4 Cloves Of Garlic Is Equal To How Many Tablespoons Of Minced Garlic?

Garlic is one of the most famous food ingredients in the world. The strong and fragrant ingredient can be added to a massive number of dishes to elevate flavors to whole new levels.

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You’d be hard-pressed to find a nation in the world that doesn’t apply garlic in cooking!

One of the best things about garlic is that it can be purchased in all kinds of forms, such as entire garlic bulbs, garlic powder, pickled garlic, and even minced garlic.

However, some days you may take a trip to your local grocery store to buy yourself a fresh bulb of garlic, only to find that it’s all gone!

You’re likely here because you have some minced garlic ready to use, but you need to know how much equates to 4 cloves, right?

Quick Answer: 4 Cloves Of Garlic Is Equal To How Many Tablespoons Of Minced Garlic? 1 and a ⅓ tablespoons of minced garlic is more than enough to equate to 4 cloves of garlic. 1 tablespoon alone is enough to equate to 3 cloves of garlic, thus you need the extra third to bring it up to 4 cloves!

This isn’t all there is to learn about garlic and minced garlic, however! Want to know a little more about one of the world’s favorite ingredients? Then why not read on below!

How Many Tablespoons Of Minced Garlic Equates To A Single Clove Of Garlic?

In order to make up a single clove of garlic, you would need around ½ of a teaspoon of minced garlic.

This makes minced garlic a very convenient form for garlic to be stored in, as only a small amount is needed to add even just a little bit of garlic flavor to food!

Why Use Minced Garlic?

Garlic is already incredibly good for the human body, thanks to its antioxidant properties and its ability to help bolster your immune system, and it is also incredibly tasty, thanks to its iconic flavor that has proven quite addictive to many people.

However, it is possible to make garlic taste even better, and mincing is one process that does this.

One of the most important components in garlic is Alliinase, which is an enzyme that is released when the flesh of a clove of garlic is exposed to the open air. This is where garlic is able to get its characteristic smell from!

This means that, when you mince garlic into smaller and smaller pieces, more of the enzyme gets released, because there is more surface area in contact with the air.

This means that mincing garlic naturally makes it taste stronger.

Minced garlic is also beneficial because you can first mince it and then place it into a smaller container, allowing you to significantly save space within a cabinet that might ordinarily be taken up by an entire garlic bulb.

This allows you to make better use of every inch of garlic.

How Do You Know When Garlic Has Gone Bad?

Luckily, telling whether your garlic has gone bad is quite easy. The simplest method to see if garlic has gone bad, early on, is to give a clove of garlic a squeeze.

If the garlic clove does not feel firm, as it ordinarily should, and instead feels soft and slightly squishy, you should throw it away, because it has likely begun to go bad.

You can tell if garlic has gone bad much later on by checking for visual signs, such as the formation of sprouts on the cloves.

You definitely don’t want to end up eating those as they are incredibly bitter and unappetizing! You can also tell if garlic has gone bad if it changes color slightly from its usual white to a slight yellow tone.

You should also look out for brown spots across the surface of each clove, as those can be a dead giveaway.

What Happens If You Eat Garlic That Has Gone Bad?

If you do find yourself ever consuming garlic that has gone bad, don’t worry, because it is very unlikely that you would experience anything bad.

At worst, you should expect a slightly upset stomach within 24 hours of originally consuming it, before the garlic is eventually passed right through your system.

However, you won’t want to consume garlic that has gone extremely bad, as you may run the risk of becoming ill. Garlic that has developed mold, in particular, could cause slightly longer bouts of illness.

In extremely rare cases, garlic that has gone very bad can cause botulism. Botulism is caused when spores that propagate in low-acid foods that have gone bad activate upon entering the stomach.

This can cause serious illnesses that can even be fatal. However, once again, this is incredibly rare, and is also treatable should it ever occur!

How Should You Store Garlic?

Luckily, storing garlic is not too difficult, but because garlic actually has quite a short shelf life, you will want to make sure to take proper care of it.

Try to keep garlic in an open container, and store it somewhere that is dark, cool, and dry, with plenty of air flow.

You should also try to store garlic as an entire bulb, rather than separating out the cloves.

This is because when you remove garlic cloves from the bulb they will begin to individually decay, causing them to spoil faster than they would if stored all together.

You should also try to avoid storing your garlic in the refrigerator, unlike other vegetables, because the cold air can actually cause sprouting to form much quicker than usual!

You can also easily freeze garlic, and it will last within a freezer for up to a year at a time!

However, if you ever thaw your garlic after freezing it, you should try to avoid refreezing it, as the process of refreezing will cause the molecules of the garlic to shift about, which completely changes the texture and the taste, making it very unsatisfying and very unappealing.

You may benefit from mincing your garlic before freezing it so that you can remove small batches of it and place it directly into your food!

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Jess Smith

Hi, my name is Jess Smith, and I love cooking in my spare time. Around three years ago, I decided to give up my day job as a teacher to pursue my passion for food. While I have enjoyed sharing tips and tricks on Social Media, I have decided to expand my horizons through this blog.

Through this blog I hope to help others learn the basics and more intricate details of cooking. I know from personal experience how frustrating it can be to cook a meal, only to realize you are missing one ingredient from your list. This is why I love to write articles chatting readers through some great substitutes that can be used in an emergency.

I hope you will find this blog useful, and that it will help you to develop your culinary skills, to help you cook up a storm!