Need to remove germ from garlic or onion?
My mate always tells me to remove the germ (the center) from garlic and onions, especially if it's turning green. What are the pros and cons of the germs of these plants?
Best Answer
So... I was always taught that you remove it because it's bitter. I generally remove it if it's big enough.
However, there seems to be some contention as to whether this is true (and to what degree it's true). See: http://www.examiner.com/article/remove-the-garlic-germ-few-do-this-anymore and http://ruhlman.com/2011/02/garlic-germ/
In short, there are mixed teachings as to whether you should remove it. But essentially the germ DOES affect the taste of garlic. Some call it bitter, some call it "more garlicky". Ruhlman suggests that if you're hitting it with heat immediately, then there isn't a point in removing it. If he's doing something that will have the garlic sitting around, then he doesn't.
From this what I'd suggest (and what I'm going to try doing from now on) is to ignore it and if you notice a difference in taste, or more importantly find the result objectionable. then take it out next time. Otherwise don't bother as you won't know the difference.
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In short, there are mixed teachings as to whether you should remove it. But essentially the germ DOES affect the taste of garlic. Some call it bitter, some call it "more garlicky". Ruhlman suggests that if you're hitting it with heat immediately, then there isn't a point in removing it.Should you remove the germ from garlic?
The not-so-simple, simple conclusion: If you don't like the taste of the green germ, remove it. If you don't mind it, leave it in. And if you're using garlic in braises, soups, stews, or even roasting it whole, the germ probably won't make much of a difference anyway.Why do chefs remove the germ of garlic?
Others only feel it's necessary to remove for raw applications, where the germ's flavor will be more pronounced. And some chefs believe that the germ doesn't have a harsh taste at all; they argue that because the germ is just young garlic, it is as tender and mild as the just-harvested stuff.How do you get the core out of garlic?
It's sharp in flavor, without any of the natural sweetness that garlic should have. But even though the flavor is a little less than ideal, sprouted garlic is fine to eat. TBH, if you're just incorporating one or two cooked cloves into a larger dish, you probably won't notice a difference at all.Natural Ways To Get Rid Of Intestinal Worms In No Time
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Answer 2
I always remove mine as I too find it affects the taste of the garlic. However, since I started keeping my garlic in the refrigerator, I've noticed that the garlic keeps much longer and rarely develops green germs.
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