READY TO USE CHOPPED GARLIC

BY GIA RUSSA. Salt-free. No oils. No preservatives.

Lots of restaurants use ready to use chopped garlic. So why not give it a try? Especially since I could buy it in a large jar at a good price – save me some money and some time, peeling and chopping my own.

Well, the jar is almost gone, and I’m thinking that although I liked the convenience, it takes a lot more of the already chopped to flavor a dish than when you chop it yourself.

The ready to use chopped garlic sits in liquid. If I submerge raw garlic in water in a jar and refrigerate it, it will flavor the water and become less potent. The same thing happens when you place raw garlic in a cooked dish. The garlic flavor dissipates, losing potency. That’s why so many people use garlic powder in addition to the ready to use chopped or their own raw chopped.

But still, the garlic in the liquid has already lost its bang before adding it to a dish. It tastes almost sweet.

I’ll still use it from time to time, but only in some instances, not as a replacement for all my garlic needs.