When a recipe calls for fresh garlic, it typically lists the number of cloves you should use. But what, precisely, is a clove of garlic? Let's dive into the details.
What Is a Clove of Garlic?
For starters, fresh garlic is normally sold in heads, which are bulb-like and covered in whiteish papery skin. Remove the outer papery layer, and you’ll see that one bulb is made up of many individual lobes that are also covered in papery skin. Each of these lobes is called a clove of garlic. You can break off individual cloves from the stem to cook with them, leaving the rest of the head intact for later use.
You might notice that some cloves of garlic are larger and others are smaller. If you’re following a recipe, it’s okay to use common sense in instances like this. If you pull off a tiny clove of garlic, combine it with another tiny one to equal one regular-size one. If you encounter a huge clove of garlic, maybe chop some of it off. Either way, remember that using slightly more or less garlic in a recipe won’t make an enormous difference in its final flavour. At the end of the day, the amount of garlic you use is a matter of personal taste. Chefs are known to joke that whenever a recipe calls for a specific amount of garlic, they’ll double it to ensure the dish is extra flavourful.
How Many Cloves Are in a Head of Garlic?
On average, a supermarket head of garlic will contain 10 to 12 cloves. Yep, we’ve counted.
How Many Teaspoons Is a Clove of Garlic?
Maybe you’ve bought a jar of pre-chopped garlic and are trying to sub it into a recipe that calls for cloves. Whatever the case, this is a question that comes up a lot. There’s no precise answer to it because, as we discussed above, cloves come in different sizes, but here’s a general rule of thumb, one clove of garlic equals one teaspoon of minced garlic.
How Much Garlic Powder Equals One Clove?
Garlic powder is not a true substitute for real garlic, but if you’re truly in a pinch, here’s a quick conversion. Substitute 1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder for each clove of garlic.
Prep Garlic Quickly with a Garlic Press
If a recipe calls for lots of minced garlic, a simple and inexpensive garlic press will make the task zip by.
How to Peel Garlic and How to Mince Garlic
The most common way to peel garlic is to cut the stem end off, apply pressure with the flat side of a knife until you feel the clove smush and pluck the skin off the clove. Now that your garlic is peeled, you can mince or finely chop it. Give the clove a rough chop. Next, hold your knife and lay the other hand flat across the tip. Use a rocking motion to chop the garlic until finely minced.
