Freeze-Dried Garlic Chips for Bold Salad Flavors

Hey you, you garlic masochist! You want to add some kick to that salad but decide against the store-bought crap? Think about how you felt about that salad after chomping those dumb, lifeless cloves, and then let me recommend a flavour-packed solution to that disappointing nakedness: freeze-dried garlic chips. 

Introduction to Freeze-Drying

What is freeze-drying?

You might have heard of it without quite knowing what it is. But imagine freezing something, then pulling out all of its moisture using a vacuum without damaging the structure. The result is an item whose nutrients have been preserved, but which has also been somehow transformed into a whole new texture – crisp. A neat trick.

Benefits of freeze-drying

Not only does this maintain its nutritional value, but it greatly extends its shelf life too. Has a clove of garlic from your kitchen ever begun to rot before you got around to using it? This would solve that! Furthermore, if anything, the flavour intensifies. This would be great for our salad hunt.

The Power of Garlic in Salads

Health benefits of garlic

Who knew garlic could protect us from vampires? When combined with a sprig of rosemary and a dash of thyme, we’re in for a delicious meal with a side of better health. Garlic contains vitamins and minerals, lowers blood pressure and prevents heart disease … vampires need not apply! What’s not to love?

Traditional use of garlic in salads

Garlic has long been the ingredient that ‘makes it sing’ in many cuisines, whether in your grandmother’s ajo blanco in Spain or your friend’s pad ped in southeast Asia.

Introduction to Freeze-Dried Garlic Chips

The freeze-drying process

Remember when we talked about freeze-drying? With garlic, it’s even better. The water is drawn out of the garlic and we’re left with a much more powerful and flavourful chip with no added preservatives or additives.

Benefits of using freeze-dried garlic

One word: convenience. With you can have that punch of garlic taste anytime, and then easily chuck it into a plastic container. You don’t had to peel, or chop or, worse, get a terrible garlic breath in your mouth. Oh, and did I mention that it lasts forever?

Incorporating Freeze-Dried Garlic Chips in Salads

Perfect pairing ideas

These are terrific crumbled atop Caesar salad, or alongside kale and quinoa bowls, or simply finely sliced over a salad of any leafy greens along with a basic vinaigrette. Get fancy and throw in some toasted nuts in there for textural interest.

Tips for using freeze-dried garlic

Use a pinch, add to taste, but make it balanced.

Comparing Fresh Garlic and Freeze-Dried

Taste comparison

Whereas the fresh stuff is still sharp, pungent and, dare we say, a little rustic, the freeze-drying concentrates the level of flavour so that you literally get double the bang for your buck. In fact, unless you take care, your pasta or salad will be so garlicky it’s more like garlic 2.0: the very same garlic but now amped up to 11 on the vanilla ice-cream cartoon fridge magnet scale.

Shelf life

Unlike fresh garlic, which can last for up to five months if stored well, your freeze-dried garlic will stay good indefinitely, as long as you keep it in a cool, dry place!

Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Now make sure to crank up the flavour level of your salad a notch. Place in the salad bowl marinated black or green olives, the desicated cherries, the pomegranate seeds, the chilli flakes and the freeze-dried garlic chips: every mouthful will feature the freshness of the greens with the punch of all the other ingredients. Get taste sensation out of the smallest volume possible!

FAQs

Where can i buy freeze dried garlic chips, are they the green powdery looking flecks that im seeing every where?, or are they the crisp dried ones im looking for? You can procure these in the better gourmet shops or online. Usually they are stocked in the spices or gourmet sections.

Can I use the freeze-dried garlic in cooking? Sure. Rehydrate the garlic before cooking, or grate the freeze-dried chunks over a dish for a flavour thrill.

Where should I keep my little bag of freeze-dried garlic chips?They need to be kept cool and dry, ideally in an airtight container.

Does garlic retain the same nutritional value when freeze-dried as fresh garlic? YES – Most nutrients are retained with the process of freeze-drying

Can I use my own freeze-dried garlic chips? And make them at home? Absolutely! Well, to be honest, you’d need your own freeze-drying machine, but you can certainly try making your own oven-dried chips.