In defense of dehydrated garlic

I am definitely someone in favor of fresh ingredients whenever possible. But on an herb buying spree a few weeks ago, I threw in a small jar of dehydrated garlic flakes that were on sale. Don't ask me why, as I have never used it before. (I do know I can't stand that nasty refrigerated chopped garlic in the small, squatty jar.)

To continue the story, this time of year is crazy-busy for us. I usually leave for the office by 6:30 every morning and don't get home until after 7. Len goes up to his office at around the same time and doesn't come down until I'm walking through the door. Our dinners are catch as catch can. Him picking up pizza somewhere, me picking up fried chicken or Chinese on my drive home, meeting at Outback for a quickie, whatever. Well, I've had a cryovac of flank steak in the fridge for over a week and we are getting ready to go out of town, so this morning at 6:15 I figured I'd better marinate that thing so we could grill it tonight when I got home. Not wanting to stink of fresh garlic all day at work, I pulled out that jar of dehydrated garlic and sprinkled it, some kosher salt and coarsely ground pepper all over the steak. Then sliced a lemon, a lime and an orange and threw it all in a zip lock back, finally shaking in a few drops of hot pepper sauce and a bit of olive oil.

When I got home, I smelled the baked potatoes Len had put in the oven and promptly threw the steak on the grill, along with some figs I had hanging around. Anyone would have been hard-pressed to discern whether it was fresh or dehydraded garlic seasoning that steak. The flavor permeated the steak so nicely, that I would not hesitate to do this again--even when time is not a factor.

Anyone else out there use it?

I use the garlic flakes too (not that I'm cooking much lately). As you found, it works well in marinades, and in soups.

I use Penzey's garlic powder on a lot of things (have not tried the flakes), I love garlic powder. There are just some things that garlic powder does a better job, and I have it on hand all the time. I also go through about 5 heads of fresh garlic every five weeks. Big garlic lovers here.

I've usually got a jar of dehydrated garlic in the pantry, as a backup to the fresh stuff.

We use quite a bit of fresh garlic and also quite a bit of Penseys' Granulated Garlic. The other night I made succatash with limas, corn, roasted red pepper, several seasonings, chicken stock, and OO. Bev said, "Something is missing." She was right, I forgot the granulated garlic!

[Jenise]

Good post.

Have to admit I've never used dehydrated garlic.

I was long ago put off by the flavor of garlic powder, not sure why since it was commonplace in the food of my childhood. My grandmother in particular would slather it and/or onion powder all over every batch of chops she fried up, and she fried up a lot. My feelings about it have only deepened since garlic mashed potatoes became a restaurant staple, potatoes wherein the mash acquires it's garlicness from industrial tankers of metallic-flavored garlic powder or that vile stuff in the jars you mention instead of raw or roasted fresh garlic. Would have lumped dehydrated garlic per se into the same group and steered way clear of it.