Making Your Own Garlic Powder Is An Easy Way To Pack More Flavor Into Your Food

Whether you love cooking Italian food or you think your steak marinade needs an extra kick, garlic is a deeply important ingredient in any kitchen. If you're particularly fond of this pungent and spicy bulb, you might find yourself going through tons of store-bought garlic powder, struggling to get the flavor as strong as desired. But an easy way to fix that issue is by making garlic powder from scratch.

It may sound like a complex project, but don't worry, it's incredibly simple to do. The result is a cost-effective garlic powder that tends to have a more vibrant taste, and a texture you can customize to your liking — with no added filler. While it can be easier to manage if you have specialized tools, you don't actually need a fancy machine to dry garlic, in this case. At the very least, you only need a dry place; a tool for grinding; and a deep, emotional love for the smell of garlic.

Besides the fact that it tastes oh-so-delicious, this ingredient comes with some great health benefits. Garlic has been used in cuisine and medicine for hundreds of years all over the world. It's an antioxidant-rich food, which means it helps protect the health of the cells in your body. Scientific research has also shown that eating garlic can make a positive impact on those with cancer, inflammation, immune system disorders, or other diseases. For everyday health, garlic contains beneficial vitamins such as C and B6, as well as necessary daily minerals like manganese and selenium.

Although it's more processed, garlic powder does a good job of preserving much of the nutrition found in fresh garlic. As with its raw form, the powder is very low-calorie, adding plenty of flavor without breaking any diets. There are plenty of great recipes that are perfect for garlic lovers, so don't hesitate to add a little extra pinch of garlic powder to your cooking — especially if it's homemade.

First, you'll have to peel a whole lot of garlic, which is arguably the hardest part. There are clever ways to peel more garlic than you could ever eat in one go, but it's still likely to take some time. From there, thinly slice or mince the cloves and dry them using a food dehydrator; warm them in the oven at a low temperature; or let them dry in the open air if your climate allows for it. Some recipes recommend using the attached stalks and skins of young garlic, thereby creating less waste for a metaphoric — and literal — green garlic powder.

Once the garlic is fully dried but not browned, you can use a coffee grinder, food processor, or spice grinder to blend it into a fine powder. Feel free to leave it coarse if you prefer granulated garlic. If you don't have anything mechanical to use for grinding, you can do it the old-fashioned way with a mortar and pestle. Store the powder in an airtight container for up to eight months (or until it doesn't smell like garlic, which means it's time to make a new batch). You've now got strong, flavorful garlic powder that will give you much a better kick than store-bought brands.

This whole process is likely to make your kitchen absolutely reek of garlic for a while, which shouldn't be a problem if you're a real garlic fiend. Luckily, science has discovered a cure for garlic breath, so you can at least work on that for the benefit of loved ones who may not be quite as avid as you.