The recipe you are following calls for 1 teaspoon of minced garlic. You examine the head of garlic on your kitchen counter and ponder how many cloves you should cut. You have a jar of minced garlic, but your recipe calls for one clove of minced garlic. Depending on the size of the cloves of garlic, there may be differences, but generally speaking, one clove yields 1/2 teaspoon of chopped garlic.
How Many Cloves Are in a Garlic Head?
The number of cloves in a head of garlic varies depending on the type and size of the garlic. According to Fine Cooking, hardneck garlic varietals typically have between six and eight cloves. The cloves of hardneck garlic are typically of similar or nearly equal size. A single head of hardneck garlic may provide between three and four teaspoons of minced garlic.
Softneck garlic types typically have anything from 12 to 24 cloves per head. In a single head of softneck garlic, the size of the cloves can also vary substantially, with some being much smaller than others. A softneck garlic bulb may yield between six and twelve teaspoons of minced garlic.
Using Minced Jarred Garlic
If you lack the time to peel and mince garlic, you may wish to use jarred, pre-minced garlic for fresh cloves. As there is diversity among garlic cloves, there is also diversity among minced garlic brands. Depending on the size of the mince, 1/4 to 1 teaspoon of minced garlic from a jar can equal one clove of garlic.
There may be conversions on the box to help you prepare recipes. For instance, Brand A of minced garlic may indicate that 1/2 teaspoon represents one clove. According to the label of Brand B, one teaspoon of its garlic is equivalent to one clove of fresh garlic.
Garlic: Minced versus Crushed versus Chopped
Depending on the recipe, the list of ingredients may include minced garlic, chopped garlic, or crushed garlic. Each of these terms pertains to the size of the garlic bits. Chopped garlic has larger bits than crushed garlic, which resembles a paste. Typically, one clove of garlic yields 1/2 teaspoon of minced garlic, but it yields 1 teaspoon of chopped garlic.
How small you dice a clove of garlic impacts not only the amount of garlic used in a recipe, but also its flavour. It also impacts the garlic’s flavour. The smaller the garlic bits, the stronger the garlic flavour. Typically, chopped garlic has a milder flavour than minced or crushed garlic.
Alternatives to Minced Garlic
If a recipe calls for minced garlic but you don’t have any, you’re not completely out of luck. Some replacements are available. For instance, if you have garlic powder, you can substitute 1/8 teaspoon for each clove of garlic that a recipe calls for.
You can also substitute granulated garlic for fresh cloves or canned minced garlic. Use 1/4 teaspoon of garlic granules for every clove required. You can also use garlic flakes in place of fresh garlic. Substitute 1/2 teaspoon of garlic flakes for one clove of fresh garlic.
