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Credit: Celeste Longacre 
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EmailGarlic is a wonderful and powerful savory addition. It jazzes up many recipes and also contains healing properties. Truly fresh garlic is pungent, white, hard and full of a juicy liquid. I believe that much of the garlic that is sold in stores has gone past its peak (rubbery or soft) and has lost much of its medicinal value. One way to maintain not only its flavor but also its healing powers is to dry it and make it into garlic powder.
We discussed planting garlic last fall. It should be picked when it has four green leaves left on the plant. The leaves will begin to turn brown in the summer—one at a time. I generally pick about eight garlics at a time, bundle them tightly together and tie them with string. I then hang the bundles in a shady, airy place to begin to dry.
I leave the garlic bundles hanging out for two to four weeks. When I am ready to start making the powder, I bring the bundles in and separate all of the cloves. This can be a messy job so I do it all together before I begin to cut into the garlic itself.
Next. I cut the tops and the bottoms of the cloves and try to tear a strip or two of the skin.
Placing these cloves in a dehydrator tray, they are put at a low temperature (below 115 degrees) overnight. This will help to loosen the peels and aid the next process.
Day number two consists of peeling all of the cloves then slicing them up in a food processor.
Back into the dehydrator they go for six or seven days. Again, keep the temperature below 115 degrees as this will help the garlic to maintain its healing properties.
Once the chips have cooled, they can be put in a tight jar until you have time to complete the process.
When you are ready to make the powder, put the chips in a blender (not too many at a time) and hit the “chop” button. Wait about a minute after processing before opening the blender as there will be lots of powder floating at first. I then put the powder through a strainer so that the ultimate product is fine. The larger chips just go back into the blender.
Place into jars and seal. The flavor is unbeatable—it truly tastes like garlic that has just been picked from the garden. But now it is ready to be used all year long.
Celeste Longacre has been growing virtually all of her family’s vegetables for the entire year for over 30 years. She cans, she freezes, she dries, she ferments & she root cellars. She also has chickens.
Celeste has also enjoyed a longtime relationship with The Old Farmer’s Almanac as their astrologer! A personally autographed copy of her book, Love Signs, is available in the Almanac.com General Store. You can also find an ebook version on Amazon.com for $2.99.
Celeste is a great speaker for garden groups and civic groups. She is also offer a gardening “Apprentice with Celeste." Email her for details via AlmanacEditors@yankeepub.com
Comments
Oh my, looks like a lot of
Oh my, looks like a lot of fun for do-it-yourselfers, but I wouldn't want my house reeking of garlic for days. I'm afraid it's a little bottle off the spice shelf for me. Nice article though if you have a ton of garlic - maybe make some for Christmas gifts along with dried herbs.
Hi Inoft97, I dry it out on
Hi Inoft97,
I dry it out on the porch so that my house doesn't smell like garlic. At the low temperature, though, it really isn't too bad. And, yes, these little bottles make terrific Christmas presents.
What is wrong with the smell
What is wrong with the smell of garlic, I love garlic.
Six or seven DAYS? When I
Six or seven DAYS? When I make "sun" dried tomatoes and apple rings, the temp is 135 degrees, and it takes 10 - 16 hours, depending on the thickness of the cut. Please, Celeste, confirm the dryer time for your thinly sliced garlic chips...
Hi SunriseEast, The reason
Hi SunriseEast,
The reason that it takes so long is that the temperature is very low and the garlic itself is so sticky. The first year I dried the garlic for only four days and, after I powdered it, it became quite sticky and solid in a few months' time. If you let it get really dry, this doesn't happen.
Thank you so much for all the
Thank you so much for all the information about garlic. It came at a much needed time because I used the seeds off a previous year's crop, sprouted them and then planted.......uhhhh two 4x4 beds of garlic simply because I couldn't bear to "kill" any of the "babies" and I couldn't find anyone to take the rest! Thanks to your article, I have a great winter activity ahead of me! Personally, I won't mind a house that is redolent of garlic or "kitchen perfume" as my Dad used to call it.
Hi Hope Garden, Good luck
Hi Hope Garden,
Good luck with your new winter activity! I also love kitchen smells in my house....
I have noticed that most
I have noticed that most garlic powder sold in stores comes from China and to me, has a bitter taste. If you are going to buy commercial garlic powder, do check the label to make sure it comes from the U. S.
Hi Cary Lafaye, This is one
Hi Cary Lafaye,
This is one of the reasons that I make my own garlic powder. Personally, I'm not in favor of eating a lot of food from China.
you can also cut ends, peel
you can also cut ends, peel and place in a jelly jar, cover with peanut oil and refrigerate. saves time later, when you want the whole clove. when the cloves are gone use the remaining oil in a stir-fry
To be safe, a garlic and oil
To be safe, a garlic and oil mixture has to have some acid agent like citric or phosphoric acid added (and it has to be refrigerated, too). The FDA recommends that if you want to make your own infused garlic oil, you should prepare it fresh and use it right away. If you are saving any leftovers, you must refrigerate it right away and use within a week.
What kind of dehydrator do
What kind of dehydrator do you use?????
Hi Luella, I use a L'EQUIP.
Hi Luella,
I use a L'EQUIP.
I'm trying to understand why
I'm trying to understand why you would peel one or two strips off and then put into a dehydrator. That is more work than completely peeling at one time and getting it over with. I noticed a small knife in the pictures and that is where the problem lies. Use a chef's knife, cut off ends, then cut in half without cutting through the lower skin, the skins will almost fall off and you have saved a day of the process.
Hi Robert, Good to know.
Hi Robert,
Good to know. Thanks!
I use a flexable tube garlic
I use a flexable tube garlic peeler to peel large quanities of garlic. It's fast and easy. It works best on dry husks. Wet/damp not so well. I love your garlic powder article. I just wish I had planted more garlic this year! I'm printing out the instructions and will be trying it next year.
Hi Teresa, Good luck next
Hi Teresa,
Good luck next year!
I live in Eastern Oregon.
I live in Eastern Oregon. This is Onion & Garlic country. I have recieved bags of garlic & onion from farmers & I have dried & powdered them, then I give them away to friends. I also dry & powder zuccini,& tomato,& I store them in gallon jars in my garage refrigerator. I use all 4 in Rubs, Soups, & Stews. Last month 1 of our dogs got sprayed in the face,by a skunk, we dumped a bunch of the tomato powder in a 5 gallon bucket of warm water & bathed her outside. It worked just as well as store bought tomato juice! I also dry our Jalepeno & Habinero peppers. The Habinero makes a great Pepper Spray, but I use it in the garden. We also dry our produce in the garage.
Hi Pamela, That sound
Hi Pamela,
That sound spectacular. How do you dry tomato?
I just cut my Roma's into
I just cut my Roma's into thick slices & let them dry, until they are brittle. Then into my Bullet blender & I've got powder. I don' buy Tomato paste anymore. I just add some water to my powder & make it pasty. I got great ideas from Euell Gibbons book,"Stalking the Wild Asparagus." Copywright 1962. I highly recommend this book, to anyone that is interested in the basics. I've even made a sort of flour out of dry zuccini, I use it as a thickener. We have been planting gardens that are too big for us, so that we can share with our friends in town. Last year we donated 3500 lbs. of produce to our local Food Bank. I tell folks, when you plant your seeds, plant a few more for the Food Bank.
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