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Onion and Garlic - Fresh or "other"


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Old 18-09-2010, 17:16
degsyhufc
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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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Old 18-09-2010, 18:01
LQS
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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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Old 18-09-2010, 18:07
Caramel Crunch
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I use lazy garlic but always use fresh onions.
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Old 18-09-2010, 18:10
whoever,hey
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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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Old 18-09-2010, 20:06
LaChatteGitane
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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.
That is how I use the dried stuff. I make my Cajun spice mix with it.
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Old 18-09-2010, 20:31
1Greedyrosie
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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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Old 18-09-2010, 22:22
kibblerok
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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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Old 18-09-2010, 22:39
Gogfumble
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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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Old 19-09-2010, 10:33
missloo
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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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Old 19-09-2010, 16:06
degsyhufc
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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
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?
That's the strange thing about watching these programs though. The chefs are saying that they are using authentic family recipies passed down from their mothers and grandmothers.

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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Old 02-10-2010, 18:11
degsyhufc
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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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Old 02-10-2010, 21:24
summerwine
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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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Old 02-10-2010, 23:48
jessca
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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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Old 03-10-2010, 00:00
silentNate
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Fresh garlic always. Powdered onion just seems wrong
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Old 03-10-2010, 00:07
Swarfega
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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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Old 03-10-2010, 20:02
Louismum
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I use lazy garlic but always use fresh onions.
Same here
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Old 03-10-2010, 20:45
alsmama
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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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Old 03-10-2010, 21:11
stripedcat
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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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Old 05-10-2010, 05:27
Special K_
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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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Old 05-10-2010, 08:51
ecco66
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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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Old 05-10-2010, 16:28
degsyhufc
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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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Old 05-10-2010, 17:05
twingle
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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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