Garlic Paste: How to Make and Store

Garlic paste is the 5-Minute ingredient you HAVE to prep to make your food ten times better! Notes on water vs oil and storing in the post!

I truly find it fascinating how much the flavour of garlic changes when it is sliced, diced, minced or made into the ubiquitous Garlic Paste. The way you to cut it transforms your dish, but the way it is used most in South Asian cooking is in paste form.

Garlic paste is unquestionably one of the cornerstones of South Asian cooking and here I am going to break down for you how to make it, what to make it with, and how to store it.

Why You SHOULD Make Fresh Garlic Paste

When you make garlic paste the aroma and flavour is rich, inviting, fresh. When you buy garlic paste aroma is not a word I would use to describe the smell. All non frozen iterations of garlic paste use a preservative of some sort (vinegar or something similar) to extend shelf life. As a result a sabzi like this Aloo Shimla Mirch won't have the same clean flavour as it would if you used jarred garlic.

Now naturally busy times call for time saving measures so do what you need to, but if you can make time to make your own paste then that is ideal.

Pre peeled versus Unpeeled garlic

I know there is a part of us that truly wants to believe that freshest is best. However, when it comes to peeled garlic cloves versus a garlic head that just is not true. Flavour wise both are equally good and convenience wise the peeled trumps the whole head any day. Just please once over that bag to make sure it has that the garlic cloves have no white spots, excess moisture or a shriveled appearance.

HOWEVER, please do check where your garlic comes from. There have been reports of garlic that originates in China being peeled by prisoners in inhumane conditions.

How to peel garlic

There are three popular approaches

1.) slice the top off and take off the papery skin with a paring knife

2.) place your garlic cloves in a jar with a lid and shake all your days frustrations out.

3.) place your garlic cloves on a board and smash with the side of a chefs knife. Separate the skin and cloves.

What is the best way to peel Garlic cloves?

My favourite way hands down is the last one. The pruning and paring I find too tedious, the shake in a jar approach did not lead to all the skin always coming off, but the third is quick and satisfying.

If you have another approach you love do leave it in the comments below!

Water or Oil: What Makes the Best Garlic Paste

If you have read the Ginger Paste post then you know about my little food science experiment, but let's recap it here in case you haven't.

The Experiment

In the interest of seeing what makes for the best garlic paste I had made one batch with water, one with oil. Each batch was "tested" at a one week interval for 3 weeks for aroma and flavour (by using it in a chicken curry).

The Results

It took me utterly by surprise that unlike with ginger the garlic paste made with water was the clear winner at the end of week one, week two, and week three.

While the oil did a fantastic job of maintaining the Ginger Pastes bright pepperiness it dulled that off the Garlic. When it was freshly ground it was good, but as time passed it faded more and more and I had to force myself to use that last little bit up.

A little note on time: there is no question in my mind that the week one garlic paste is better than the week three garlic paste. That said, it still works by the end of week three (IMHO).

How should I store Garlic Paste and for how long?

Obviously it is at it's best freshest, but garlic paste ground up with water remains delightfully garlicky for up to three weeks. If you are making a large batch and want it to last longer the freezer is your friend. You can freeze it in ice cube trays and use them directly from the freezer or do what I usually do and make two jars.

If it turns green it's still safe to eat!

I keep one in the freezer and one in the fridge. When the fridge one runs out then I defrost the freezer one.