Garlic powder is a quintessential pantry staple we use with almost everything. So, we will show you how to make garlic powder at home, which will save you a ton of money, and this will taste so much better than any of that pre-packaged stuff you buy from the store.
Use this step-by-step guide to get started- we will instruct you with tricks and tips to get the best out of the fresh garlic cloves!
How To Make Garlic Powder At Home?
Making garlic powder at home without any fillers or anti-caking chemicals can be much easier than you think if you follow the proper method. In this guide, we will bring you three ways to dehydrate garlic, which is the most crucial step when making garlic powder. You can use the oven or dehydrator and even use the sun-drying method if you live in an area where you get plenty of sunlight.
Choosing The Garlic For Drying
Powdering is the best way to preserve an excessive bulk of garlic in your home garden! You can use any type of garlic to make this ingredient. If you are pulling them out from your backyard or garden, make sure to clean them well until all the mud and dirt are thoroughly removed.
Another easy and time-saving method is to purchase ready-to-eat, peeled garlic cloves. Or else, buy regular garlic heads and get the cloves as preferred. Whatever the way you choose to get your garlic cloves, make sure they are fresh as much as possible.
Bruised or aged garlic cloves can directly affect the quality, taste, and shelf life of your garlic powder, so going for the fresh ones is your best bet. If you are someone who is really busy but still wants to make garlic powder at home, you can reach out for commercially jarred minced garlic in water for a time-saving preparation.
Tips To Peel The Garlic
Peeling a few cloves of garlic could seem no deal at all, but a bulk of them can count something for you- isn’t that so? The natural oil in this spice sometimes causes a slight burning sensation in your fingers if you are sensitive to those naturally-formed oils. Thus, it would be best to wear gloves when you get in with the peeling process.
Here’re some great ways that you can make the peeling easier:
- Use a silicone garlic peeler.
- Put the whole cloves in a large jar, close the lid and shake well. This will loosen the skin and make it less challenging to peel.
- Gently crush the garlic cloves using the flat side of a large knife. You can use a large mortar and pestle to pound the garlic to loosen the skins lightly. Make sure to avoid smashing them, as smashing could make it even harder to remove the peel.
Preparing The Garlic Cloves For Drying
Once you peel the garlic, there are two basic ways that you can prepare them for dehydration.
- Step 01– You can use a sharp knife and thinly slice the garlic cloves. Make sure the slices are extremely and uniformly thin so they will take less time to dry.
- Step 02– Slicing can be time-consuming, so you can use the food processor, blender, spice grinder, or coffee grinder as an alternate method to chop them into tiny bits. Refrain from making them into a pulp, as you just need coarse and little pieces of garlic so that it would be easier for you to dry them out.
Dehydrating The Prepared Garlic
As aforementioned, the dehydration process is the most important step when it comes to making garlic powder at home. In fact, your garlic should be perfectly dried before pulverizing to get the best flavor and shelf life.
Consequently, you can pick one method from the below-mentioned at your convenience. Any of these methods could be effective in dehydrating, but the drying time could vary depending on the method you choose.
01- Using The Dehydrator
If you have sliced the garlic, you can arrange them directly on the dehydrator tray. But, if you have chopped them, we recommend laying a piece of parchment paper on the tray and then arranging the chopped pieces evenly on it.
Parchment paper will prevent garlic pieces from getting stuck to the tray when they are dying out. And spreading them on the tray evenly will not form large clumps, so it’ll not take a long time for dehydration. Pop the garlic tray into the dehydrator and dry them at 125°F / 52°C for 8-18 hours.
02- Using The Oven
We suggest you not use the food processor or any type of grinder to chop the garlic if you intend to oven-dry them. Instead, you can slice them as mentioned above. Then, arrange the slices in a thin layer on a baking sheet layered with parchment paper.
Bake at 140°F/ 60°C until it is fully crunchy and dry. Stir and rearrange the garlic slices every 30 minutes as you proceed. If your oven doesn’t reach as low as that, then select the lowest temperature and force-open the door a few inches to let the steam escape as the garlic dries and supports the process.
Monitor the garlic pieces every hour (it usually takes 4-6 hours for them to dry at the temperature mentioned above). Take them out of the oven when it is either dried and snappable or slightly bendy and barely golden in color. They will keep crisping up as it dries on the baking sheet.
03- Using The Sun-drying Method
If you live in a tropical country, you can try the sun-drying technique. Arrange the sliced or minced garlic evenly on the tray or a wide plate. Keep this tray or plate under the sun and monitor them closely to see if the garlic pieces get contaminated with any dirt or debris when kept outside.
The sun-drying method usually takes up to 5-6 days to dry the garlic completely, even if you keep them exposed to full sun. Make sure to take them inside when the sun goes down, and avoid putting them away when it is dewy outside.
Checking The Doneness
Sliced or minced garlic should be dried completely before pulverizing. Therefore, it is important to check if they are thoroughly dehydrated, whatever the drying method you use. Moisture in garlic will not give the expected results when you powder them.
Perfectly dried garlic slices should snap and crack crisply when you try to break them and should be dried further if they bend or be pliable. Minced bits should be hard and sound tinkle when put on a stiff surface. You can check this by dropping them on a plate.
Grinding
Thoroughly dried slices or bits can be pulverized using a food processor, coffee/ spice grinder, or a good blender. Work in small batches to get a fine powder, and you can run the content through a fine mesh sieve to remove any large clumps or residue.
Storing
Storing garlic powder in the right way is essential since letting it come into contact with air can harden or clump up your content. Therefore, store it in a tightly-sealed mason jar and keep it in a cool, dry, dark place, preferably with the rest of your dry spices and herbs. This way, your homemade garlic powder will stay fresh and flavorful for up to six to twelve months. Use a funnel to empty the content into the jar if needed.
Recipe Notes By SpiceRally…
- Garlic is very pungent with a powerful aroma. So, you need to think twice if you intend to use the oven to dry them since they can leave a lingering smell all over your home, and the garlicky odor might not leave your oven for a few days. You may also want to move your dehydrator outside for the same reason- be aware.
- If you are very sensitive to garlic odor and find it extremely overwhelming, you can also opt-out to buy ready-made dried garlic from the store and then consider grinding them at home.
