Serious Eats - seriouseats.com

use it stephie, it's not like fresh but it's damn close. i keep 3 types of garlic on hand, fresh, jarred minced and powder.

Just finished browsing the new Cook's Illustrated. It has a similar question in it (on freezing minced garlic.) It says that "the compound that gives garlic its potent taste, allicin, does not form until the cloves are chopped. But allicin is fleeting. If the chopped garlic is stored, even in the freezer, the allicin will lose its strength. If you want garlic at is maximum potency, you should wait until the last minute to chop it"

I recall hearing that before. And also that the smaller you chop it, the stronger it is. So sliced garlic is stronger than whole, but less strong than minced. And smashed and pureed is stronger still than minced.

i love fresh garlic.....but i do keep some minced jarred garlic in the fridge .....just in case

I used that minced jar stuff for about a year or so (about 2 years ago), but then each time that I used fresh, it just made realize that it just didn't compare, so I use fresh exclusively now. But try it, you may like it and maybe it's the right choice for your needs.

@ olddad: erm...you mean anthony bourdain?
While I can assure you he'd not just some "tv guru" he is known for having very strong opinions :)

I have some minced in a jar on hand for emergencies (though I've had it for a while...I should probably check mine as well). I probably won't buy it again, however, now that I can actually hold a knife correctly.

Anthony Bourdain is a famous chef who travels the world and eats anything. I really love him.

Buuuut back to the garlic-
My mom has been using the jarred stuff for a few years now and she loves how easy it is. I personally hate it... it's really potent and almost pickled... with a bad after-taste. I say don't use it.

Stephie - Americans waste/throw out approximately one pound of food a day per person. If you don't want to use the garlic in the jar that you bought, please donate it to a food bank (if still unopened) or to a community kitchen where they prepare meals for kids living below the poverty level or for homeless or underemployed folks?

If you decide to open it and use it - in my experience, the garlic in a jar does not taste quite as good as fresh, but it isn't awful, either. I keep some on hand for those times I unexpectedly run out and don't want to make a trip to the store for just one thing.

It works if you use a little more than you ordinarily would (to make up for the loss of allicin). I tend to throw in a bit of organic sugar to offset the loss of natural sugars in a preserved food.

I smell botulism

yes i'm old and i don't own a tv or a cell phone but i raised 2 sons by myself for 16 years, they are both Marines as i am and they also graduated from LSU cum laude.

i don't understand the the admiration folks seem to have with famous people....take a look at some of the ordinary folks around you and you might find someone that's deserving of more respect than some guy on tv.

p.s. and yes i'm bragging about my sons.

I think a lot of it also depends on the processor/brand of the jarred garlic you buy. There are big differences between some brands.

Like how someone mentioned that theirs tasted almost picked. Thats simply because the different preservatives they use in their jarred garlic.

I'm from Canada so I only know what we have available here but if you buy a brand called Derlea you'll find a huge difference compared to the lower brand jarred chinese garlic. Derlea uses California Garlic and different preservatives then most of the other brands you see on the shelf here in Canada.

Sorry if this almost sounds like an add for them, I'm sure there are other great brand out there, but In Canada this is the only jarred product I buy now after trying a variety of others.

But of course Fresh is best, but try having decent fresh garlic in Canada year round, its already hard enough to try and find a bulb of non Chinese garlic even when our own garlic is in season.