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Onion and Garlic - Fresh or "other" |
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#1 |
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Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Up North
Posts: 58,791
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Onion and Garlic - Fresh or "other"
I've been watching a couple of US TV shows where they go around diners/restaurants and many of them make spice rubs/seasonings, tomato/pasta/pizza/marinara sauce and other stews/soups.
In a majority of these the restaurants use powdered onion and garlic. I can see the reasoning 1) Cheap 2) Convenient (storage/measurements) 3) Quick and easy to use 4) Don't have to strain a sauce I've started to use these two powdered spices in a spice mix for chicken & ribs etc but have always used fresh for my sauces. What do you use and think about powdered/dried/preserved (easy/lazy) spices? |
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#2 |
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Join Date: May 2008
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I think powdered onion and garlic have a different flavour to the fresh stuff, so I wouldn't use them as replacement for them. They are nice in spice mixes though, e.g. when making fajitas.
As onions and garlic store for a long time, I would probably not use the powdered stuff normally. |
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#3 |
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Join Date: Jul 2009
Posts: 4,559
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I use lazy garlic but always use fresh onions.
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#4 |
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Join Date: Mar 2006
Posts: 30,072
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Onion and garlic last ages though anyway, and we eat tonnes of the stuff. Fresh all the way with this.
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#5 |
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Join Date: Mar 2006
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Quote:
I think powdered onion and garlic have a different flavour to the fresh stuff, so I wouldn't use them as replacement for them. They are nice in spice mixes though, e.g. when making fajitas.
As onions and garlic store for a long time, I would probably not use the powdered stuff normally. |
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#6 |
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Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Bristol
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To paraphrase Anthony Bourdain
Too lazy to use fresh garlic? You don't deserve garlic. I think powdered stuff in dry rubs is understandable - garlic and onions are by nature, wet. But for anything else, I just can't imagine the motivation. How lazy do you have to be not to chop your own garlic? |
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#7 |
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Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Manchester
Posts: 1,835
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I buy the cloves ready peeled in a tub but that's as far as I'd go if I want garlic.... the powders have a different taste entirely and are not really a substitute for fresh garlic - although do have a use as a seasoning in their own right.
Didn't like the lazy garlic as that smells odd. |
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#8 |
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Join Date: Jan 2007
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Frozen garlic is great. Just for the fact it isn't preserved in anything that affects the flavour and it is a lot cheaper than lazy garlic (54p for 150g in Asda).
If anything, I think freezing garlic makes the flavour stronger. We have some in the freezer on standby, but 9 times out of 10 I use fresh. I do use garlic powder for a dusted chicken seasoning that I make up myself. |
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#9 |
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Join Date: Mar 2007
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I always use fresh, but I'm a real nerd when it comes to cooking and I really enjoy putting all the components of a dish together
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#10 |
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Join Date: Aug 2008
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Quote:
I always use fresh, but I'm a real nerd when it comes to cooking and I really enjoy putting all the components of a dish together
![]() Quote:
To paraphrase Anthony Bourdain
Too lazy to use fresh garlic? You don't deserve garlic. I think powdered stuff in dry rubs is understandable - garlic and onions are by nature, wet. But for anything else, I just can't imagine the motivation. How lazy do you have to be not to chop your own garlic? I could possibly understand that in the 50' USA for a period when these new fangled dried spices came along that where cheap and convenient that they may have been used but how can a restaurant say they are making authentic food if not even using fresh onions and garlic? Of course there are exceptions. Paprika will always be dried and some dried herbs (oregano) are ok. And dried chilli, paste or hot sauce may be used. I for one use lazy ginger. I don't use the puree but found a jar of ginger pieces/threads in Aldi. Used lazy garlic once. Never again. |
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#11 |
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Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Up North
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Just watching DDD and again he's at an Italian restaraunt that's been serving traditional, authentic Italian recipes for 54 years.
"Just like mama used to make" "You won't find classic Italian like this at many places" and one of the recipes is from the owner's grandfather Then they shot in Garlic and Onion powder in the sauces and even the pasta! I just find it strange how they seem to think that classic, traditional, authentic Italian recipes would use onion and garlic power instead of fresh ingredients. For a basic tomato sauce I could understand using tinned tomatoes if you couldn't get the best fresh or using dried oregano, which seems to be one of the herbs that takes well to it, especially if you get the natually dried and not the freeze dried. But what do I know
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#12 |
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Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Here
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I use either fresh or granules depending what I have on hand or how 'chefy' I feel at the time. I don't really notice that much difference in the taste if you use the proper amount of dry vs fresh. I also tend to slow cook for hours. Hubby hates onion with a passion, but if I use onion granules he doesn't even notice..lol
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#13 |
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Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 5,037
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At the moment it seems like every meal I make starts with diced onion, yet I'd never dream of using anything other than a real onion. They're so cheap and last for so long! I don't use much garlic, so rely on garlic salt instead for the odd occasion when I need it.
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#14 |
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Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Council Estate
Posts: 35,538
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Fresh garlic always. Powdered onion just seems wrong
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#15 |
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Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Leeds
Posts: 1,462
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I've never used onion powder but do have to admit to using garlic paste from a jar. It keeps for ages in the fridge and I can get it dirt cheap from the local Asian supermarket.
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#16 |
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#17 |
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Join Date: May 2007
Posts: 4,456
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Fresh all the way. And if anyone is put off using fresh garlic cos of the faff can I recommend this? Fantastic gadget.
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#18 |
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Join Date: Aug 2007
Posts: 3,719
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Fresh onion always. I try to fresh garlic when I can. Although the lazy garlic isn't that bad.
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#19 |
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Guest
Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 5,728
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Fresh onions always, the garlic in a jar is very good and lasts for a while, also lemon grass, ginger etc.
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#20 |
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Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: south east coast
Posts: 15,717
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Fresh all the way - although being a heavy garlic user I do have a packet of frozen, chopped garlic on standby in the freezer
![]() It's definitely the next best thing to fresh because, as Gogfumble said, it's just chopped garlic with no preservative. |
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#21 |
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Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Up North
Posts: 58,791
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I'm surprised about the amound of people liking easy/lazy garlic. It's the worst of those types of products i've used.
I use lazy ginger (the matchsticks) and have used the lemongrass before. |
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#22 |
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Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Glasgow
Posts: 16,266
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I use fresh garlic and onion , as another poster mentioned they do keep a long time.
But I do use garlic granules for rubs and have lazy ginger which i use if forgotten the real stuff and although not as good as the real stuff is passable |
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