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Can Garlic Salt Be Used In Place Of Garlic Powder?

Garlic powder is one of the best ways to get the intense flavor of garlic into your dish. It can be used as a seasoning to help elevate the flavors in your favorite recipe.

However, you might not always have any to hand once you’ve already started the cooking process. 

So you may be wondering if you can use garlic salt instead of garlic powder in your dishes. And what are the other easy substitutes that you can use in place of garlic powder and or garlic salt depending on the recipe?

Can Garlic Salt Be Used In Place Of Garlic Powder

Today, we are going to explore garlic powder and garlic salt in more detail.

We’re going to discuss whether one can be used in place of the other, which are the best substitutes for them, and how to create your own versions of garlic powder and garlic salt.

The Best Substitutes For Garlic Powder And Garlic Salt

If you have run out of garlic powder or garlic salt, it can be tricky knowing what to use as an alternative. 

Not everything will be an exact match, but the best things to use as a substitute for garlic powder are garlic salt, garlic granules, or even raw garlic.

Remember that garlic salt will have a much higher sodium content than garlic powder, so you will need to adjust your other seasonings accordingly. 

The best substitutes for garlic salt are garlic granules, or you can even make your very own garlic salt by mixing 1 teaspoon of garlic powder with 3 teaspoons of salt. Or you could even use garlic powder on its own if you have any of this to hand in your kitchen.

It will be best to taste your dish as you make it if you do have to use a substitute for garlic powder or garlic salt. This is so that you can adjust the flavors accordingly to suit your palate.

Making Your Very Own Garlic Salt

The best thing about garlic salt is that it is very easy to create your own if you run out of your usual stash. You will often find that the garlic salt that you find in your local grocery store is often more expensive, too.

So you can cut down on this cost by making your very own garlic salt, which will also be of a higher quality.

When it comes to garlic, you can either use garlic powder, or you can use fresh garlic that you have dehydrated yourself. If you choose to dehydrate your garlic, then you will need to then granulate this to make the equivalent of 1 teaspoon.

Alternatively, you can use your favorite brand of garlic powder. But if you want to get a fresher flavor in your dishes, you should opt for fresh ingredients.

You will need to mix 1 teaspoon of granulated garlic or 1 teaspoon of garlic powder with 1 teaspoon of sea salt, and then mix in ¼ of a teaspoon of onion powder.

Make sure not to go overboard with the onion powder, as you won’t want this to overpower your garlic salt. Mix the ingredients until they are well combined, then you can store your homemade garlic salt in an airtight container or handy shaker. 

This will typically stay fresh and ready to use for around 6 months.

Customizing Your Garlic Salt

If you want to add even more flavor to your homemade garlic salt, you can add a variety of herbs and spices to it. Parsley is a popular addition because it can be used to enhance the flavors of your dishes.

Other popular seasonings include lime, cilantro, lemon, and cracked black pepper.

The best thing about garlic salt is that you can customize it to suit your preferences. Garlic salt itself is a wonderfully versatile seasoning that can be adjusted to allow for other additional flavors. 

Making Your Very Own Garlic Powder

Making Your Very Own Garlic Powder

Run out of your favorite garlic powder? Then you’ll be happy to know that you can create your very own garlic powder from the comfort of your own kitchen.

You’ll have a choice between using dehydrated slices of garlic, or even garlic granules. Simply add your choice of the two into a mortar and pestle, then use the pestle to grind the garlic down into a fine powder.

If you don’t have a mortar and pestle to hand, you can also use your food processor to achieve the same effect.

It couldn’t be simpler to make your very own garlic powder!

If you truly want to make fresh garlic powder, you can do so using raw garlic. First, you will need to peel your garlic, then slice off the harder end part.

Next, you will need to slice and dice your garlic as small as you possibly can. 

Now you will need to dehydrate the garlic before you can grind this down. On a prepared baking sheet, place your sliced and diced garlic, then place it in your oven over a low heat for several hours, or until your garlic has completely dried out.

Make sure to open up all of your kitchen windows to get a good amount of airflow going, as otherwise the aroma of garlic will stick around for a while.

An alternative to using your oven is to place your sliced garlic into a dehydrator. This will take the hard work out of the process for you, and save your poor nose from the excessive garlic smell.

Don’t ever try to use a frying pan to dry out your sliced garlic. Garlic will need to experience a low heat over several hours in order to dehydrate it.

If you were to try and use your frying pan to fry it, this will instead cook your garlic and even burn it, because it will get far too hot.

Now that your fresh garlic has dried out sufficiently, you can then grind it down to a fine powder using either the food processor method or mortar and pestle. Make sure to keep your fresh garlic powder away from direct sources of heat and sunlight.

How To Grow Your Own Garlic

To get the very best flavors from your food, you can of course try and grow your very own garlic. This will ensure that you have the freshest ingredients possible to hand whenever you need it.

This is a very versatile vegetable that can be used in a wide variety of dishes. It also won’t take up too much room in your garden.

It couldn’t be easier to grow your very own garlic. You will need a cool environment that is between 32℉ and 50℉. You will also need to ensure that you have well draining soil that has a neutral pH.

Remember that the larger the clove of garlic that you plant, the larger the bulb you will be able to harvest once it is ready.

The key to successfully growing garlic is to keep them around 6 inches apart, at a depth of around 4 inches into the earth. Garlic is a vegetable that will typically start to grow either in the early springtime, or around late fall. 

If you choose to keep your garlic in your garden throughout the winter period, you will need to protect it from frosts with a 6 inch layer of mulch.

If you plant your garlic around fall, you will need to give it fertilizer around the spring so that it can get all the nutrients it needs to grow healthily.

You’ll know it’s time to harvest your fresh garlic when you notice the leaves of the plant start to turn brown. Ideally, you should harvest your garlic around the start of August, or towards the middle of July. 

Make sure to be careful when you dig up your garlic bulbs so as to not pierce them. You will also want to avoid leaving your garlic in the ground for too long, as this will cause the bulbs to start separating from one another.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can You Substitute Garlic Powder With Garlic Salt?

Yes, you can use garlic salt as a substitute for garlic powder. However, you will need to bear in mind that garlic salt will have a lot more sodium in it than garlic powder does.

So you will need to adjust your other seasonings accordingly to prevent your dish from becoming too salty. It will be best to taste your dish if you use garlic salt as an alternative for garlic powder so that you can ensure it tastes good.

What Can I Use As A Substitute For Garlic Powder?

You can use garlic granules, raw garlic, or garlic salt as a substitute for garlic powder. You can also make your own garlic powder by slicing raw garlic, dehydrating it, then grinding your dehydrated garlic in a mortar and pestle until you have a fine powder.

Is Garlic Salt The Same As Garlic Powder?

No, garlic salt is not the same as garlic powder. Garlic salt is a mixture of salt and garlic powder. So while it has garlic powder in it, the addition of salt makes it a completely different seasoning.

In Summary

So there you have it! Garlic powder and garlic salt are wonderfully versatile seasonings that you can easily make from the comfort of your own kitchen if you have run out of your favorite brands.

You can also use raw garlic or garlic granules as a substitute for either if you don’t have any alternative ingredients to hand.

It will also be super easy to make your very own garlic powder and garlic salt should you wish to.

Can Garlic Salt Be Used In Place Of Garlic Powder?

Prep time

5

minutes
Cooking time

1

hour 

30

minutes
Total time

1

hour 

35

minutes

Searching for the best substitutes for garlic powder? Learn more about garlic salt, other alternatives, & how to make your very own garlic powder and salt!

Ingredients

  • Garlic Powder

  • Garlic Salt

  • Garlic Granules

Directions

  • Choose your favorite substitute from the list given above
  • Follow the directions given in the recipe after having substituted the ingredient in the correct ratio

Recipe Video

Jess Smith
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