for the love of garlic paste
makes life easy + keeps the vampires away!
I try not to be someone who cares about social media stats (or quantifying things in general), but wow am I thrilled that the thing I’ve thrown into the abyss that’s been shared the most is this video of how I make GARLIC PASTE!!!!!
Here’s the caption/description of how to make it:
If you take nothing else from my work, please take this garlic paste tip. I do this a couple times of year + then I don’t have to peel or chop garlic for months at a time. It’s the gift I give myself. Peel a ton of garlic (put on a movie, get into it), chop finely in a food processor, add enough olive oil to make a paste, spread on a parchment-lined brownie tin or whatever fits in your freezer (separate layers with more parchment if you’re doing A LOT), freeze until firm, cut into cubes, store in containers in the freezer, thank your past self each time you use some.
I wanted to devote this week’s newsletter to garlic paste to (a) celebrate it (b) answer some FAQs about it and (c) remind myself that I’m due for a new batch.
Okay, (a), let’s start with celebrating!
I’m a big fan of working smarter, not harder and I can think of no better example than this garlic paste. I make it because I put minced garlic in nearly everything I cook, and I cook nearly every single day. And I don’t feel like peeling + mincing garlic every single day.
I also think of the container or garlic paste in my freezer as this constant reminder that I’ve thought of my future self and I’ve given her a hand. It feels supportive, like I’m in my own corner.
Beyond this emotional buoyancy, I also like that making this paste means I can have the ease + convenience of pre-minced garlic without the weird taste that comes with pre-chopped garlic that comes in jars or the ‘sweatiness’ that can happen in bags or containers of pre-peeled garlic.
I also enjoy a meditative task like peeling a bunch of garlic and making this paste. I don’t attempt this when I’m pressed for time (that eliminates the joy), but when I’ve got an hour or so to set myself up on my couch with a bowl of garlic on my lap and something trashy on TV. I just kind-of zone out and feel productive at the same time, which is a combination I like a lot!
Now onto (b), I’d like to answer some FAQs:
I assume the garlic heads get baked first?
Nope! I just used a sheet pan to hold the garlic. If I were to make this IG reel again, I wouldn’t show the sheet pan because I think it caused a lot of confusion.
How does this compare to the frozen garlic from Trader Joe’s or Target?
This method gives you a similar product. But you end up saving a lot of money and packaging doing it yourself, plus you get the satisfaction of the task. But I understand this type of task isn’t everyone’s idea of good time so you do you….always!
Won’t it make my food processor reek of garlic?
I put mine immediately in the dishwasher after making the garlic paste and have never had a problem, but I did get a great tip from someone on IG to wash your food processor, then put some ground coffee in your food processor bowl, seal it so it’s airtight with plastic wrap + the lid, and then let it sit for a day or two before washing again. You can also wash with a paste made of vinegar and baking soda — that should help!
But don’t your hands smell like garlic afterwards?
I think my hands always smell like garlic so I don’t really care…! But you can always wear a pair of disposable gloves when you make this, or try washing your hands and then rubbing them with a piece of fresh lemon (not if you have any cuts on your hands!)….or peel an orange!
Why don’t you just use ice cube trays instead of the parchment paper + cutting up cubes?
Because I don’t want my ice cubes to taste like garlic + washing ice cube trays is annoying! Plus I find the cubes you get from an ice cube tray are too big — cutting them myself allows me to make smaller squares.
How do you know how much each square equals?
I cut them so they’re about the same size as a garlic clove and then I just think of each little cube as one garlic clove…if some end up a little smaller or larger, remember the same goes for garlic cloves!
Does storing this in your freezer make your ice cream taste like garlic?
Nope! As long as it’s an airtight container, I haven’t had a problem.
Do you use it straight from frozen?
I like to let however many cubes I’m using sit at room temperature for a few minutes before using it so that it thaws a bit. If you’re adding it to a soup or a stew though, just throw it straight in the pot!
This all seems way more daunting to me than just mincing garlic every day!
That’s fine— don’t do it!
I will not be teaching this weekend, but I’ll be back on Sunday 12/18 for my final class of 2022 — a vegan Hanukkah dinner! It’s going to be so fun. More info / SIGN UP right here!
And here’s the official description:
Join me for this festive, fun Jewish meal that happens to be totally vegan. We’ll start with a twist on a classic dirty martini and use brine from full sour pickles instead of olives and then move onto a rich, comforting red lentil + chickpea soup served with crispy potato latkes (that use the aquafaba from the chickpeas instead of eggs!). For dessert, a simple + beautiful single layer cake rich with olive oil, orange + walnuts. This will be the final class of 2022! Come join me to toast a full year of Sunday classes!
I am planning my 2023 class schedule now and hope to have my January (and maybe also February!!) classes posted soon. Stay tuned.
In the meantime, classes make for an awesome holiday gift. I offer gift certificates for a single class ($40), a pack of two ($80), a pack of five ($185), or a pack of ten ($350). Note that gift certificates go immediately + directly to the recipient (you fill in their contact info at checkout).
You can also purchase gift cards for whatever amount you’d like right here and these can be sent to you so that you can share with the recipient whenever you’d like.
All info about my classes including FAQs is right here.
For paid subscribers with commenting privileges, always feel free to let me know in the comments if there’s any topic / recipe / etc. you’d like me to devote a newsletter to or if there’s anything you’d like to see me teach in a Sunday class. I’m here for you! Tell me all of your garlic thoughts and/or if there are any tasks like this you do to take care of your future self in your kitchen. I’d love to know what those are. Take care everyone, xoxo, Julia
Does the frozen garlic taste pretty much as good as when you cut it right before you use it? I’d like to do this when I get a large bag of garlic, like they sell at Costco. I’m also thinking of making ginger paste. I love ginger, but I don’t like dealing with it every single time I use it, which is a lot.
I did this as soon as I saw your post last year and it's great! I bought out my local farm stand at the end of the season and did it all for the freezer.
I use the two metal bowls/shake method for peeling, which is kind of it's own satisfying, noisy fun.
I try to avoid the imported garlic in the stores when possible, and this was a great way to preserve local garlic for the season, and it is so nice to grab a few cubes from the freezer. I will admit I sometimes let my bag thaw a bit too much and then I end up with a block - I just shave off a piece then.