No matter how much we stick to a recipe and its quantities, there are still chances where we could make mistakes. So, in this episode, we wish to address how to fix too much garlic in your dishes using essentials in your pantry!
Garlic is used in many different dishes and the best way to offset too much of it mainly depends on the type of dish. However, diluting the dish could work regardless of the recipe. Moreover, adding a creamy ingredient, an acidic element, and neutralizing the robustness of garlic with a sweetener can be counted as great methods.
Let’s get on to the rest of the article and learn how to fix this common problem in cooking!
1- Dilution – The Best Way To Fix Too Much Garlic
Garlic can be as good as it can be and ruin the taste of your food if used excessively. Accordingly, diluting your dish is one of the best ways to fix this issue in most dishes regardless of the form of garlic used.
What Is Diluting?
In this instance, diluting means using a liquid or the main ingredient of the dish to weaken the potency of excessive garlic. This is the best way to fix too much garlic in cooking.
For example, if you have used too much garlic in a soup, or another liquid-based dish, adding more water, stock or broth can neutralize the garlic note. And if you have overpowered garlic in a salad, chutney, dip, etc., you may use the main ingredient in the particular recipe to dilute the dish.
How Can You Dilute?
Dilution is proportionate to the quantity of the recipe. This should be done very carefully since at the end of the day, you need a well-rounded dish. Thus, it is always advisable to start diluting using small amounts and then adjust the quantities as you work your way up to fix too much garlic.
What Happens By Dilution?
Diluting your recipes can effectively offset the too much garlic robustness of the particular dish. A liquid or any other main ingredient in a dish used for dilution lowers the intensity of garlic with its flavor or depth. This may work with raw garlic, garlic powder, garlic paste, or packaged minced garlic.
Things That You Should Be Concerned When Diluting
- While dilution can deplete the overpowered garlic note, it may further weaken the overall flavor profile of your dish. This is specific when you use liquids like water. Therefore, you must watch out for the amount you use and work progressively without rushing things.
- The batch can be doubled- By adding more of the main ingredient of a particular dish an increase in the amount of the batch than what you expected to make. So, you should be prepared to do something with the excess food you get at the end of the process.
Other Recommended Ways To Neutralize Excessive Garlic In Your Dishes
2- Physically Remove The Garlic
This is probably the easiest you can do to fix too much garlic in your dish. If you’re in a place where you have used whole garlic cloves, crushed lightly, you may remove them physically from your dish.
Although your dish has absorbed considerable flavor, you may prevent it from worsening. Remove the garlic when you understand you have too much in your dish to get better results.
3- Use Aromatic Herbs
Using various aromatic herbs that are not so pungent in flavor can be a great help! Interestingly, this could help you as much as dilution since you can apply this method in many instances.
Herbs like parsley, cilantro, rosemary, basil, and oregano can effectively neutralize the garlicky note in your foods. You may use fresh or dried herbs depending on your convenience. However, you must use them in moderation since they make your dish bitter if overused.
4- Get The Help Of An Acidic Ingredient
Acidic ingredients like lime juice, vinegar, lemon juice, and even orange juice are some of the best acidic ingredients to reduce the intensity of too much garlic. It would be best to use something like orange juice as it also adds a hint of sweetness which is even better.
The amount and the acid type depend on the dish you must fix. The tartness counteracts the pungency of this spice used in moderation to avoid making your food too sour.
5- Use A Creamy Ingredient
This method is applicable mostly in liquidy and semi-liquidy dishes like curries, soups, dips, etc. While dairy products are the best to tone down the pungency of garlic, you may also use non-dairy creamy elements.
Coconut cream, greek yogurt, mayonnaise, curd, half and half are common ingredients. The creaminess, mellow flavor and their depth can help to dilute the intensity of this spice and help fix the dish. The amount depends on the dish and you should start with moderation to adjust later.
6- Add Onions
Garlic and onion are great companions, creating a beautiful marriage in most foods. By adding onions, you mix another concentrated ingredient to diminish the robust note of garlic. However, this method only applies to dishes that require a heavy flavor.
Onions can double your dish’s flavor so you will not like this very much if you love your food to be mellow. When used sufficiently, onions can potentially conceal the too much effect of garlic and stabilize the overall flavor of richly-flavored recipes.
7- Add A Sweetener
Sweeteners are excellent elements when you experience bitterness from excessively sauteed garlic. Honey and sugar are the most common and effective sweeteners you can use. In addition to this, you may also use maple syrup or agave in dips, salad dressings, or salads.
If you face the issue of too much garlic in Southeast Asian dishes, may also try a dash of palm sugar or coconut sugar. However, using any sweetener in moderation is still important to prevent your dish from becoming unpleasant and sweet.
How Does Too Much Garlic In Your Diet Affect The Stomach?
Including garlic in your daily dishes has many health benefits. But still, too much garlic in your diet could also create health issues. Garlic contains fructan, a compound that causes concerns for the stomach and intestines.
Thus, eating too much garlic will directly rouse the digestive tract, which can impair the stomach lining. From there can cause symptoms of:
- Heartburn
- Nagging
- Flatulence
- increase the risk of peptic ulcers
- May even induce GERD (gastro-oesophageal reflux disease) symptoms
The robust flavor and aroma of raw garlic are great. But, sometimes you may need to tone down its overwhelming nature. So, you can try these methods to mellow the pungent taste of the flavor of this spice:
– Cook raw garlic in high heat
– Mix with an acidic element like vinegar or lime juice
– Keep peeled crushed, minced, or chopped garlic in the refrigerator for a decent time before using them in cooking
– Boil the raw garlic cloves with milk or water (this is great when making mashed potatoes)
– Zap the garlic cloves in the microwave for a couple of minutes
The intensity of garlic can easily reflect through your breath, as much as you include the spice in your foods. Therefore, here are some easy methods to get rid of garlic breath instantly:
– Brush your teeth using refreshing toothpaste or use a good quality, strong mouthwash after eating.
– Scrape your tongue
– Drink milk, eat an apple, and chew gum, spinach, or fresh mint.
– Drink green tea, rosemary or mint tea.
In Conclusion!
As one of the most iconic culinary spices, garlic always holds a special place in your pantry. It instantly adds a richer, deeper taste to our food and an amazing aroma. But sometimes, we could rationally go overboard with spice due to a mistake of the mount called for a certain recipe. In that case, a few easy methods we have discussed throughout this article can help you out!
