Using "fresh" garlic

I picked up three heads of fresh garlic at my local produce market. I’m wondering – are there any uses for fresh garlic for that are different from regular dried garlic? Thanks!

What uses are you thinking of please? I only ask as here in the UK, whilst garlic powder, granules and paste are available, any shop stocking them will also stock fresh garlic, which would be the choice of 99.99% of shoppers. The dried option would be considered very much an emergency standby.

Having said that, as a change, I recently bought my first ever jar of garlic powder (in 40 years of being a keen cook) to use in a rub for slow roasted brisket. It was lovely!

Anyway, try putting half a dozen unpeeled cloves (cloves of garlic, not cloves cloves!) under a chicken for roasting. Squish them into the juices after cooking for a great tasting gravy. Or add unpeeled cloves to a tray of veggies for roasting. Think chopped bell peppers, red onions, zucchini, all mixed with olive oil, salt & pepper. Roast at 400 for 30 minutes, stir, and roast another 20 minutes.

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I’ll give this a bump.

I don’t think by fresh the OP meant what we normally find in the produce section. I think they mean “new/green/fresh” garlic. The bulbs are formed but they are still pretty soft. I’ve only bought it (by accident) in European farmer markets. Never sure what people normally do with it either.

Or did the OP get something more akin to garlic scapes - look sort of like spring onions (long green tendrils)?

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This isn’t aged garlic, the kind readily available year round. It’s a seasonal product that I’ve only seen in the green market.

And as it happens, I have some too. I’ve been using it the way I use “regular” garlic, but I’m sure I’m missing out on something.

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I hope CindyJ will explain. Every garlic bulb I’ve ever seen is not ‘dry’ in the sense I’d expect from that term. The cloves are always fresh/‘wet’ inside, though the husk/paper IS dry. The only garlic I’d call ‘dry’ is either ground or powder.

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Sorry Thimes and small_h, but I’ve never heard of new/green/fresh garlic, garlic scrapes, or aged garlic! I must have led a very sheltered life. I’m just interested that the OP considers dried garlic to be regular.

I’ll try to attach a pic of what I buy.

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Here it is, fresh from my fridge. As you can see, the husk is not papery, and the inside is a lot wetter than the garlic you’re used to seeing. The cloves don’t separate easily.

And @CindyJ? Google “young garlic” or “green garlic,” which is apparently what everyone calls it but us.

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Thanks for that. Is that what you referred to as aged garlic? I’m sure it’s essentially identical to what I pictured. Different variety/storage conditions etc. sure, but really the same. Mine is papery on the outside, but the cloves are juicy and not at all dried.

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No. If you had the two to compare side by side, you’d easily be able to see the difference. However juicy your cloves are, multiply that by three. Garlic spends some time drying out before it gets to your store. This doesn’t. It’s fresh-dug.

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Here we go…

I don’t think I’ve ever seen it this way in a regular market. Have to check more closely at Farmer’s markets.

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So my garlic is aged? A bit like me.

I was just interested in the OP’s reference to regular dried garlic, which to me implies some sort of processed product in a jar.

I think that the fresher bulbs you pictured can be found at expensive specialised shops here in London. With appropriate storage I expect they’d eventually morph into what I buy.

As an aside, I live 5 miles from this place:

http://www.thegarlicfarm.co.uk/

I know the proprietors well, and can highly recommend a visit if you are ever in the UK.

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Let’s say “cured” instead. It’s more of a neutral term. That farm looks great, and if I’m ever in the area, I’ll be sure to visit it. And if you compare the picture on the website under “Eat it…” with the picture under “Grow it…” - that’s what we’re comparing here.

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Here’s a photo of the garlic I’m talking about.

The outside skin is much softer than the “papery” covering of regular garlic. The cloves are large and very fragrant.

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No, these aren’t garlic scapes, Thimes. It’s the garlic you’ve described as “new/green/fresh.”

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Sorry if I misunderstood. I expect it will be a little hotter, or more upfront and oniony than the older suff. I’d just use as normal and enjoy the extra punch!

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I’m familiar with “garlic powder” and use it in various ways, but that’s not what I’m referring to here.

That local garlic farm looks awesome!

Thanks, Midlife – just what I was looking for!

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As someone mentioned, fresh garlic is a lot hotter than regular garlic. Never made sense to me. I always thought drying would intensify the flavor. I use fresh for garlic bread because the regular stuff often turns green on me. I prefer regular garlic because I can taste the difference between the different varieties. Fortunately, we have a great garlic vendor at our farmer’s market. $2-3/bulb, but worth it.

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Interesting stuff…while I’ve never really encountered this “fresh” garlic before, I’m a big fan of elephant garlic. Elephant Garlic is a closer member to the onion family than regular garlic, but similar to the link @midlife provided, I take my elephant garlic and put it in a small food processor and it chops it into an almost creamy consistency. (unlike the link I do not add olive oil to the mix) After a few minutes of processing, it is smooth and creamy and an excellent consistency to add to dishes, it melts the flavor into whatever you are making.

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It was this post that inspired me to whip my roasted vegetables into a dip … it is to good
I am using the stuff on everything … it is particularly good on fish…it really does just melt
so good… the garlic is very creamy and mellow

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