How to start dehydrating garlic & Garlic Powder Step-by-Step

Have you ever thought of dehydrating garlic? Well, I will show you how and why you should start dehydrating garlic.

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Dehydrating garlic might sound intimidating, but it is not. You can most definitely dehydrate garlic and preserve it so you can have garlic all year round.

Garlic is one of those vegetables that a lot of people use in their everyday kitchens… I know I do.

There are many different ways to preserve garlic. Dehydrating happens to be one of them.

If you’re like me and use garlic a lot, then this would benefit you.

Dehydrating garlic Table of Contents

Now you don’t have to grow all your garlic yourself, but it is beneficial to grow garlic and dehydrate all your hard work.

You can buy garlic at your local grocery store or buy bulk garlic from your local farmer’s market. However, you get garlic you can dehydrate any type of garlic no matter where you got it.

The best part of dehydrating garlic is that you can use it in so many ways, especially in ways you never thought of.

Benefit of Dehydrated garlic

• If you grow it, you can preserve all your hard work
• You can make a lot of useful garlic items if you dehydrate it.
• You will keep the texture, medicinal properties, and flavor of garlic alive
• You will no longer have any spoiled garlic
• You will save money!
• You can gift dehydrated garlic to make it a great gift idea
• You can have garlic all your long without going to the store
• Use garlic in many ways and make it your own.

Supplies needed

Dehydrator 

The easiest way to dehydrate garlic is with a food dehydrator or you will need one.

There are so many dehydrates in the market, and you can get one pretty cheap. Even Walmart has a dehydrator that is in a lot of people’s budget.

I have the Magic Mill dehydrator because it is a great beginner’s dehydrator.

I wrote a review about the Magic Mills dehydrator and how it has been working for me.

If you haven’t got a dehydrator, I highly recommend everyone to get one since they are super easy to use.

Airtight container

This is important to have because it gives you air-tight storage for all the dehydrated garlic you are preserving. It will prevent garlic from going bad, and away from environmental elements. 

Ingredients

Garlic, that’s it!

How to dehydrate Garlic step-by-step 

Prep Garlic

Homegrown garlic is an excellent way to be self-sufficient in garlic, watch my Garlic Video showing how I planted garlic.

​If you did plant garlic, then if you need to harvest it, clean off all the dirt and cure it. 

If you’re buying garlic in the farmers market or just from your local grocery store, go ahead and peel all the wrapping and separate each head of garlic.

Chop

Remove the skins from the individual cloves, slice them up, or use a garlic press, whichever you choose to cut up your garlic into thinner slices or thicker slices. 

I use a vegetable chopper, it is a must-have and a time saver!

Organize

Depending on what dehydrator you have, place all your cut-up or chopped garlic on a mesh tray or a sheet of parchment paper to place on your dehydrator trays.

Make sure you spread all your garlic pieces evenly throughout the tray so everything can dry evenly.

Dry

Place all your trays of garlic in your dehydrator and set it for 6 hours (some machines can take up to 16 hours depending on the brand).

Dehydrate setting should be at a temperature of 120 degrees to 225°F. 

The temperature and time to dehydrate your garlic depend on your specific dehydrator. 

Some dehydrators are stronger than others, but as long as your garlic has a brittle feeling then it is completely dry, and all the excess moisture is gone.

Other ways to dehydrate garlic 

Oven

You can dehydrate garlic in the oven by prepping as we discussed above and placing your sliced garlic on a baking sheet or parchment paper, setting the oven at 200° for about six hours to ten hours.

This time will vary since some ovens are stronger than others. Check on your garlic every hour to make sure you do not burn it. 

In the air fryer

Drying garlic in the air fryer can be possible by placing your sliced garlic in your air-fire tray at 200° for about 20 minutes. 

Ways to preserve dried garlic 

You can do so much with dried garlic!

All you have to do is get creative with it, below are a couple of ways to use dry garlic cloves:

Make Homemade Garlic powder Step-by-Step

Making your own garlic powder is a great way to use dried garlic.

First step 

Gather together all the dried garlic that you dehydrated.

Second step

Add your dried garlic to a spice blender ( my amazing spice blender) or food processor if you have a lot of garlic, any powerful good blender will do.

Check out the best blenders and grinders out there in the market today.

Picking a blender or grinder that fits your needs will benefit you when trying to preserve any type of food.

If you do not have a blender or a spice grinder, you can use it in a mantle and crush your dry garlic the old-fashioned way. Smash it down into your mantle until it makes a fine powder.

Third Step

Blend up your garlic to your liking, and you’ve just created your own powder!

Fourth Step

You now have your own jar of garlic powder, just place your garlic in powder form in a glass container.

Garlic Ice Cubes

You can preserve your garlic by mixing it with extra-virgin olive oil or plain olive oil. 

Smash your dry garlic (you don’t even have to dry garlic, you fresh) and mix it in with olive oil. Add your garlic and oil mixture to an ice cube tray and freeze for future use.

Garlic salt

Crush garlic into fine pieces or blend in a spice grinder to get a course or fine consistency.

Place it in a large mixing bowl with Himalayan, pink salt, sea salt, or any type of salt that you prefer.

Place your newly made garlic salt in air-tight containers, preferably an airtight jar like a glass container. 

You can use your homemade season salt for almost 5 years, but be mindful that the shelf life and quality of your garlic salt will lessen over time.

The versatility of dehydrated garlic is endless!  

Garlic Conversions Calculator

According to allplants.com, “one clove of garlic equals about 1/8th of a teaspoon of garlic powder,” but allrecipes.com states one garlic clove equals 1/4 of a teaspoon of garlic powder. You can gauge how much garlic powder you can make with one garlic clove.

It all depends on the size of the garlic clove so no number will be exact.

You can use this amazing Garlic Clove calculator to help you out.

Storage 

To keep your dehydrated garlic from spoiling, placing it in an airtight container is the best way to store it.

A glass jar or containers like mason jars are some of the most reliable airtight storage containers you can use for any food.

Placing your air-tight container in a cool, dark place or somewhere that does not have high humidity is best.

Never leave your dehydrated garlic outside or in a place of direct sunlight.

Dehydrating garlic FAQ 

What is the best way to dehydrate garlic?

The best way to dehydrate garlic is in a dehydrator, as it removes all the water content of the garlic.

If you can afford it, a freeze dryer is the ultimate way, but a freeze dryer is very expensive for most people.

How long does dehydrated garlic last?

Dehydrated garlic can last up to six months or a year depending on your location and where you store your dehydrated garlic.

Be mindful that the longer you have your dehydrated garlic the quality of it will decrease. Your dried garlic won’t be as potent as it was in the beginning.

Can I dehydrate whole garlic cloves?

You can dehydrate whole garlic cloves, but they will not dry fully or it will take a very long time for the dehydrator to completely extract the water contact. 

Whole garlic cloves are very bulky and big, so you’ll make your dehydrated work extra when it tries to remove all the water and dehydrate it fully.

Do you have to slice garlic to dehydrate it?

Slicing garlic to dehydrate is the best thing you could do to help it to dry completely and evenly.

Is dehydrated garlic as good as fresh?

Dehydrated garlic is good to use, but fresh garlic is always better than using dehydrated garlic. Anything fresh is always going to be better than a preserved one.

How long does it take to dehydrate garlic in a dehydrator?

Dehydrating garlic can take as little as six hours or as long as 16 hours depending on the strength of your dehydrator, and the temperature you please set a dehydrator.

More amazing food dehydration posts!

How to Dehydrate Green Onions, Preserve & Use them!

Best Methods on How to Dry & Start Dehydrating Parsley at Home

Best Guide on How to Make Dehydrated Strawberries in a Dehydrator

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