It is a member of the lily family alongside its relative’s onions, shallots, chives, and leeks and it grows beneath the ground. There are many forms of garlic, but the one that is mostly cultivated and eaten is “allium sativum”.
Garlic is very healthy since it is full of various antioxidants, as well as other important vitamins and minerals. You can find it at almost any grocery store and it is quite affordable as well.
Because of all this, people tend to ask various questions about garlic itself. And one of them is “How Much Is A Clove Of Garlic?” and that is quite logical since most recipes call for garlic either in cloves or teaspoons.
Here, you will find out all about the quantity of one garlic clove, as well as some other important pieces of information closely related to this question.
So, let’s begin, shall we?
How Much Is A Clove Of Garlic?
This is one of the most frequently asked questions related to garlic and garlic recipes. Well, this question can not be answered in one sentence really.
The answer depends on the type of garlic, the size of the garlic clove (because there are different sizes), as well as what you are comparing your garlic clove with.
I will therefore try to answer your question about garlic clove quantity according to these factors. I will also say a few words about the shape and size of the garlic clove, as well as its weight.
Aside from that, you will find out some important information about other parts of garlic and their relationship with the garlic clove itself.
And on top of everything, I will reveal to you some of my favorite recipes that include garlic which will delight your taste buds for sure.
What Is A Head Of Garlic?
When you are talking about garlic, you are actually talking about the head of garlic also known as the garlic bulb or bulb of garlic. That bulb of garlic is covered in white papery skin with the root end on its top.
The individual cloves of garlic that you are so interested in, are inside that garlic head. I am sure that you are interested in “How many cloves are in a garlic?” or, more precisely “How many garlic cloves in a bulb?” right now.
Well, the general rule of thumb is that there are 10-12 cloves of garlic in a garlic head, especially those which you can buy at the supermarket or grocery store.
However, only nature knows the exact number of cloves in a garlic head because even the two neighboring plants from the same variety might have a different number of cloves.
What Is One Garlic Clove?
People often tend to ask the question “What is considered a garlic clove?” because, most often, a recipe requires a certain amount of garlic cloves, a teaspoon of garlic, or a cup of garlic.
However, there is no precise answer to this question because garlic cloves have various shapes and sizes.
More precisely, there are small cloves, medium-sized cloves, and large cloves of garlic and, at the end of the day, the exact amount that you will use depends on your personal taste.
If you feel that it is good to add a bit more to your garlic dish, just go for it. Chefs often say that, when a recipe calls for garlic, it is always better to add a bit more for some extra flavor that won’t do any harm to your dish.
How Many Teaspoons Is A Garlic Clove?
This is one of the most frequently asked questions when people are making some kind of dish that requires garlic. It can happen that the recipe calls for teaspoons of garlic and you just have cloves.
On the other hand, it can happen that you just bought a jar of pre-chopped garlic, and a recipe calls for cloves and, of course, you don’t know what to do.
In both cases, it is important to know that, in general, 1 clove of garlic equals 1 teaspoon of chopped garlic.
This is one very important piece of information if your garlic recipe calls for cloves and you only have chopped garlic and vice versa.
How Much Minced Garlic In One Garlic Clove?
When you are dealing with minced garlic or store-bought pre-minced garlic, things are a little bit different from chopped garlic.
Although minced and chopped garlic are quite similar, they are not the same. Minced garlic is cut into very fine pieces that are a little bit smaller than chopped pieces of garlic.
Therefore, you can easily conclude that one clove of garlic doesn’t exactly equal one teaspoon of minced garlic.
One clove of a medium-sized garlic clove will produce a little less than one teaspoon of minced garlic. If the exact amount of garlic is really important in your recipe, this might be helpful.
Also, if the recipe calls for a tablespoon of minced garlic, you should know that 1 tablespoon of minced garlic equals 3 garlic cloves.
And, finally, if it calls for a cup of minced garlic, it is important to know that 1/4 cup of minced garlic equals 12 cloves.
How Much Garlic Powder Do You Have To Use For One Garlic Clove?
Although it is not quite recommendable to use garlic powder instead of fresh garlic as well as chopped or minced garlic, it is still possible to do that and, because of that, it is essential to know how much garlic powder equals one garlic clove.
Well, if the recipe requires 1 fresh garlic clove, you will use 1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder instead.
And, if it requires 1/4 of garlic powder, the exact amount of minced garlic equals 1 teaspoon.
Also, 1 tablespoon of minced garlic equals 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder.
Once you know this information, there won’t be any recipe with garlic that will be a problem.
If you don’t have any, you can also use some of these garlic powder substitutes.
How To Peel Garlic Properly?
This is also one very frequently asked question from those home cooks that are dealing with garlic. There are various ways to peel your garlic properly, but I will emphasize one way that is very quick for when you are in a hurry.
So, all you have to do is to set the head of garlic on a cutting board with the pointed paper end up. Press it firmly with your hand and roll it around a little.
It usually takes 2-3 rolls until it becomes easy for you to remove the skin and free the cloves from it.
Another way to get rid of the skin from the garlic head is to remove the root end by using your knife and then gently crushing to loosen the skin by using the side of the knife. This is my favorite method, but it is up to you to decide which method you will use.
Some Of The Best Garlic Recipes
If you are a big fan of garlic and a devoted garlic lover, I am sure that you know many recipes that incorporate garlic. However, here I will present to you some of the most garlicky recipes out there. So, stick with me.
• Garlic Mashed Potatoes: I will start with my personal favorite. Since I am a huge fan of potatoes in any form, I love to add garlic to enhance the flavor of my favorite dishes. It is quite obvious that mashed potatoes with garlic are my first choice.
All you need are a few potatoes, a glass of milk, a bit of butter, and, of course, a few garlic cloves.
• Benihana Garlic Butter: Benihana Garlic Butter, also known as “yum yum sauce” or “shrimp sauce,” is a creamy and savory sauce that’s often served with grilled meats, seafood, vegetables, and fried rice.
It’s a staple condiment at Benihana restaurants and is a popular favorite among patrons. The sauce is known for its rich flavor profile, which combines elements of creaminess, umami, and a hint of garlic.
• Garlic Bread: French bread is a classic on its own, but when you add to it some butter and a few cloves of garlic, it becomes something above imagination. Since I am a huge fan of every garlic dish, I can’t deny that my mouth gets watery when I see good old garlic bread.
I really like to consume it alongside my favorite macaroni cheese or any other saucy pasta dish. But you don’t have to limit yourself to that. Garlic bread can be combined with various types of dishes including pizza soup, pizza sandwiches, burgers, etc.
• Garlic Knots: If you love pizza and garlic, there is nothing better than combining some pizza dough with garlic and some olive oil, butter, and Palm. I am sure that you will enjoy this one.
• Jalapeno Burger With Garlic: I don’t know many people who aren’t fans of a good burger. Because of that, I singled out this delicious burger with garlic known as the unstuffed jalapeno popper burger.
It incorporates various ingredients including jalapeno peppers, ground beef, onions, red peppers, ripe avocado, various seasonings, and of course, garlic.
• Chili Garlic Sauce: Finally, here is one spicy sauce that incorporates chili and garlic alongside some other ingredients like jalapeno peppers, vinegar, and cornstarch. So, if you are a fan of spicy sauces, as well as garlic and chili, chili garlic sauce might be just for you.
See Also: 12 Best Chili Garlic Sauce Substitute Ideas For Any Dish
Know Your Garlic Clove Quantity
There are various forms of garlic that you can use in your recipe and those include whole garlic cloves, garlic salt, minced garlic, chopped garlic, etc. However, you really have to be careful when using any form of garlic, especially in terms of quantity.
Since one piece of garlic known as a garlic clove is a reference point, the main question is “How much is a clove of garlic?”.
Well, in this article, you were able to find out what a garlic clove and 1 garlic bulb is, as well as how a garlic clove compares to a certain amount of chopped garlic, minced garlic, and garlic powder.
And that is actually everything you need to know when incorporating garlic in any form, into your favorite recipe.
