Garlic smashed with salt

[heidih]

For years I have seen and read about smashing your garlic with salt to extract the flavors and get a nice texture to integrate into a dish. I never tried it until I saw someone actually use the small marble mortar and pestle I picked up at the flea market.

What a revelation! I found that I could not just toss a clove or two in the bowl as they jump around. Chunking up the garlic, adding salt and smashing and mashing for just a bit results in a lovely paste that I have incorporated into raw summer salads, marinades, and cooked preps.

Am I the last one to appreciate this method - are you doing it?

[qrn]

That sounds like a great idea...when I make vinigarete, I alwaysput it thru a press, and then after I put it in the oil and lecthinhitand vinegaretc.,and mix it it with a stick blender, But this sounds like it would be much better, and easier to get it all mixed correctly and allow the Garlic to get the best flavor, great idea!!!

Bud

[heidih]

And the clean up is a breeze. I am one of those old fashioned ladies, who like the old grandmas, uses a paring knife towards me to peel the garlic and chunk it up. The marble M&P just needs a rinse. The texture is truly a puree. No cutting board involved.

[Norm Matthews]

I mash the cloves and large grain salt on the (rubber) cutting board with the side of my knife. It takes a few seconds. I have a marble mortar and pestle but never used it to grind up garlic.

[heidih]

I mash the cloves and large grain salt on the (rubber) cutting board with the side of my knife. It takes a few seconds. I have a marble mortar and pestle but never used it to grind up garlic.

That is the method I have seen, but I end up flying garlic around and am not usually using a chef knife - so this is my alternate method. I did it the other day to marinate some chicken and added the herbs and lemon zest to the little bowl - it nicely turned into a paste.

[dcarch]

I do my garlic the following way:

Open one container of peeled garlic, and stick a stick blender in it with salt and olive oil.

A minute of blending and I will end up with a nice garlic paste.

I store the paste in the freezer. Olive oil does not get frozen solid. Each time I need some I just spoon out as much as I need.

What can be more convenient?

dcarch

[DickL]

dcarch: your method is even simpler than mine (but it looks like you've got a better stick blender than I do). I peel and coarsely chop enough garlic to fill a half-pint Mason freezer jar and use that as a blender jar, blending the garlic, with enough olive oil to get decent blender action, into a paste. Then I freeze the garlic/oil paste until needed. I probably use less oil than you do, since I need to thaw the paste a little until I can dig out what I need.

[Ashen]

It depends on my mood and how much minced garlic I need.

If it is a small amount or I feel like using my knife I will smash with side of blade sprinkle with salt and then chop and smear with side of blade for a paste. Mostly I now use my zester microplane for fine minced garlic.. it takes it down to puree consistency and you don't even need to add salt.. If I need a lot of minced garlic.. one or two bulbs worth, I will pull out the big granite M&P.

I prefer all three of these to using a garlic press, as they mince down finer and I find it tastes better.

[dcarch]

dcarch: your method is even simpler than mine (but it looks like you've got a better stick blender than I do). I peel and coarsely chop enough garlic to fill a half-pint Mason freezer jar and use that as a blender jar, blending the garlic, with enough olive oil to get decent blender action, into a paste. Then I freeze the garlic/oil paste until needed. I probably use less oil than you do, since I need to thaw the paste a little until I can dig out what I need.

Yes, add just a little more oil, it makes it very soft in the freezer. The peeled garlic comes in a squarish container with a mouth big enough for the blender, and the shape is very compact for the freezer. No clean up, no work. Garlic paste also maximizes garlic flavor, and shortens cooking time. With chopped garlic for many recipes, I often have to caramelize the garlic first.

Great for making quick garlic bread.

dcarch

[Andrew Fenton]

dcarch, that technique is so clever, you could put a tail on it and call it a weasel! I've never bought peeled garlic before, but given the number of recipes I use that start with garlic and olive oil in a pot, there's no reason not to give that a try.

[Zeemanb]

Damn if that isn't just brilliant....I never buy pre-peeled garlic just because it seems to lose flavor or go bad before I use it up, but the stick blender is one cool trick to try.

Much residual garlic smell in the freezer when you do that?

[dcarch]

Thanks.

It comes with an air-tight cap. No smell at all.

I wish friends would stop giving me garlic presses. None of them work.

dcarch

[qrn]

I bought a press from the Rest'supply place that is different than others I have seen,it has another section behind the little holes one, that slices the stuff up into little slices, is really fast for a quick real fine dice on the cutting board after using it in that mode....(or just use the slices..

Bud

[Jaymes]

dcarch: your method is even simpler than mine (but it looks like you've got a better stick blender than I do). I peel and coarsely chop enough garlic to fill a half-pint Mason freezer jar and use that as a blender jar, blending the garlic, with enough olive oil to get decent blender action, into a paste. Then I freeze the garlic/oil paste until needed. I probably use less oil than you do, since I need to thaw the paste a little until I can dig out what I need.

Yes, add just a little more oil, it makes it very soft in the freezer. The peeled garlic comes in a squarish container with a mouth big enough for the blender, and the shape is very compact for the freezer. No clean up, no work. Garlic paste also maximizes garlic flavor, and shortens cooking time. With chopped garlic for many recipes, I often have to caramelize the garlic first.

Great for making quick garlic bread.

dcarch

I'm also in the crowd that thinks garlic presses are a huge waste of time, space, money, etc. I've always done the 'side of the chef's knife and salt' mash up. If I had a large amount, then get out the mortar and pestle. I've looked longingly at those big plastic jars of peeled garlic cloves, but figured they wouldn't hold the flavor long enough or well enough to be as good as fresh, so I've never bought them.

But this sounds promising. Next time I see one of those jars, instead of just gazing longingly, I'm giving it a try.

Thanks.

[andiesenji]

Like Heidi I smash salt in a mortar with salt and I find that "medium" sea salt works just a bit better for me than the Diamond crystal kosher sale which seems to break down too quickly into powder.

However that could be my imagination.

I used to use my broad chef's knife on the butcher block for just a couple of cloves but found the cleanup took longer than when I used a mortar and while I have plenty of cutting boards, I didn't always remember to walk across the kitchen to get one.

I like the peeled garlic and I don't notice any diminished flavor and the stuff has the advantage of being pasteurized.

I sometimes use a garlic press for certain dishes and I also have a garlic slicer that I use when I am preparing slices for drying.

I have several mortars of various sized and use the one that is appropriate for the amount of the end product.

For a good handful of cloves, I use a brass one that is deeper and doesn't retain any flavors.

[qrn]

The only problem around here is the store bought stuff is terrible,,,wonder if there was a problem in Gilroy,that is affecting supply...stuff is either rotten,and moldy, or all dried out...

Bud

[EatNopales]

I do my garlic the following way:

Open one container of peeled garlic, and stick a stick blender in it with salt and olive oil.

A minute of blending and I will end up with a nice garlic paste.

I store the paste in the freezer. Olive oil does not get frozen solid. Each time I need some I just spoon out as much as I need.

What can be more convenient?

dcarch

One of the reasons that garlic isn't preserved in oil more often & extensively is that it makes a perfect environment for botulism. Do any of the resident food safety experts have an opinion on the likelyhood of botulism in a peeled garlic product & whether the freezing temperatures would reduce the rate of reproduction etc.,?

[patrickamory]

This is process is the first step in making most Thai curry pastes. The salt is a necessary ingredient for the paste, but also provides an abrasive that helps reduce the garlic pieces to paste, ready to receive the next ingredient.

In the classic Thai procedure, the garlic and salt are pounded in a straight up and down motion (no circular or side-to-side movements), using a large granite mortar & pestle.

P.S. I really like the look of that little marble mortar & pestle! As if I need another kitchen implement of any kind

[ojisan]

One of the reasons that garlic isn't preserved in oil more often & extensively is that it makes a perfect environment for botulism. Do any of the resident food safety experts have an opinion on the likelyhood of botulism in a peeled garlic product & whether the freezing temperatures would reduce the rate of reproduction etc.,?

I was wondering about this too....

Andie's comment about tub'o'garlic being pasteurized is also something I was unaware of.

[ojisan]

The only problem around here is the store bought stuff is terrible,,,wonder if there was a problem in Gilroy,that is affecting supply...stuff is either rotten,and moldy, or all dried out...

Bud

Costco here in Santa Cruz carries Christopher Ranch Organic tubs, and Gilroy is just down the road. It's always fresh, so it's possible that your bad stuff is a result of improper storage during shipping.

[qrn]

The only problem around here is the store bought stuff is terrible,,,wonder if there was a problem in Gilroy,that is affecting supply...stuff is either rotten,and moldy, or all dried out...

Bud

Costco here in Santa Cruz carries Christopher Ranch Organic tubs, and Gilroy is just down the road. It's always fresh, so it's possible that your bad stuff is a result of improper storage during shipping.

Im jealous, being that close to Gillroy ,,,The produce around here comes from who knows where,lotsa stuff from Mexico,

I assume that gilroy would be "the"place to get it but around here, who knows,,,

Bud

[CaliPoutine]

I just run a clove over the microplane. Instant paste. Doesnt anyone else do that?

[Norm Matthews]

You don't want to leave fresh home made garlic and oil on the counter top for more than a couple hours or in the fridge for more than a couple days. http://www.stilltasty.com/fooditems/index/17236

Commercial garlic paste can last much longer. http://www.stilltasty.com/fooditems/index/17239

Edited September 17, 2011 by Norm Matthews (log)

[qrn]

You don't want to leave fresh home made garlic and oil on the counter top for more than a couple hours or in the fridge for more than a couple days. http://www.stilltasty.com/fooditems/index/17236

Commercial garlic paste can last much longer. http://www.stilltasty.com/fooditems/index/17239

you could put a touch (very small) of pickling salt in it, it has nitrate in it, and it will kill the botulisim

bud

[dcarch]

Disclaimer: Please do not view the following as correct information. I am not an expert concerning the topic of anaerobic environment and botulism. You will need to do your own research.

I believe (for myself only) botulism poisoning is a very serious condition, but a very rare condition.

The peeled garlic is made by machine and cleaned. In making the paste, lots of salt is added. The whipping/chopping/blending of the garlic into a paste introduces a lot of air in the mixture, it is far from being anaerobic. The paste is immediately frozen. Overall, there are unlikely opportunities for the botulism microbes to grow.

When I cook with garlic, I fry the garlic paste to brown it first, and that it normmally much high than 212 F degrees.

I think (for myself) it is 100% safe.

dcarch