of a better way of describing it) which I hope will be much easier to clean. It was only a couple of quid so if it reduces the faff I think it’ll have been a worthwhile investment as it’s loads quicker than chopping.