Garlic powder--yea or nay?

I've never used this before; we usually have fresh and when we haven't, I've just skipped it (or changed to another recipe if I thought the garlic was essential). I'm wondering if it pays to buy a bit to have on hand for those times when the fresh garlic is gone. Obviously, it can't be sauteed like fresh, but I imagine that there are plenty of circumstances in which it can be rehydrated and then added. My question is this: in a pinch, is it okay? Meaning, I guess, how bad (or good) is it? Will I have a mouthful of whatever and go, "Yuck! Someone used garlic powder instead of fresh!"

Thanks.

Rather than garlic powder, I use granulated garlic from the Spice House when I need to really kick up the garlic taste. Chicken Vesuvio, for example, where fresh garlic combined with a granulated garlic kicker is just what makes the recipe sing.

Gypsy Boy wrote:I've never used this before; we usually have fresh and when we haven't, I've just skipped it (or changed to another recipe if I thought the garlic was essential). I'm wondering if it pays to buy a bit to have on hand for those times when the fresh garlic is gone. Obviously, it can't be sauteed like fresh, but I imagine that there are plenty of circumstances in which it can be rehydrated and then added. My question is this: in a pinch, is it okay? Meaning, I guess, how bad (or good) is it? Will I have a mouthful of whatever and go, "Yuck! Someone used garlic powder instead of fresh!"

Thanks.

Garlic powder contains nothing but powdered dehydrated garlic, so I don't see why someone would object to it based on taste. My one concern would be using too much and making a dish too garlicky tasting. I would stick to the recommended amounts in recipes, and when working without a recipe, I would just add a little at a time to make sure I don't add too much.

I use a lot of granulated garlic (sometimes also marked garlic powder but you need to make sure it's really the granulated stuff--not the kind that looks like powdered sugar), particularly in rubs, when I need to make a toasted mix like for a curry or stir fry, and when doing finishing seasoning for soups, etc. It's pretty much a kitchen staple for me. Same for onion powder.

Fine to use, especially in certain applications. Just make sure it hasn't been sitting around too long or it won't have much flavor. As posted above, the granulated from Spice House is excellent.

=R=

I'm interested to learn of folks using it for cooking; my experience has been that it's right for certain limited uses, such as spiced nuts.

Gran gar is good for seasoned flour or dry rubs.

I keep some on hand, but rarely use it for anything but rubs. We always keep fresh garlic on hand.(And in the summer, when we can get five or six different types of garlic from Henry at the Evanston Farmers' Market, we can get a little wild with fresh garlic.)

Jazzfood wrote:Gran gar is good for seasoned flour or dry rubs.

I mainly use it for rubs, but sometimes through it in other dishes when I realize too late that I'm out of the fresh stuff.

Darren72 wrote:

Jazzfood wrote:Gran gar is good for seasoned flour or dry rubs.

I mainly use it for rubs, but sometimes through it in other dishes when I realize too late that I'm out of the fresh stuff.

I too generally use it only for rubs and in my fried chicken flour mixture, but occasionally when I'm dying for garlic bread and don't have the fresh stuff, I'll use it.

BR wrote:

Darren72 wrote:

Jazzfood wrote:Gran gar is good for seasoned flour or dry rubs.

I mainly use it for rubs, but sometimes through it in other dishes when I realize too late that I'm out of the fresh stuff.

I too generally use it only for rubs and in my fried chicken flour mixture, but occasionally when I'm dying for garlic bread and don't have the fresh stuff, I'll use it.

To those of you who use it primarily or exclusively for dry applications, like rubs, do you find any taste reason not to use it in place of fresh--on those rare occasions where you're out of the fresh stuff?

I prefer to use fresh if I have it for anything that doesn't require the end result to be "dry" (like a rub or mixed into flour, etc.) or where you won't be able to cook the raw flavor off properly, like when adding to something like soup, spaghetti sauce or stew as a finishing seasoning. It's not the same flavor as fresh but it's not bad or anything. It's just different, just as any herb is different used dry versus fresh. If you taste the dried garlic, you can probably figure out what it will/won't work for.

The one food item that I know I've made with both fresh garlic and granulated garlic powder is garlic bread, and the one made with fresh garlic is just so much better in flavor. I'd expect the same results in most dishes. Of course, fresh garlic will usually have a much more assertive garlic flavor too.

I'm with stevez. It works just as well. As for powder, nay.

I use it a lot for marinades and rubs. Spice House also sells a roasted granulated garlic which I love. It is a little mellower and works better in garlic bread. I also use it in sandwiches. I too prefer granulated over powdered.

-Will

Like the others, I use it (or granulated garlic--it depends on how fine I want it) for rubs and certain spice blends fairly regularly. My basic cajun spice mix is salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and garlic powder, for instance. I'll also use it in chili powder blends (although granulated works fine here.) Sometimes I'll use both fresh garlic and garlic powder in the same dish--they taste a bit different, but I don't use garlic powder as a straight substitute for garlic. Also, a little tends to go a long way when it comes to the powder.

I grew up with garlic powder - no other way to make my mom's salad dressing And it was the only way I had garlic bread as a kid.

Now when I make garlic bread I put both a touch of garlic powder and fresh garlic on.

It definitely does do different things than fresh.

Hi,

Since I was 12 with the gift of an old garlic press, we pretty much use fresh. I do have garlic powder (never garlic salt) for Chex mix and homemade onion dip.

What really surprises me is why anyone buys chopped garlic in a jar. It is no big deal to peel and mince some fresh garlic.

Regards,

I always have both fresh and dried garlic on hand. To me they have significantly different flavors, and each has their own place in my recipes. For example if I want the flavor of fresh garlic on a rub, I would never dream of substituting dry just because it's easier, though I would use it if I wanted the flavor of dry. I feel the same way about other spices as well, ginger being another one of them.

BR wrote:The one food item that I know I've made with both fresh garlic and granulated garlic powder is garlic bread, and the one made with fresh garlic is just so much better in flavor.

I sometimes go a little over the top with garlic bread, a surprise to anyone who knows me I'm sure. I use a combination of fresh garlic in sliced, minced and grated form plus Spice House granulated garlic plus garlic butter and garlic infused olive oil. I also add a wee bit of granulated white onion, cumin and guajillo from the Spice House.

Speaking of my over the top garlic bread, I first made it for a garlic loving niece 8-10 years ago and she now requests it every time she comes over or we go to her house for dinner.

I use Spice House granulated garlic in BBQ rubs, including our Barn & Company dry rubs.

I understand there's a pretty good BBQ rub at the Spice House that incorporates garlic powder.

WE use Penzey's granulated garlic, high quality and it sticks nice for rubs.
We also sometimes use Penzy's dried minced garlic when pressed for time but usually fresh crushed is still superior.
Wusthof makes the best garlic crusher on the market, I've had one for about 15 years and it's still going strong. Every other one I had, I destroyed quickly. Makes a great crushed garlic.-Dick

It is good for dry rubs and as needed in recipes. Fresh is still the best bet in most cases. It is amazing to me how many pizza joints don't have fresh. For instance, one of my fav pizza's is anchovy, fresh garlic, and mushroom. When they come back and say they only have garlic powder, I pass and go in another direction. Garlic powder cannot take the place of the real thing.

Just checked the garlic powder that I got at Aldi's, $0.99 for 5.5 oz. The container is about 2/3 full and the garlic aroma is strong; not likely to be losing its punch anytime soon. I will take others' word for it that the Spice House and Penzey's offerings are very good, but I live 45 min from Evanston and an hour from Milwaukee, and I personally don't see garlic powder/granulated garlic as a destination seasoning or worth paying more than a couple of dollars for. When I am in the neighborhood of a specialty spice store, I prefer to buy unusual things I couldn't find just anywhere.

I use it in rib and other meat rubs, seasoned flour for fried chicken, to perk up a bland spaghetti sauce if I'm (rarely) out of fresh garlic, and in other recipes if its called for (Paul Prudhomme recipes, for example, always seem to call for about 16 different seasonings). I definitely do like fresh garlic and always keep it on hand, but I see a place for garlic powder too. My husband does not like garlic as much as I do, so if it's going to be a long-simmering dish in which the garlic will mellow out, I'll use chopped fresh garlic (for the texture as well as the flavor), but if it's something that I heat up quickly (pizza, for example), I may use a pinch of garlic powder instead so he won't complain about biting right into a piece of garlic.

Here's a Slate article on the prevailing foodie view of garlic powder. Apparently it's evil and awful if you buy it from a store but delightful and honorable if you dehydrate and grind up garlic and make it at home. I don't know; I'm glad I can cook at home as much as I do, without having to grind my own garlic powder.

I use it from time to time when I am out of fresh garlic. Its fine. In some things it might actually be better or more useful, as was mentioned rubs. I would make sure you get a good brand and replenish it every once and a while.

Gypsy Boy wrote:...we usually have fresh (garlic) and when we haven't, I've just skipped it....

How do you guys run out of garlic? OK, so you're willing to risk missing a plate of spaghetti aglio e olio, but what do you do to ward off the malocchio? Next you kidders will be telling me you periodically run out of olive oil and peperoncino, too.

Katie wrote:Just checked the garlic powder that I got at Aldi's, $0.99 for 5.5 oz. The container is about 2/3 full and the garlic aroma is strong; not likely to be losing its punch anytime soon. I will take others' word for it that the Spice House and Penzey's offerings are very good, but I live 45 min from Evanston and an hour from Milwaukee, and I personally don't see garlic powder/granulated garlic as a destination seasoning or worth paying more than a couple of dollars for. When I am in the neighborhood of a specialty spice store, I prefer to buy unusual things I couldn't find just anywhere.

I use it in rib and other meat rubs, seasoned flour for fried chicken, to perk up a bland spaghetti sauce if I'm (rarely) out of fresh garlic, and in other recipes if its called for (Paul Prudhomme recipes, for example, always seem to call for about 16 different seasonings). I definitely do like fresh garlic and always keep it on hand, but I see a place for garlic powder too. My husband does not like garlic as much as I do, so if it's going to be a long-simmering dish in which the garlic will mellow out, I'll use chopped fresh garlic (for the texture as well as the flavor), but if it's something that I heat up quickly (pizza, for example), I may use a pinch of garlic powder instead so he won't complain about biting right into a piece of garlic.

Here's a Slate article on the prevailing foodie view of garlic powder. Apparently it's evil and awful if you buy it from a store but delightful and honorable if you dehydrate and grind up garlic and make it at home. I don't know; I'm glad I can cook at home as much as I do, without having to grind my own garlic powder.

The Spice House and Penzey's both offer mail order service. Penzey's doesn't carry granulated garlic per se, but is advertising granulated roast garlic as their hot new produckt.

Of course they do. My point is just that powdered or granulated garlic is a handy cheap item to have on hand but not something that I (you may feel differently) would pay specialty spice store prices for, much less the specialty store price plus shipping. Now lavender, for example, yes, I would.

Pensy'z offers 'Granulated Garlic Powder', which I can assure you is granulated and not powder, it's a matter of semantics.
https://www.penzeys.com/online-catalog/ ... -1000/pd-s
There is also a Penzy's located in the Kenosha shopping complex that includes Woodman's, directly west of the Woodman's lot. You may have to search but it is there.
I haven't tried the 'Roasted ' product but there is a signicant difference between slow roasting a head of garlic and toasting garlic. The toasted product that I find on garlic bagels is sharp and offensive while slow roasting a head produces a very nice sweet flavor.-Dick

Choey wrote:

Gypsy Boy wrote:...we usually have fresh (garlic) and when we haven't, I've just skipped it....

How do you guys run out of garlic? OK, so you're willing to risk missing a plate of spaghetti aglio e olio, but what do you do to ward off the malocchio? Next you kidders will be telling me you periodically run out of olive oil and peperoncino, too.

Joe, Joe, Joe. The problem is that you read my post literally!

It was written more in a, um, hypothetical/what-if(ish) way. I can't imagine missing even a single plate of aglio e olio. We certainly don't run out of garlic in our house very often.

P.S. Re the malocchio, my grandfather bequeathed certain, uh, "items" to me so that we've never been at risk.