Garlic is an aromatic bulb widely used in cuisines for its distinctive flavor and health benefits. Blanching is a technique often employed to prepare garlic for various culinary purposes. This process involves briefly immersing garlic cloves in boiling water before immediately transferring them to cold water to halt the cooking process. Blanching garlic offers several advantages, including removing the bitter outer layer, enhancing the texture and flavor, and aiding in digestion. By mastering the art of blanching garlic, home cooks can unlock a world of culinary possibilities, transforming this humble bulb into a versatile ingredient for a range of dishes. This article aims to provide a comprehensive guide on blanching garlic, offering step-by-step instructions, helpful tips, and practical applications to inspire culinary creativity and expand your cooking repertoire.
Let's cook with our recipes!
PICKLED GARLIC
These pickled garlic cloves take a long time, but they're easy to make and are a real treat.
Provided by Brenda Kraneveldt
Categories Side Dish Sauces and Condiments Recipes Canning and Preserving Recipes Pickled
Time P21DT1h
Yield 16
Number Of Ingredients 6
Steps:
- Place garlic cloves in a medium bowl, first cutting the large cloves in half. Mix in the red bell pepper.
- In a large saucepan over medium high heat, place the distilled white vinegar and white sugar. Wrap ground dry mustard and celery seed in a spice bag, and place in the liquid mixture. Bring to a boil. Boil 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and pepper. Continue boiling 5 minutes. Remove from heat and discard spice bag.
- Place garlic and peppers in sterile containers to within 1 inch of the top. Fill with remaining liquid to within 1/4 inch from the top. Seal and store in the refrigerator approximately three weeks before serving.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 57.6 calories, Carbohydrate 13.6 g, Fat 0.2 g, Fiber 0.5 g, Protein 1 g, Sodium 2.9 mg, Sugar 8.8 g
BLANCHED ASPARAGUS
Plunge asparagus into rapidly boiling water, then refresh in ice water to keep them crisp-tender and bright green.
Provided by Martha Stewart
Categories Food & Cooking Dinner Recipes Dinner Side Dishes
Number Of Ingredients 3
Steps:
- Prepare 1 1/2 pounds medium-thick asparagus (see Rinse and Snap). Have a large bowl of ice water ready. In a large saucepan, bring 8 cups water to a boil. Season with 2 tablespoons coarse salt, and add asparagus; boil until tender, 3 to 4 minutes (depending on thickness).
- Remove with tongs, or drain in a colander, and immediately transfer to ice water for 1 minute to stop the cooking process. Drain; refrigerate until completely chilled.
BLACK GARLIC
Black garlic has been around for many, many years. It is regular garlic that has been fermented. It is soft and savory yet very sweet. It is high in antioxidants and has many health benefits. It is used in both sweet and savory dishes and absolutely delicious eaten on its own. I prefer to use the solo garlic bulbs (aka single clove garlic which are easily found in most Asian markets), but regular garlic can also be used.
Provided by Yoly
Categories World Cuisine Recipes Asian
Time P21DT5m
Yield 10
Number Of Ingredients 1
Steps:
- Place solo garlic bulbs in a rice cooker. Press the Keep Warm button. Do not open lid for the first 2 weeks. After 2 weeks, you can check once a week until garlic bulbs are soft, fermented, turned black in color, 2 to 6 weeks.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 83.4 calories, Carbohydrate 18.5 g, Fat 0.3 g, Fiber 1.2 g, Protein 3.6 g, Sodium 9.5 mg, Sugar 0.6 g
BLANCHED GARLIC PASTE
Steps:
- Place the garlic in a small saucepan filled with cold water and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 30 seconds, then drain and return to the same pan and cover with cold water again. Bring to a simmer and drain again. Return the drained cloves to the pan and add the olive oil. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 12 to 15 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Puree the mixture in a blender for 2 minutes, or until the mixture is very smooth, scraping down the sides of the blender as necessary. Add the salt at the end of blending.
- Use as an addition to soups, salad dressings or any dish calling for garlic.
BLANCHED GREENS
This technique can be used for leafy greens such as collards, kale, Swiss chard, and spinach. Blanched greens can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. See how to use blanched greens.
Provided by Martha Stewart
Categories Spinach Recipes
Number Of Ingredients 1
Steps:
- Remove leaves from stems. (Swiss chard stems are edible, so save and cook them) Blanch greens in a large pot of boiling salted water, 15 seconds (spinach and chard) to 2 minutes (kale and collards); drain. When cool enough to handle, squeeze out excess liquid; let cool completely in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Greens can be stored in an airtight container in refrigerator up to 4 days.
GARLIC: BLANCHED, POACHED, ROASTED, OR TOASTED
Steps:
- Blanching: Bring a small saucepan of water to a low boil. Separate the cloves from 1 head of garlic, leaving the skins on, and drop into water for 5 minutes. Remove and drain. Store, skin on, in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
- Poaching: In a small cast-iron pot, bring 1 cup olive oil to a very low simmer on a grill or in a wood-fired oven and drop peeled cloves from 1 head of garlic in to cook for 10 minutes. Remove, drain, let cool, and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Reserve the poaching oil and use as a flavoring or finishing oil.
- Roasting: Garlic is easy to roast and develops much more flavor in a wood-fired environment. Simply cut the top off a whole head of garlic to expose the cloves and drizzle with a bit of olive oil. Place in a small clay cooker or cast-iron pot or an aluminum-foil packet and place in the wood-fired oven or on a covered grill to roast until soft to the touch, about 20 minutes. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
- Toasting: Toast the skin-on cloves from 1 head of garlic in a dry skillet over high heat until the skins are slightly browned. You are toasting but not cooking the garlic. Slice or mince the garlic as called for in the recipe. Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.
BLANCHED VEGETABLES BACK TO BASIC'S
So simple and very quick to blanch Asparagus, Broccoli, to Cauliflower. Do this prep for an quick put together meal when dinner are ready to eat. Season how you taste buds would enjoy! No mushy veggies here, just crisp vibrate ones.
Provided by Rita1652
Categories Vegetable
Time 7m
Yield 4-6 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 6
Steps:
- Trim vegetables by removing tough skin and chopping into bite size pieces.
- Keep stem separate form tender heads.
- In a large pot of salted boiling water add the thick stems for 1 minute then add the more tender tops of the vegetable and cook for 1 minutes. Remove and add to water bath to chill and stop the cooking.
- Save for when you want to get the meal finalized. Or add right to a pan with butter, oil, garlic, nuts what suits your fancy stir fry for 1-2 minutes, seasoning with seasoned salt and enjoy.
SEASONED BLANCHED KALE
Here's a recipe for a side dish of immense flavor. We use it just as often, though, as a killer ingredient in sandwiches. You can add fresh thyme or fresh rosemary to the kale during the (very) short cooking process if desired, or as we do: plenty of hot red pepper.
Provided by Martha Rose Shulman
Time 20m
Number Of Ingredients 1
Steps:
- Stem the kale and wash the leaves in 2 changes of water (not necessary if using bagged, cleaned and stemmed kale). Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil, add salt to taste and the kale. Blanch for 3 minutes, then transfer to a bowl of cold water to stop the cooking, and drain. Take the blanched kale up by the handful and squeeze hard to expel excess water, then chop fine.
- For seasoned kale, heat 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil over medium heat in a heavy, medium size skillet and add 1 to 2 minced garlic cloves. Cook until the garlic begins to sizzle and smell fragrant, 30 seconds to a minute. Add the kale and salt and pepper to taste, and stir and toss in the pan for about a minute, until nicely infused with the oil and garlic. If desired, add 1 teaspoon each chopped fresh thyme and chopped fresh rosemary (for a 12-ounce bunch of kale) along with the garlic.
Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 49, UnsaturatedFat 0 grams, Carbohydrate 9 grams, Fat 1 gram, Fiber 4 grams, Protein 4 grams, SaturatedFat 0 grams, Sodium 38 milligrams, Sugar 2 grams
Tips for Blanching Garlic:
- Choose fresh, firm garlic bulbs: Avoid any bulbs that are bruised or have soft spots.
- Prepare your garlic: Separate the cloves from the bulb and remove the papery skin.
- Blanching time: The blanching time will depend on the size of your garlic cloves. As a general rule, blanch small cloves for 30 seconds to 1 minute, and larger cloves for 1 to 2 minutes.
- Use a slotted spoon: When removing the garlic from the boiling water, use a slotted spoon to avoid transferring any excess water.
- Immediately transfer to an ice bath: This will stop the cooking process and help preserve the garlic's鮮豔的顏色.
- Drain and pat dry: Once the garlic has cooled, drain it well and pat it dry with a paper towel.
- Store properly: Blanched garlic can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Conclusion:
Blanching garlic is a simple technique that can be used to enhance the flavor and texture of garlic. It is a great way to prepare garlic for use in a variety of dishes, such as stir-fries, salads, and pasta dishes. By following the tips and instructions provided in this article, you can easily blanch garlic at home and enjoy its many benefits.
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