How to Make Garlic Powder

Fresh garlic is an integral part of cooking, which serve as a condiment or seasoning spice. For adding in dishes, the thin, papery skin is removed first and individual cloves are separated. But, it may happen that you don't have time to prepare garlic, or you have run out of fresh cloves. For such cases, you can always keep ready to use garlic paste, powder, flakes or granulated garlic in your pantry. And instead of purchasing garlic powder from groceries, you can make it a home. Scroll down to find information on garlic powder nutrition and tips on how to prepare garlic powder on your own.

Garlic Powder Information

Garlic powder is the dried version of fresh garlic cloves, that have been blended to form powder. Garlic salt differs from true powder, as the former refers to a mixed form of garlic powder and regular salt. As far as garlic powder nutrition facts are concerned, 1 tablespoon (8 g) of this powder is equivalent to 27 calories. It is a rich source of dietary fiber, selenium, phosphorous and vitamin B6. Low in saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium, garlic powder is also excellent for people with heart problems.

Include this spice and reap the health benefits of garlic. There are some authentic brands of garlic powder in the market. But, you will also come across many products that are not pure. In short, other adulterants are added to improve color and flavor, or just to cut down the cost of production. This is where, making garlic powder at home comes to the picture. Believe me, the steps to make garlic powder are very easy, and except for drying, it takes absolutely no time for making this seasoning agent.

Making Garlic Powder at Home

If you have a stock of fresh garlic, consider preparing garlic powder. Whether harvested from your own garden or purchased from the market during peak season, dry and ground it into powder for long-term usage. Of course, the flavor and taste of fresh garlic are anytime superior to other preserved alternatives. But, in slow marinades, grill seasonings and seasoning meat, garlic powder is preferred over fresh garlic. The following is a step-by-step procedure for making garlic powder.

• Take fresh garlic cloves (preferably the finest ones) and remove the parchment like skin to separate individual cloves. For the first try, you can start with a small batch. Later, you can make garlic powder in large amounts.
• Once you are done with peeling, transfer whole cloves in a colander and wash with water. Allow water to drain off, and make thin slices out of the cloves (a garlic bulb will yield 2 tablespoons slices). Or else, you can half the cloves lengthwise.
• The next step is dehydrating the slices. For this, you can use a dehydrator (if available) or oven. For oven drying, preheat oven to 500° F for 20 minutes or so.
• Just before adding garlic slices, reduce temperature setting to 125° F. Continue dehydrating them for 6-8 hours, and check whether they are dried completely or not. If garlic slices are crisp and brittle, then only remove from oven.
• Using a food processor or spice mill, blend dehydrated garlic slices until they turn into a fine quality powder. Transfer garlic powder into a plastic container having lid, and seal tightly. Or else, you can keep it in a zip lock bag.
• Adding table salt to powder garlic is nor necessary. But, if you prefer making garlic salt, you can mix powder and salt in the ratio 1:4. Store in the same method as mentioned above.

Here's hoping that you have understood how to make garlic powder at home. With the choice of preparing homemade garlic powder, you can maintain the purity of this seasoning spice. The best part is you can make it in bulk, and use for many months to come. In case of using garlic powder substitute, a fresh garlic clove is added for every ⅛ teaspoon of powder version.