Is there a measurable difference between fresh and dried minced garlic?
For example, I just tried a recipe for Rosemary Potatoes last night that called for a tablespoon of minced garlic. I believe the recipe may have referred to it being freshly minced, but I have some dried minced garlic on hand (in a little shaker, like from the isle at Walmart, etc) and used that instead.
The next day, my kitchen still smells of garlic, and the potatoes taste like it.
If I don't have 'fresh' on hand, is there an approximate ratio I should have used?
Best Answer
A standard ratio of dried seasoning to fresh is 1 part dried to 3 parts fresh.
For garlic specifically the ratios are slightly different:
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic 1/4 teaspoon dried garlic 1 clove garlic 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
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Can I substitute dried minced garlic for fresh?
Dehydrated garlic saves efficient cooks the trouble of peeling and handling fresh cloves. It takes nine pounds of fresh, top-grade California garlic to make a pound of this dehydrated garlic. One eighth of a teaspoon, dried, equals a single medium fresh clove. Dried minced garlic is perfect for soups and stews.What is the equivalent of dried garlic to fresh garlic?
One clove of fresh garlic equals 1/4 teaspoon of granulated garlic powder. The same conversion applies to dehydrated or freeze-dried garlic, or even minced refrigerated garlic.Is minced garlic the same as dried garlic?
Generally speaking, minced garlic is the preferred ingredient for most dishes. It's fresher than garlic powder and has a stronger flavor. Whether you buy full garlic bulbs and mince them yourself or purchase them pre-minced in a jar, the taste and aroma will be more intense than that of garlic powder.How do you measure dry minced garlic?
How Much Garlic Powder Equals Minced GarlicFresh Garlic vs Prepared Garlic: Can You Taste the Difference?
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Answer 2
There are considerations of texture and how long it takes to fully release the flavors as well. The guidelines given are good, but you also need to experiment and see where you can use dried when needed.
Fresh garlic, like other fresh ingredients, will release its flavor more quickly than the dried counterparts. They will also be 'brighter' and in many applications the difference is very noticeable.
If you used the full Tablespoon, yeah, you probably over-did it, but a lingering aroma of garlic is not necessarily a bad thing, nor is having the leftovers taste like garlic, they should!
Answer 3
Fresh garlic and dried garlic aren't the same thing (culinarily).
The 3 to 1 ratio often works with dried strong smelling herbs - like thyme and rosemary.
Dried garlic is certainly convenient, but has a one dimensional quality to it. Fresh garlic is... Reactive.
It changes by the way you prepare it: minced tastes/smells different from sliced or mashed in a mortar & pestle
It changes by the way you cook it: roast, fry, steam, sauté, boil in milk, boil in water
It changes with time: used a la minute, an hour from now, in the fridge after a week, covered in oil after a month.
A lot of this has to do with oxidation, the interaction with cut garlic and oxygen.
Dried garlic has none of these nuances, they've all been stripped from the production process.
But it certainly is convenient.
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