I bought ginger + garlic powder today, is it any good?

Pretani

Whenever you read a recipe it always suggests using fresh ginger or fresh garlic. I'm sort of feed up using fresh garlic and ginger, firstly because its labour intensive to peel and chop and secondly, a lot of it goes to waste in our house as I'm the only one who eats it.

I have bought ginger + garlic paste in the past, the ginger was nice in the dishes, but the garlic was quite bitter/sharp.

I'm hoping the powders will be good for savoury dishes, has anyone used powders? Any good for Ginger and spring onion dishes or would I need the fresh ingredients?

furndire

Personally I would stick to the fresh.
When you have fresh ginger, put it in the freezer, and when need it, just grate off whatever you require. I don't even bother to peel it.

domesticgoddess789

I use garlic powder all the time whenever a recipe calls for fresh garlic. Iv used in all sorts of things from curries, pastas and for garlic bread.

its probably not quite as tasty but does the job and is easy and inexpensive!

Pretani

Pink, how did you use it for Garlic bread?

ALIBOBSY

I do the freezing thing for ginger as I do think the powder is good for anything but gingernut bics.
Garlic is much better fresh, but again can be frozen ready chopped.
However I do like a tube of garlic paste for garlic bread and mayo as I never seem to be able to crush it that smoothly from fresh.

I have noticed Lakeland now do extract of ginger to use in cooking?
My be worth a try.
Also read that it is easy to grow your own ginger in a pot and have thought about doing that.

ali x

maman

I use a pot of that grated ginger (Epicure I think?) for stir fries and the like and I've just bought a jar of peeled garlic cloves from Aldi but not tried them yet.

domesticgoddess789

I just melt some butter, add a little garlic and a some mixed herbs and added it to a baguette.

my lot seem to enjoy it so have a go!

furndire

Just remembered, when I had a few bulbs of garlic that I knew I wasn't going to use before they wizened up, I peeled them and put them in the oil left from a jar of sun dried toms. They lasted a few weeks in there.
I have also just re-discovered- lurking in one of my drawers a garlic crusher - used it the other night, and it was really good. I can never chop it up too fine either - usually grate it, but that is a pain, especially if the cloves are small.

I don't think the powders have anywhere near as much flavour as fresh, but have used the jars of crushed.

thriftlady_2

If you find it a pain preparing the fresh stuff, you could try doing a lot in one go and freezing it. You could use a baking sheet to put 1 clove's worth of crushed garlic on in a little heap. Open freeze it on the tray and when hard gather the heaps up into a bag. Do the same for ginger;)

You should be able to use it from frozen.

Or you could prepare a lot and store covered in oil in a jar.

Penelope_Penguin

I don't know about powdered garlic, but fresh and powdered ginger are totally different ingredients Fresh ginger is used in curries, for instance, to give a subtle, but deep flavour. Powdered ginger is altogether more spicy and is used in chutneys and baking. I use both, but rarely can I use them interchangeably.

Penny. x

mlz1413

If you use powder you may need a bit more as it doesn't have the same taste as fresh, now you have them definately use them and see how you get on.

I buy fresh ginger, grate it on the finest option and then fill an ice cube tray with it. Freeze the tray then a day later push out the cubes and pop in a bag (takes up less space in freezer) then use one cube per teaspoon needed.

Never thought of freezing garlic before but will try it now - is the best way to crush and freeze or just split the bulb up and freeze the cloves indiviually?