Got a Lot of Garlic?

[blissful]

@taxlady back in the 80's and 90's the freezer safe jam recipes were all the rage and lots of the tapered jars were sold. They may be in your jars.

Another thing, pastes, like date paste or prune paste, or a very thick pepper paste can be frozen in non-tapering jars because solids don't expand as much as liquids. I'm trying to think what else I have in jars in the freezer: horseradish, peach paste (made from dehydrated peaches), garlic/basil/lemon/parsley mixture.

 

[pepperhead212]

@taxlady Here are those 3 jars next to each other. The left one looks almost like it has almost a wide mouth ring, compared to the center one, but it's because it was taken at an angle, I assume. Those two are regular sized lids, the pint, a wide mouth.
The 3 mason jars with tapers, the 1 1/2 c in the middle not as much as the other two. And the 1 c just has a small mouth, looks different in the photo. But you can see the tapering.
by pepperhead212, on Flickr

 

[blissful]

I can't speak to the taper on the 1 cup or 1 and 1/2 cup jars, with liquids, but the straight sides are safer to freeze things in than any jar with shoulders. I just don't have experience with them and liquids in the freezer. I trust @pepperhead212 so if he does it then I'd use it.

The tapered pints verses the non-tapered pints.

We use pints as drinking glasses here.
The tapered jars are a little taller than the non-tapered jars.
We drink out of non-tapered jars, the tapered ones we use for canning/freezing. Mr bliss is a stickler for this little difference-since the dishes get sorted after being washed either into the cabinet for drinking glasses or for canning.

This is the non-taper on the left and the tapered one on the right. Quite a difference in how tall they are.

 

[taxlady]

Thank you for posting the pictures, @pepperhead212 and @blissful.

 

[Linda0818]

What is the texture of the garlic like when it's defrosted. I am assuming you mean that you dumped the whole, peeled garlic in the zipper bag.

I was wondering the same thing, so I looked up a couple of questions, wondering if whole garlic cloves freeze well, and got this answer...


The answer is a resounding yes. Garlic is pretty versatile when it comes to freezing. You can freeze raw whole unpeeled bulbs, individual cloves (peeled or unpeeled), or chopped garlic.

I also wondered about texture and this is what it said...

Frozen garlic lacks the crunchy texture of fresh, but the flavor remains strong—and definitely lacks the chemical taste that sometimes accompanies jarred garlic.

I think I'll try it that way and see what happens. Sure would be easier (and less messy and smelly) than chopping it all up beforehand.

 

[taxlady]

I like the smelly idea of making enough at one time that it is worth having to wash the big food processor. Once for a large amount is labour saving.

 

[jennyema]

What is the texture of the garlic like when it's defrosted. I am assuming you mean that you dumped the whole, peeled garlic in the zipper bag.

Yes, I have 2 separate quart ziplocks full of peeled cloves. I separate the cloves and peel them.

The thawed garlic is very soft, but that makes it super easy to crush for recipes.

Supermarket garlic is terrible these days. Im glad I finally grew my own.

 

[taxlady]

Yes, I have 2 separate quart ziplocks full of peeled cloves. I separate the cloves and peel them.

The thawed garlic is very soft, but that makes it super easy to crush for recipes.

Supermarket garlic is terrible these days. Im glad I finally grew my own.

Have you ever tried using a microplane or similar to finely grate the garlic once it is defrosted? If so, how well did that work?

I agree that the majority of supermarket garlic is useless. It has been for years. That's why I buy garlic at the health food store, with my produce basket, or from a grocery store, from certain local growers, but then it's almost always packaged. My yard is too tiny to grow much of anything.

 

[Linda0818]

Have you ever tried using a microplane or similar to finely grate the garlic once it is defrosted? If so, how well did that work?

I agree that the majority of supermarket garlic is useless. It has been for years. That's why I buy garlic at the health food store, with my produce basket, or from a grocery store, from certain local growers, but then it's almost always packaged. My yard is too tiny to grow much of anything.

This is a great question because I'm curious how my little garlic 'grating cards' (pic added) would work with a previously frozen clove.

 

[taxlady]

This is a great question because I'm curious how my little garlic 'grating cards' (pic added) would work with a previously frozen clove.

I'm wondering if my "Hand Grater" (I haven't grated any fingers on it yet.) Would work with the previously frozen garlic. This is what mine looks like. It works well for fresh garlic and for ginger too. I haven't tried it on citrus zest or chocolate yet.

 

[Linda0818]

I'm wondering if my "Hand Grater" (I haven't grated any fingers on it yet.) Would work with the previously frozen garlic. This is what mine looks like. It works well for fresh garlic and for ginger too. I haven't tried it on citrus zest or chocolate yet.

Ohhh, I like that, especially because of the holes for the product to fall through. My little grating cards don't have the holes. So when I use them, I just grate the clove of garlic, then scrape the garlic off with my finger into the bowl.

They work great for grating the garlic, though.

I've been meaning to buy a garlic press, but just haven't done it yet. I had one years ago, but it eventually broke. I actually like using those more than the graters. Less chance of skin or fingernails ending up in the finished product

 

[jennyema]

Have you ever tried using a microplane or similar to finely grate the garlic once it is defrosted? If so, how well did that work?

I agree that the majority of supermarket garlic is useless. It has been for years. That's why I buy garlic at the health food store, with my produce basket, or from a grocery store, from certain local growers, but then it's almost always packaged. My yard is too tiny to grow much of anything.

No. I just smash them into a paste, which I think achieves the same thing.

Very easy with frozen.

 

[dragnlaw]

Took the words right out of my mouth jennyema. LOL
Once frozen I dont' think you'll have any problem "mashing" them. Matter of fact, I rather think you'd have a terrible time trying to grate them!

 

[Linda0818]

No. I just smash them into a paste, which I think achieves the same thing.

Very easy with frozen.

Took the words right out of my mouth jennyema. LOL
Once frozen I dont' think you'll have any problem "mashing" them. Matter of fact, I rather think you'd have a terrible time trying to grate them!

Both very good points and taken.

Can I be like Anne Burrell and lay the clove onto a cutting board and smash the heck out of it with my chef knife? I've always wanted to do that.

 

[taxlady]

Both very good points and taken.

Can I be like Anne Burrell and lay the clove onto a cutting board and smash the heck out of it with my chef knife? I've always wanted to do that.

I don't see why not, as long as you are using a metal chef's knife and not a ceramic one. I have done it with garlic that hadn't been frozen. Bits of garlic went flying everywhere.

 

[Linda0818]

I don't see why not, as long as you are using a metal chef's knife and not a ceramic one. I have done it with garlic that hadn't been frozen. Bits of garlic went flying everywhere.

Haha, yep, I think I'm good. I have a very nice Henckels knife and it cuts beautifully. So hopefully it smashes just as well.

I'll bet that wasn't fun to clean up. Fresh garlic is sticky as all get out.

 

[taxlady]

Haha, yep, I think I'm good. I have a very nice Henckels knife and it cuts beautifully. So hopefully it smashes just as well.

I'll bet that wasn't fun to clean up. Fresh garlic is sticky as all get out.

It wasn't bad. It was one clove. Oh, the other thing that sometimes used to happen - the garlic would just go flying without smashing. I gave up on that and started laying the knife on the garlic and squishing the knife down by leaning on it with the palm of my non-dominant hand on the knife.

 

[Badjak]

Yes, like taxlady.
Put the knive down and push with the palm of your hand
Works with frozen and fresh.
I still prefer my mortar & pestle though.

And is you want to chop, add a little oil and your garlic won't go all over the place

 

[taxlady]

Yes, like taxlady.
Put the knive down and push with the palm of your hand
Works with frozen and fresh.
I still prefer my mortar & pestle though.

And is you want to chop, add a little oil and your garlic won't go all over the place

I like to crush my garlic before it goes in a mortar. If I don't, I find the garlic cloves want to slip out from under the pestle. But, it's not worth it to me to wash the mortar and pestle for one or two cloves of garlic.

 

[jennyema]

Both very good points and taken.

Can I be like Anne Burrell and lay the clove onto a cutting board and smash the heck out of it with my chef knife? I've always wanted to do that.

Yes. That’s what I do with either fresh or frozen garlic.

For fresh, I dice it and add a pinch of salt and then smash it. Rub it with the side of your chef’s knife.

For frozen, I also dice it but — no salt — and smash it.

Garlic smashed into a paste is usually easier to cook with