This Shelf-Stable Spice Gives Dishes That Kick You've Been Looking For

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Seasonings are a crucial component for any recipe, no matter how simple. Not only do they enhance the flavors of other ingredients, but they add unique flavors of their own. Garlic is one such seasoning agent that comes in many forms, from fresh to powdered. However, freeze-dried garlic is the shelf-stable version of the allium that will give dishes that kick you've been looking for, all while saving you the trouble of mincing it fresh.

While granulated garlic and freeze-dried garlic are both forms of dehydrated garlic, freeze-drying garlic removes even more moisture, which extends its shelf-life to decades compared to the couple of years typical of granulated garlic. It also retains similar nutritional value to its fresh counterpart. In terms of taste, freeze-dried garlic mirrors the intensity and bite of fresh garlic, whereas granulated garlic is milder. Lastly, freeze-dried garlic can also be rehydrated to achieve the same tender texture as freshly sauteed garlic. So, you can add it to stir-fries, soups, and sauces where it'll soften and contribute a much stronger garlic flavor than both dehydrated garlic or garlic powder.

Although fresh garlic is always the gold standard, freeze-dried garlic gets you the closest to the taste and texture of raw renditions while saving you the stinky fingers and effort involved in peeling and dicing fresh garlic yourself. You can buy freeze-dried garlic at the grocery store or order it online — we're fans of Litehouse's Freeze-Dried Garlic.

You can use freeze-dried garlic interchangeably with regular garlic or bottles of dehydrated granules to saute as the foundation for soup and stew recipes. Another way to use the garlic is to work it into salad dressings. Try adding freeze-dried garlic to olive oil and lemon juice to dress Greek salad or incorporate it into a vinaigrette dressing to coat leafy greens. If you want to soften freeze-dried garlic into the same juicy and slightly crunchy texture of raw garlic, you can soak it in hot water for about 10 minutes. The rehydrated garlic is great to use in fresh salsa or a crave-worthy guacamole.

You don't even have to rehydrate the freeze-dried garlic to bring a spicy bite to recipes. Sprinkle bits over buttered bread and toast to make garlic bread. Otherwise, mix freeze-dried garlic directly into a mayo-based sauce for potato salad. You can also use it as a garnish along with red pepper flakes for pizza or pasta aglio e olio. Garlic lovers can even combine the freeze-dried pieces with black pepper and nutritional yeast for a robust and flavorful popcorn topping. 

As a dehydrated product, freeze-dried garlic is also brittle enough to grind into powder so that it disperses more evenly into recipes. This means you can crush freeze-dried garlic and toss it with other spices and herbs to make a homemade spice blend. Alternatively, add the pulverized garlic to flour with salt, pepper, and paprika to make a tasty coating for buttermilk fried chicken.