Garlic and Garlic Oil- Safe Methods for Storing and Preserving

WHAT IS GARLIC?
Garlic (Allium sativum) is a member of the Amaryllis family (Amaryllidaceae), which also includes leeks, onions, and shallots. It is a perennial with an underground bulb (head) composed of pungent bulblets commonly called cloves. Approximately 90 percent of the garlic grown in the United States is grown in California. California Early and California Late are the two major commercial varieties. California Early has white skins and is planted in December for harvest in July and August. The largest garlic variety, Elephant Garlic, has a very mild-flavored clove and is a close relative of the leek.

The pungent flavor of garlic is caused by a chemical reaction that occurs when the garlic cells are broken. The flavor is most intense shortly after cutting or chopping. This chemical reaction cannot occur after garlic is cooked, which is why roasted garlic is sweet rather than pungent.

BOTULISM WARNING
Regardless of its flavor potency, garlic is a low-acid vegetable. The pH of a clove of garlic typically ranges from 5.3 to 6.3. As with all low-acid vegetables, garlic will support the growth and subsequent toxin production of the bacterium Clostridium botulinum when given the right conditions. These conditions include improper home canning and improper preparation and storage of fresh herb and garlic-in-oil mixtures. Moisture, room temperature, lack of oxygen, and low-acid conditions all favor the growth of Clostridium botulinum. When growing, this bacterium produces an extremely potent toxin that causes the illness botulism. If untreated, death can result within a few days of consuming the toxic food.

HARVESTING GARLIC
If you grow your own garlic, it is important to let it mature after harvest. Spread the harvested garlic heads or bulbs on newspapers or wire racks out of direct sunlight in a well-ventilated place to cure for 2 to 3 weeks or until skins are papery.

STORING GARLIC
Commercially, garlic is stored near 32 degrees F. However, most home refrigerators are too warm for ideal long-term storage of garlic. Instead, store in a cool, dry, well-ventilated place in well-ventilated containers such as mesh bags. Storage life is 3 to 5 months under cool (60 degree F) dry, dark conditions.

PEELING GARLIC CLOVES
Peeling whole cloves requires that the papery skin be removed without cutting into the clove. If the garlic is going to be chopped or sliced., the skin can be removed by pressing the clove with the flat side of a knife until the clove and skin crack. The skin can then be easily removed.

ROASTING GARLIC
Roasted garlic, which has become popular in recent years, is sweet to the taste and is delicious on bread or crackers as an appetizer or served as a vegetable side dish. To prepare roasted garlic, leave the head whole and cut off the tip of the head, exposing the cloves. Allow one-half to one head per person. Put the head (or heads) in a baking dish or wrap them in aluminum foil, sprinkle with olive oil or pat with butter, and season with a little salt and pepper and some fresh or dried thyme if desired. Bake at 350 degrees F until very soft and tender (about 45 minutes to 1 hour). The roasted garlic cloves can be easily squeezed from their skins and spread with a knife.

FREEZING GARLIC
Garlic can be frozen in a number of ways.
1. Chop the garlic, wrap it tightly in a plastic freezer bag or in plastic wrap, and freeze. To use, grate or break off the amount needed.
2. Freeze the garlic unpeeled and remove cloves as needed.
3. Peel the cloves and puree them with oil in a blender or food processor using 2 parts oil to 1 part garlic. The puree will stay soft enough in the freezer to scrape out parts to use in sautéing. Freeze this mixture immediately - do not store it at room temperature. The combination of the low-acid garlic, the exclusion of air (by mixing with oil), and room-temperature storage can support the growth of Clostridium botulinum.

DRYING GARLIC
Dry only fresh, firm garlic cloves with no bruises. To prepare, separate and peel the cloves. Cut in half lengthwise. No additional predrying treatment is necessary. Dry at 140 degrees for 2 hours, then reduce heat to 130 degrees until completely dry or crisp. If desired, garlic salt may be made from dried garlic. Powder dried garlic by processing in a blender or food processor until fine. Add 4 parts salt to 1 part garlic powder and blend 1 to 2 seconds. If blended longer, the salt will become too fine and cake together in clumps.

STORING GARLIC IN WINE OR VINEGAR
Peeled cloves may be submerged in wine or vinegar and stored in the refrigerator. A dry white or red wine is suggested; white or wine vinegars also work well. The garlic/liquid should be kept for about 4 months in the refrigerator. Discard both the cloves and the liquid if there are signs of mold or yeast growth on the surface of the wine or vinegar. The garlic-flavored liquid and the garlic cloves may be used to flavor dishes. Do not store the garlic/liquid mixture at room temperature because it will rapidly develop mold growth.

STORING GARLIC IN OIL
Extreme care must be taken when preparing flavored oils with garlic or when storing garlic in oil. Peeled garlic cloves may be submerged in oil and stored in the freezer for several months. Do not store garlic in oil at room temperature. Garlic-in-oil mixtures stored at room temperature provide perfect conditions for producing botulism toxin (low acidity, no free oxygen in the oil, and warm temperatures). The same hazard exists for roasted garlic stored in oil. At least three outbreaks of botulism associated with garlic-in-oil mixtures have been reported in North America.

By law, commercially prepared garlic in oil has been prepared using strict guidelines and must contain citric or phosphoric acid to increase the acidity. Unfortunately, there is no easy or reliable method to acidify garlic in the home. Acidifying garlic in vinegar is a lengthy and highly variable process; a whole clove of garlic covered with vinegar can take from 3 days to more than 1 week to sufficiently acidify. As an alternative, properly dried garlic cloves may be safely added to flavor oils.

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Copied and republished with written permission from Calaveras County Agriculture Extension.  Source link: http://cecalaveras.ucdavis.edu/garlic.htm, May 6, 2009

Soft White Bread Made At Home

The original recipe is Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread Inspired by Chris Kimball from the book, Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day.  At the time of mixing the dough, I didn't have whole wheat flour and took a chance on using all All-Purpose Flour in the recipe.  It worked out beautifully.  The family fell in love, the kids wanted to eat peanut butter sandwiches all day long, and I fell addicted to having creamy toast for breakfast.

I'll admit that we're accustomed to Mrs. Baird's pillow soft and sweet bread.  I knew that if I wanted my family to turn to the fresh side, I would have to sweeten the transition. This recipe helped me do that.

HERE'S WHAT IT TAKES

• 3 cups lukewarm water
• 1 1/2 tablespoons granulated yeast (or 2 packets)
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 6 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

Mix the yeast, salt, honey, and butter with the lukewarm water in a 5-quart bowl, or lidded (not airtight) food container.

Mix in the flour without kneading, using a spoon.  Mix until there's no pockets of flour present.  Cover (not airtight), and allow to rest at room temperature until the dough rises and collapses; approximately 2 hours.

The dough can be used immediately after the initial rise, though it's easier to handle when cold.  Refrigerate in a lidded (not airtight) container and use over the next 5 days.

On baking day, lightly grease a 9 x 4 x 3-inch nonstick loaf pan with butter.  Dust the surface of the refrigerated dough with flour and cut off a 1 1/2 pound (cantaloupe-size) piece.  Dust the piece with more flour and quickly shape it into a ball by stretching the surface of the dough around to the bottom on all four sides, rotating the ball a quarter-turn as you go.  Form an elongated oval and place it into the prepared pan.  Allow to rest for 1 hour and 40 minutes or just 4o minutes if you're using fresh, unrefrigerated dough.

Twenty minutes before baking time, preheat the oven to 400ºF, with an empty broiler tray on any other shelf that won't interfere with the rising bread.

Place the loaf on a rack near the center of the oven.  Pour 1 cup of hot tap water into the broiler tray and quickly close the oven door.  Bake for about 50 minutes, or until deeply browned and firm.

Allow to cool before slicing or eating.

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This recipe makes WONDERFUL baguettes for snacking, too. After shaping the dough into a oval-shaped loaf.  Allow to rest and rise on a cornmeal covered pizza peel for 20 minutes BEFORE heating up the oven and pizza stone.  Bake for 30 to 35 minutes for baguettes.

Baking has never been easier since I started using the book, Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day by Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francois.  Click on the book title and get your copy today.  This cookbook is LOADED with awesome recipes such as Onion Rye, Deli Style Rye, Spinach Feta Bread, Fresh and Fruity Oatmeal Bread, Bran-Enriched White Bread, and my personal favorite Sticky Caramel  Rolls. 
My mouth waters just thinking about them.

How to Cook Spaghetti Squash

If you've NEVER eaten spaghetti squash, well, you're not missing anything.  To be quite honest.  It's not gross, but it's not genetically swimming in depths of flavor either.  To be REALLY HONEST, I don't know why farmers keep growing it.  Compared to all the fruits that come from the squash family, this one has the least amount of flavor.  anyhoo

Last week, the grocer had spaghetti squash on sale.  I thought that since I'm trying to be a well rounded food blogger and all, I ought to give'em a whirl.  Silly me, a half hour before dinner I started wondering how I was suppose to cook it.  I gave my friends in Twitterland and Facebookville a shout out for directions.  I got back instructions for baking up to an hour.  That wouldn't do.  I decided to go with the directions on the sticker stuck onto the squash.  Talk about BASIC and FAST.

I did read a thorough "how to" article from About.com that was worth bookmarking. It covers the pro and cons of all the methods of cooking this squash.

HERE'S WHAT I DID

First, I cut the squash open and scooped out the seeds with a melon ball tool.  A melon ball tool is THE BEST tool for this job.  It's practically effortless.
I saved the seeds and baked them the same way as I did the roasted pumpkin seeds.

Next, I found a microwaveable dish that would hold the cut squash and covered the bottom with water.  I nuked the squash for 12 minutes on HIGH power.

Ever so carefully, I removed the dish from the microwave and allowed it cool down for 5 to 10 minutes.  I still needed an oven mitt when it came time to scrap the squash.  These babies really know how to hold their heat.

Because I cut the squash lengthwise, the strands were actually cut in half and shorter.  I instantly figured out that for a longer strand, I would have to cut across the equator.  I didn't make that up, I got that term somewhere else.

All it takes is a fork to scrap perpendicular to the strands and they come out so easily.

I HIGHLY, HIGHLY Recommend transferring the strands to a strainer or sieve before plating.  The strands release water after being removed.  This would probably be a good time to season them with salt & pepper, drizzle with a tasty flavored oil, something.

I had already cooked up what's becoming my family's FAY VOR RIGHT homemade tomato sauce.  Poured the sauce over the squash, topped with fresh parmesan cheese and we were chowing down!

Now, it's your turn.  You tell me how I could have made this spaghetti squash have more flavor.  I'm willing to try it again, if someone has a real recipe they love to make ALL THE TIME.  I want to hear from folks that eat this spaghetti squash on a regular basis.

Simple Zucchini Pancakes

These simple zucchini pancakes make a great side dish. They're light and low in carbs and are absolutely delicious!

HERE'S ALL IT TAKES

Servings: Makes 20 small pancakes • Time: 20 minutes

• 2 medium zucchini, grated
• 2 shallots, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh chives
• 1/4 cup parsley, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 6-8 tbsp whole wheat flour
• kosher salt and fresh pepper to taste
• olive oil spray

Grate the zucchini using the large holes of a cheese grater and place in a large bowl. Add flour, shallots, garlic, parsley, chives, eggs, cheese, salt and pepper.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat and spray oil to cover pan. Drop 1 tablespoon of the batter into the skillet to form each pancake. Cook about 2 minutes on each side until golden brown. Set aside and keep warm. Spray more oil in the skillet as needed, and continue with remaining batter.

Keeping it Light!

Gina's Recipes

How Much Food Do We Really Need On Our Plates

It doesn't matter what time of the year we are in, we can find a reason why we need to go on a diet.  As soon as the next mealtime comes around, we can find a reason why we can start that diet tomorrow.

In my efforts to research how much food we should be measuring out on our plates, I was reminded that we don't need charts, scales or measuring cups.  We just need to listen to our bodies.

Listen in on this podcast where I explain what I went through and how I came to this answer.

Listen in and Enjoy!

Thank you for listening!

How To Make Recipes Healthier

This is a simple list of baking and cooking tips for making healthier recipes.  No matter what time of the year, we should turn our recipes into healthy choices for our families.

With all good intentions, sometimes our attempts to a make a recipe 'healthy' produces a poor product.  And that's frustrating when we don't have groceries to waste or have time to whip up another batch.  Now, this is not a complete list, but it's a good start in the right direction.  If you have a tried and tested tip or method to making cooking or baking healthy without sacrificing flavors and textures, PLEASE LET US KNOW ABOUT IT.

HERE'S ALL IT TAKES

REDUCE SUGAR

• You can usually reduce sugar in a recipe by 1/4 to 1/3 in cookies, pies, and quick breads.  Although, it may not work well in cakes.
• Up to 1/2 cup of sugar may be substituted with a sugar substitute.
• Adding vanilla extract in baking goods gives the essence of sweetness that makes up for the reduced sugar.

REDUCE FAT

• You can usually reduce fat in a recipe by 1/4 to 1/3 in cookies, pies, and quick breads without affecting the product.
• Replace half of the fat in a recipe with unsweetened applesauce, low-fat yogurt, or prune puree.
• Use lower-fat versions of the ingredients called for in a recipe, such as 1% or skim milk rather than whole, use low-fat cheeses, etc.
• When buying meats, select the leanest cuts.  Cough up for the leanest ground meats with a meat/fat ratio of 90/10 or better.  The meat may seem expensive, but it's cheaper than by-pass surgery on your heart or monthly prescriptions of cholesterol medications.

REDUCE CHOLESTEROL

• Use two egg whites in the place of one whole egg.
• Use healthy egg substitutes, such as Better N'eggs.

REDUCE SALT

• Use half the amount of salt called for in a recipe.  In some dishes, you can totally omit salt.  For example, cooking rice or pasta.  However, DO NOT eliminate salt from yeast bread or rolls; it is essential for yeast action.
• Rather than using salt for seasoning, try spices, herbs, vinegar, flavoring extracts, fruit peal, or your own blend of seasonings.

So there's a very good start.  You don't have to use all these tips all at the same time.  In fact, if you work back gradually reducing the ingredient, of your choice, in your recipes, eventually you & your family won't even notice that it's missing.

Like I mentioned earlier, if you have a tried and tested tip or method to making cooking or baking healthy without sacrificing flavors and textures, PLEASE LET US KNOW ABOUT IT.  The more we know, the better choices we can make for ourselves and our family.

Homecooked Garbanzo Beans or Chickpeas

You say garbanzo beans, I say chickpeas.

Chickpeas are fairly new to me. I've used them to make hummus. I've added them to my soups. Up until last week, I simply bought them canned. I read a helpful article from Culinate.com that inspired me to cook them on my own. They turned out rather tasty and much larger than the ones from the can.

HERE'S ALL I NEEDED TO DO

• 1 pound bag of garbanzo beans (I found them in the Mexican food section at Brookshire's.)
• 2 crushed garlic cloves
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 bay leaves, whole
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• enough water to cover the beans

First I rinsed the chickpeas and checked for foreign objects, I do this for beans so why not do it for the chickpeas. I don't know if it's necessary but it doesn't hurt to check.

Using my pressure cooker, I added the chickpeas, the crushed garlic cloves, oil, bay leaves and pepper, then covered them with enough water, one to 2 inches of water over the peas.

Over medium-high heat, I brought the water to a boil, then covered it with the lid and placed the pressure regulator on the vent pipe. When the regulator started its rocking motion, I lowered the heat to medium low. Set the timer for 45 minutes.

After 45 minutes, I removed the cooker from the heat and allowed the pressure to drop on its own. This took maybe 10 to 15 minutes, I didn't really time it. When the air vent/cover lock drops, I know I can remove the lid.

A quicker method to cooling a pressure cooker:
Carefully remove pressure cooker from stove top and cool it under a running water faucet until pressure is completely reduced. Pressure is completely reduced when the air vent/cover lock has dropped. After pressure has been completely reduced, remove the pressure regulator. Always remove the pressure regulator before opening the cover.

The chickpeas turned out great! It made so many that I was able to store some in the freezer for later. For the money, it was less expensive to make them on my own than to buy them in the can, no surprise there. The 16 ounce bag of dried chick peas ran a dollar, where the 15 ounce can cost $.86.

However, it did take an hour of my time to prepare them. I don't know that I would make a habit of preparing my own chickpeas. Quite honestly, I'll probably keep a couple of cans in the pantry, right next to the chicken broth.

Editor's Note:  Since the writing of this post, I have developed the habit of cooking chickpeas in the pressure cooker.  I find myself cooking up a one pound bag once a month, dividing it into serving sizes and storing them in the freezer.

I use them to make hummus, to throw in soups as a meat substitute, and I've grown to eat them right out of the bowl with extra pepper for lunch.

Best Way to Thaw Frozen Spinach

The best way and fastest way to thaw frozen spinach is to put it in a mesh strainer and run it under very warm water. Feel around for icy chucks of spinach and break them apart with your fingers. Turn off water, grab a handful of spinach and SQUEEZE the water out back over the strainer.

Depending on the recipe, it’s not absolutely necessary to make the spinach feel bone dry, unless you were using it to fill pastry or adding it to a creamy pasta dish.

Spinach Lovers Pie

I've always made spinach quiche, but never a spinach pie. This is attempt number one, and I'll tell ya right now, you will see more versions of it in the future.

Spinach is my MOST FAVORITE vegetable of all time. If my family would let me, I would serve it every other day.

THIS IS ALL IT TAKES

Pie Filling

• 1 (10oz bag) frozen spinach, thawed & squeezed dry
• 1/4 cup minced onion
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan or Kraft Italian blend cheese
• 3/4 cup healthy egg substitute or 3 eggs
• 3/4 cup non-fat half-n-half (Land O'Lakes)
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

Crust

• 20 Cracked Pepper & Olive Oil Triscuits crackers
• 2-3 tablespoons canola oil

Preheat oven 350F degrees - spray pie plate with high heat nonstick spray.

THAWING FROZEN SPINACH The fastest way to thaw frozen spinach is to put it in a mesh strainer and run it under very warm or hot water. Feel around for icy chucks of spinach and break them apart with your fingers. Turn off water, grab a handful of spinach and squeeze the water out back over the strainer. Depending on the recipe, it's not crucial to make the spinach feel bone dry, unless you were using it to fill pastry or pasta. Since the spinach was going into an egg mixture anyways, one good squeeze worked fine.

Back to the Recipe
In a medium bowl, stir together spinach, onion, cheese, egg substitute, half-n-half, salt and pepper; set aside.

In a food processor using the large metal blade, pulse Triscuits into fine crumbs. Add oil, pulse 5-10 seconds until the Triscuits are moistened. Transfer to pie plate and press crumbs evenly on bottom and up the sides to form the crust.

Carefully spoon spinach filling into pie plate, so that you don't move the crust. Distribute all the filling plus egg liquid evenly. The egg & cream will soak into the crust and help hold it together. BAKE 35 MINUTES.

Do anyone have spinach pie recipes they would care to share with me? I really want to get the hang of making these for light lunches, pot lucks and side dishes.
(Feel free to leave a url link, if that's easier than typing it in.)

Toasting Black Peppercorns

Right up front, toasting and grinding your own black pepper is worth the effort. It's super easy and it's fun, in a food explorer's sort of way. I KNOW you know what I'm saying.

Now, I'll be completely honest here. Sometimes I buy & try things I think I need in my cooking, but I don't know why I need them. Then I grow tired of my ignorance and I go through the effort to compare what I always use to this new thing.

Today, I compared the flavors of freshly toasted, ground, black peppercorns to the traditional tin of ground black pepper. After hearing and reading that there was a distinct difference, I wanted to know for myself.

HERE'S HOW EASY IT IS TO TOAST & GRIND PEPPERCORNS

Pour the peppercorns into a dry heavy pan over medium heat, stir the peppercorns around the pan to get an even toasting. I didn't actually know how long to toast them. So, I used my baking sense to determine the time; when I could smell the peppery aroma, they were done.

Move them to a small bowl and allow to cool. Do not just remove pan from heat, they will continue to toast. (That's what the book said.) Using my old coffee grinder, I counted to 40 to get the ground size you see in the pictures. It produced a few whole peppercorns, big chunks and powdery pepper. I could have run it longer, but I didn't.

To transfer the pepper back to it's airtight container, I used my handy, dandy spice funnel. Not available in stores. It's really a large triangle cut from a sturdy envelope with the corner tip snipped off. I keep it in my gadget drawer for times like these.

NOW TO TASTE THE DIFFERENCE
In case you're wondering. No, I don't have special taste buds. No, I cannot explain the complex chemical reactions that take place in the mouth or explain why the brain triggers hormones that make me say, "Yum."

I made a simple chicken salad. I generously sprinkled a forkful of salad with the fresh pepper, then chewed it. I noticed that it opened up to a smoky flavor and aroma in my mouth without being hot. There was a little heat on the sides of my tongue, but nothing uncomfortable. It was very nice and it didn't cover up the flavors in my salad bite. It went along with them.

Swished my mouth with water until cleared of the first bite.

Second bite, much like the first, now generously sprinkled with tin ground pepper. Immediate BLUCK! It felt like I put ash on my chicken. It didn't do anything, except cover up the other ingredients. I couldn't taste the chicken, I just felt it. It wasn't pretty.

I swished my mouth, again, and repeated the tasting to solidify my opinions. After I finished eating the rest of the salad with toasted, freshly ground pepper, I threw the tin of pepper in the trash.

THEY are right. Freshly ground pepper is WAY better.

Now, to ask which is better, toasted or not toasted? I have purchased the peppercorns that come in their own grinder. I didn't get the same experience in flavor as from the toasted peppercorns. So, there you have it. My whole two cents.