Granulated Garlic Vs Garlic Powder – Which One to Choose?

Garlic is a common ingredient in the culinary world. And this flavored herb has a wide variety of uses. It brings a versatile flavor in cooking when mixed with other ingredients. And you almost cannot do without garlic when cooking something. Of course, the best use of garlic is in its new condition, but there may arise chances of unavailability. Also, some cooking styles require garlic in granules or dry powdered form. And this is the reason why powdered, and granulated garlic has a huge demand.

The rich and tangy flavors of garlic give every recipe a fantastic taste. Whether it’s a vegetable dish or a recipe with meat, garlic adds a magical taste to all food. Humans have been consuming garlic for many years. And it is not only because of its delicious flavor but also for its medicinal values.

How you will use the garlic depends on the recipe and, to some extent, on your kitchen. It means the kind of garlic on your kitchen shelf sometimes decides the usage method. However, in some of the recipes, you need to use fresh garlic. And powdered or granulated garlic is the need for some specific recipes. Also, this processed garlic saves your time because you don’t have to peel or chop them.

Garlic in all forms provides a savory flavor to your dish. And you may find that your kitchen has no fresh garlic in the middle of cooking. So you can use any powdered or granulated garlic because they won’t make any significant differences in your cooking. So then, what makes the granulated garlic and powdered garlic different? Let’s check it all below.

What Is Granulated Garlic?

It is dry garlic that gets a consistency like the sand after grinding. You can make it at home or buy it from a store. To make granulated garlic at home, you need to dry out the garlic cloves in the oven. And then finely grind the dried cloves in a spice grinder. Also, bottled granulated garlic is available in groceries selling seasonings.

How to Use Granulated Garlic?

The most common use of granulated garlic is as a seasoning ingredient. You can mix it with sauces or use it as a dry rub. And this magic ingredient evenly distributes the flavor in your dish without wetting it. Here are the most common methods of using granulated garlic in your cooking.

• You can sprinkle granulated garlic over the hot pizza to combine the essence of deliciousness with the cheesy delight.
• It is an excellent idea to mix the granulated garlic with chowder to enjoy the tangy flavor of the soup.
• A dry rub with granulated garlic provides a smokey deliciousness when you prepare a rack of ribs.
• You can coat your breadsticks with granulated garlic before baking which provides a unique texture with a slight crunchiness.

What Is Garlic Powder?

It is dehydrated garlic that gets a consistency like the flour after grinding. To make garlic powder at home, you need to dry out the garlic cloves. And then, finely grate the dried cloves in a spice grinder until it gets the flour-like consistency. Garlic powder, due to its tiny granules, quickly disintegrates into a substance. And its flavor is more intense than other garlic products. You can make it at home or buy it from any grocery store.

How to Use Garlic Powder?

• Garlic powder provides excellent flavor without impacting the texture of your recipe. Here are the most common methods of using garlic powder in your cooking.
• You can sprinkle a little garlic powder on a piece of buttered bread. And it will help you enjoy your favorite garlic bread.
• Garlic is excellent for enhancing the flavor of your soup to perfection. And you can do it easily by stirring in some garlic powder to the soup.
• You can add garlic powder to boiling water for seasoning pasta when you cook it.
• You can prepare a delightful salad seasoning with garlic powder in the recipe.
• If you spread a little garlic powder on taco meat, it will provide a burst of flavor. And the moisture levels of the food will remain intact.

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Granulated Garlic Vs Garlic Powder

When you decide to cook with dried garlic products, you may wonder whether to use garlic powder or granulated garlic. Of course, it depends on the recipe you are preparing to decide which form of garlic is suitable. The factors described below will help you determine what form of garlic to use when cooking with this flavorful spice.

Texture: There is only one difference between garlic powder and granulated garlic: the granule size. The granulated garlic gets a sand-like consistency after coarse grinding. And garlic powder has a flour-like surface that needs fine grinding.

Flavor: Due to the difference in granule size, garlic powder has a more potent flavor than granulated garlic. It is because more cells of the garlic come in contact with oxygen in powder form. And it releases more of the sulfur compound. So 1/4 tsp. of granulated garlic has the same effect as 1/8 tsp of garlic powder. And it substitutes one clove of garlic.

Clump: There is less chance for bottled granulated garlic to clot than garlic powder. However, when you want the garlic to blend with the consistency of your recipe, you must choose garlic powder. It melts quickly without affecting the texture of the recipe, like a pasta sauce. And do remember that you need to sift the powder into your dish to avoid clumps.

Advantages of Granulated Garlic

• Granulated garlic is ideal when preparing a recipe that offers a crunchy feel with the garlic flavor.
• It is less likely to clump in comparison to garlic powder.
• It is an ideal ingredient for salad dressings, sauces, and soups because it goes better with liquids.
• It works excellent as a seasoning for rubbing because it evenly mixes with other spices.
• It is a preferable substitute for fresh garlic as compared to garlic powder.

Advantages of Garlic Powder

• The garlic powder has a more potent flavor than the granulated garlic.
• It is ideal for recipes with short cooking times. It is because it releases the flavor faster and is better for marinades.
• It provides a more intense flavor of garlic.

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Can You Substitute Dried Garlic For Fresh?

Suppose you are in the middle of preparing a dish. And find that there is no garlic in your spice cabinet. But there is granulated or powdered garlic available at your home. So you may wonder whether you can use this processed garlic in place of fresh herbs. In most cases, you can substitute granulated or powdered garlic for the new.

You will experience only one difference between garlic powder and granulated garlic, which is the granule size. It is because the granulated garlic gets a sand-like consistency after coarse grinding. And garlic powder has a flour-like texture that needs fine grinding. So you can use granulated garlic in place of powdered garlic and vice versa.

Suppose you’re cooking a dish. And the recipe suggests the use of fresh garlic, but you’re in a time constraint. In this situation, processed garlic can be a great substitute. First, it is time-saving as you won’t need to clean or peel the garlic. And still, it will provide the delicious flavor and aroma of garlic.

Granulated garlic is more preferred when it comes to substituting for fresh. It is the general rule to use ½ teaspoon of granulated garlic for every fresh clove. It is a simple and time-saving method.

If your recipe suggests granulated or powdered garlic, you can use the two interchangeably according to the availability. However, it is crucial to note that 1/4 tsp. of granulated garlic has the same effect as 1/8 tsp of garlic powder. And it substitutes one clove of garlic.

FAQ’s

Conclusion

Garlic is a common ingredient for cooking. And this flavored herb makes every recipe excellent with its delicious flavor. However, you can use garlic as fresh cloves or in processed form as powdered or granulated garlic. But you also wonder whether powdered and granular garlic is the same. And can the processed garlic substitute for fresh. In this post, we have pointed the difference between powdered and granulated garlic and its advantages. And we are hopeful that you will get some helpful information in the article that will ease your cooking time.

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