diy vs buy
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[Photographs: Molly Sheridan]

Note: Be prepared for your house to fill with the very strong scent of garlic during the dehydration period.

This process also works for onions, and I took the opportunity to do a tray of each simultaneously without damaging the flavor of either. Out of one 13-ounce white onion (chopped fine), I was able to produce 1/2 cup of dried flakes, which reduced to 3 tablespoons of onion powder. It's ultimately a small amount, but it has a delicate, sweet taste—like a fried onion ring—which is quite attractive.

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About This Recipe

Yield: makes 2 ounces (about 1/3 cup)
Active time: 1 hour
Total time: 9 hours (more or less depending on drying speed)
This recipe appears in: DIY: Garlic Powder

Ingredients

  • 2 garlic bulbs, cloves separated and peeled

Procedures

  1. Slice garlic very thinly and spread out in a single layer on a dehydrator tray. Alternatively, you can use drying racks or a parchment-lined baking sheet in your oven (convection setting if you have one) with the door cracked open. An old wine cork works well for this purpose.

  2. Dehydrate at 130°F, stirring and turning slices every few hours until garlic is fully dry. When dehydration is complete, the garlic chips will snap in half rather than bend. Make sure all chips are completely dry, or your powder will clump.

  3. Allow garlic to cool completely and then grind to desired consistency (I use a coffee grinder that I reserve only for spices). If you want to make sure that the powder is fairly even and fine, pass the ground garlic through a mesh strainer, catching the larger bits for a second pass through the grinder. Store finished powder in an airtight container in a cool, dark place.