How Many Tablespoons of Minced Garlic Equal One Clove? – You are preparing dinner, and the recipe calls for 1 teaspoon of minced garlic. You wonder how many cloves of garlic you should cut from the head on your counter. Alternately, you have a jar of minced garlic and your recipe calls for one clove of minced garlic.
Depending on the size of the garlic cloves, one clove will yield approximately 1/2 teaspoon of minced garlic.
How Many Cloves Are in a Garlic Head?
The number of cloves in a head of garlic varies depending on the type of garlic and the size of the head. According to Fine Cooking, hardneck garlic varieties typically contain between six and eight cloves. The cloves of hardneck garlic are typically of equal or nearly equal size. A head of hardneck garlic may yield between three and four teaspoons of minced garlic.
Softneck garlic varieties typically contain 12 to 24 cloves per head. In a single head of softneck garlic, the size of the cloves can also vary considerably, with some being much smaller than others. A softneck garlic bulb may yield between six and twelve teaspoons of minced garlic.
Using Canned Minced Garlic
If you lack the time to peel and mince garlic, you may wish to substitute jarred, pre-minced garlic for fresh cloves. There are as many varieties of garlic cloves as there are of minced garlic. Depending on the size of the mince, 1/4 teaspoon to 1 teaspoon of minced garlic from a jar can equal one clove of garlic.
There may be conversions on the packaging to help you prepare recipes. For instance, Brand A of minced garlic may indicate that 1/2 teaspoon equals one clove. On the label of Brand B, it may state that one teaspoon of its garlic is equivalent to one clove of fresh garlic.
Garlic: Minced versus Crushed versus Chopped
Depending on the recipe, minced garlic, chopped garlic, or crushed garlic may be listed as an ingredient. These terms refer to the size of the garlic pieces. Chopped garlic has larger pieces than crushed garlic, which resembles a paste. While one clove of garlic typically yields 1/2 teaspoon of minced garlic, it yields 1 teaspoon of chopped garlic.
How small you dice a clove of garlic affects not only the amount of garlic used in a recipe, but also its flavour. It also affects the flavour of garlic. The more pungent the flavour, the smaller the garlic pieces. 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 out of luck. There are available alternatives. For instance, if you have garlic powder, you can substitute 1/8 teaspoon for each clove of garlic called for in a recipe.
Use granulated garlic instead of fresh cloves or jarred minced garlic. Use 1/4 teaspoon of garlic granules for every clove required. You may also substitute garlic flakes for fresh garlic. Use 1/2 teaspoon of garlic flakes in place of one clove of fresh garlic.
