Garlic powder is made from ground dried garlic. Perhaps you wonder why make garlic powder when there is fresh garlic. The answer is simple: longevity and ease of use. Garlic powder can last for more than a year. Fresh garlic will only last for a few months before it sprouts and turn bitter.
Garlic Powder Trivia
- While fresh garlic is essential in the kitchen, garlic powder also has its own value. Kodoth Prabhakaran Nair, in the book Minor Spices and Condiments: Global Economic Potential, wrote: “Garlic powder is one of the fastest growing value added products in the garlic industry.”
- Obsessed with Do-It-Yourself projects? Add making your own garlic powder at home. It is easy, according to the book The Mother Earth News Guide to Vegetable Gardening: “You can make garlic powder by drying thinly sliced garlic at 150°F until it’s crisp. Grind to a powder in a food grinder or blender.”
- Don’t be surprised if you find garlic powder more commonly used rather than fresh garlic. N. Shakuntala O. Manay, in the book Food: Facts And Principles, wrote: “In some countries, garlic powder has largely replaced garlic in all its uses.”
Garlic Powder Buying Guide
You can buy garlic powder in the supermarket and groceries.
Buy enough for what you need at home. There’s a 1/2 cup glass jar of garlic powder or if you need more, you can buy a gallon, even a 5-pound bulk bag, which is best if you have a restaurant or catering business and use garlic powder in many of your dishes.
When browsing items on the shelf, you might find “garlic powder” and “granulated garlic”, which is coarse, similar to the size of rock salts. If you are wondering which one to buy, consider what you are cooking or preparing at home. Granulated garlic is best for salad dressings, rubs, sauces, and soups. Garlic powder, on the other hand, is best for food that requires a short cooking time. It is also the best choice for marinades. Can you use these two interchangeably? Yes. Just remember that 1 fresh clove is equal to 1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder and 1/3 teaspoon of granulated garlic.
For people with certain preferences, there are garlic powder brands that are non-GMO and non-irradiated.
Garlic powder may be irradiated or not. Irradiation is a food safety process. It kills pathogens that cause food poisoning, mold spores and bacteria causing fast food spoilage, and insects. Irradiation of spices like garlic powder is done through any one of the following methods: gamma rays, high-energy X rays, and high-energy electrons. Irradiated food is not radioactive. The choice is yours on which one you prefer.
Garlic Powder Production & Farming in Texas
While Texas may not be at the top when it comes to garlic production in the US (California is number one ahead of Oregon and Nevada), garlic is grown in different parts of Texas all year long. There are businesses in Texas that make garlic powder. Texas Black Gold Garlic Powder is made by Texas Black Gold Garlic which is based in San Antonio. Bolner’s Fiesta Brand, also based in San Antonio, also sells garlic powder.
Stores and shops sell a variety of garlic powder brands. You can buy from Texas Star Grill Shop and Walmart in Bentonville.
Judging by how garlic is sold year-long in groceries and supermarkets, you’d think a large part of harvested garlic end up in the fresh garlic category. But in the US, most of the harvest goes to producing garlic powder. Marion Eugene Ensminger and Audrey H. Ensminger, in the book Foods & Nutrition Encyclopedia, wrote: “Much of the U.S. crop is made into dehydrated garlic powder.”
Pesticides, Additives, and Chemicals
Garlic powder may contain maltodextrin, a starchy white filler. Some garlic powder brands also use other additional ingredients besides garlic, like sunflower oil, parsley, and anti-caking agents. It could also contain Yellow Dye #5 (Tartrazine) for artificial coloring, Monosodium Glutamate or MSG, and other types of sulfites.
Garlic powder may also be subjected to ethyl oxide fumigation (also known as EtO Treatment).
Geography
China and India are two major producers of garlic powder.
Packaging
Garlic powder is sold in plastic, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles, or glass bottles with a lid that serve the purpose of storage as well as a dispenser. The packaging includes cap shrink wrap for product safety and a label to make sure consumers are provided with the information they need, like ingredients, nutritional information, batch number, location of production and manufacturing, etc. You can also find garlic powder sold in plastic refill packs, single-use packets, or pouches, as well as in a resealable, moisture-proof aluminum-lined stand-up plastic or paper bag with a valve zipper.
Enjoying Garlic Powder
Most of the food we eat every day and are familiar with is flavored with garlic. From garlic bread to garlic chicken, there is no question that garlic has made eating more enjoyable and satisfying. This is why garlic has become essential in the kitchen – fresh garlic and garlic powder alike.
When using garlic powder, always remember not to overdo it. And consider the people eating the food you are cooking. Garlic allergies could trigger skin rash, asthma, hives, itching, and redness of the skin.
Storage
Store garlic powder in a cool, dry place. The kitchen pantry is ideal. If you have a spice rack or spice cabinet, keep your garlic powder there. Put it in a container with a lid and always keep the lid closed.
Cooking
Use garlic powder as a substitute for fresh garlic. Or use both garlic powder and fresh powder if the dish requires a deep, lingering garlic taste.
Garlic powder is great for stews and soups. It can also be used as dressing for salad. Use garlic powder when making dipping sauces and sour cream dressing. This is also a great ingredient if you are making barbecue sauce or barbecue rub. Use garlic powder when making garlic cream, garlic broth, or garlic yogurt. It is great with fried rice, fried ribs, red meat or fish steak, seafood dishes, and vegetables.
Nutritional Benefits
Garlic powder helps balance cholesterol levels, helps avoid plaque build-up, improves the immune system, reduces atherosclerosis, helps prevent diabetes, reduces sugar in the blood, lowers bad cholesterol or low-density lipids (LDL), helps stabilize blood pressure, helps maintain heart health, and helps the body fight infection. Garlic powder has calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, selenium, sodium, vitamin B1, vitamin B6, and Vitamin C.
