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Pumpkin Spice Time Again!

10/21/2017

Pumpkin Spice Lattes can remove all of your pain! I know that it sounds crazy, and perhaps it is, but read on. It's finally the fall season. A time for beautiful changing leaves, breaking out those leggings and fall sweaters, and the revival of some people's favorite flavor--Pumpkin spice. For those who don't know what pumpkin spice is, it usually refers to all the spices that can be used in a pumpkin pie; things like cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and ginger. And as soon as you hear the word "pumpkin spice" the thing most people think of, at least on college campuses anyway, is the pumpkin spice latte.

Experts say pumpkin spice seasoning involves some “incredible chemistry” that can produce a nostalgic aroma as well as a comfortable feeling. That is most likely why so many of us crave anything with Pumpkin Spice in it.

You can order a pumpkin spice latte just about any way you want. With skim milk, soy milk, almond milk, or more. You can order it iced or extra hot. You can order it with whipped cream or without. But no matter how you order it, each glass also comes served up with a heaping dose of feel-good nostalgia.

“They taste like a warm-blanket feels,” said Joanna Wheeler Johnson, a school psychologist in Georgia.

“It’s really the smell, not the flavor that I love,” added Chelsea Murphy of San Marcos. “I always buy at least one pumpkin spice latte at the beginning of autumn weather. Then, I remember that I don’t actually like the super sweet taste.”

The pumpkin-spiced craze is about 15 years old and has seen an acceleration in popularity since its earliest days. In 2003, Starbucks introduced their famous PSL, which now has its own verified Instagram and Twitter accounts, if you can believe that!

“Nobody knew back then what it would grow to be,” said Peter Dukes, the Starbucks product manager who led the development of the pumpkin spice latte, in a statement before the 2017 pumpkin spice latte return. "It’s taken on a life of its own.”

Before the coffeehouse conglomerate introduced their famous fall concoction, the seasonal scent was primarily used for candles and home fragrances. Now, however, pumpkin spice flavorings are in almost every type of food you could imagine, from Cheerios to Oreos, pancake mixes, and protein bars. If you think this pumpkin spiced insanity is a prime example of marketing done right, well, you might be correct. But there’s also some science to explain why we’re all lining up around the corner the day Starbucks drops their first cup of PSL.

Pumpkin spice mixes are typically a combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and clove or allspice, said Dr. Kantha Shelke, a food science communicator with the Institute of Food Technologists and an adjunct faculty member at Johns Hopkins University in Maryland.

“Spices alone do not create the ‘pumpkin spice latte’ magic,” Shelke told min a recent phone interview. “The popular and almost addictive taste and aroma develops only when these spices are cooked or baked with pumpkin, cream, butter, and sugar. It is this flavor combination that companies have replicated in the popular pumpkin spice latte using extracts and flavors. Pumpkin spice products don’t contain pumpkin or even just these spices. There is some incredible chemistry behind it.”
There’s also the emotional aspect of it, Shelke said.

Companies know people pay for comfort and nostalgia in food, and they’re more than happy to deliver it in the form of pumpkin spiced goods. “The human brain is adept at identifying aromas quickly in terms of when they were last encountered. In Western culture, the aroma of a baking pumpkin pie immediately transports people to all the warm and friendly times associated with pumpkin pie — holiday gatherings, families, celebrations, treats, sweets, things that childhood memories are made of,” Shelke explained.

Kristen Hovet, a Vancouver-based science journalist and yoga instructor, said the addictive nature of pumpkin spice also goes to a biological reaction we have when we eat these foods.
Hovet learned during yoga teacher training, including some courses on Ayurveda (a holistic healing approach), that pumpkin-spiced products come with many healthful ingredients.
“These four main pumpkin spice ingredients [cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves] all have warming properties and increase circulation,” Hovet told Healthline. “This is perfect for cooler or cold weather, when our circulation slows down. A reduced flow of oxygen can make you feel tired and lethargic, but after having a pumpkin spice latte or another pumpkin-spice flavored food or beverage, our blood vessels expand and we feel warmer and more energized.”

It’s this pleasure sensation, as well as the memories the flavors evoke, that have us reaching for every pumpkin-spiced food we can find, Shelke says. “Seasonality helps. The warmth of the mixture is an ideal comfort during cooler weather,” She added, “Being warm and happier — and therefore, nicer and more giving — especially during the holiday season makes pumpkin spice as effective as juniper and pine in fireplaces in changing our frame of mind and soothing us. Optimized spirits can be uplifting and foster a feeling of wellness, and this can make people crave it repeatedly.”

That, and sometimes these foods really are just plain tasty! But you know what? There really are some health benefits to Pumpkin Spice that we can all enjoy, too.

If you don’t have the five bucks to offer the green apron-clad baristas, that’s OK. Hovet offers a few ideas for enjoying the benefits of the spices without shelling out major cash.

“I am celiac, so I have to eat gluten-free and I love putting pumpkin spice into GF oatmeal on cold mornings,” she said. “Another favorite is pumpkin spice cookies made with brown rice flour and canned pumpkin.”

Not a fan of the pumpkin spice combination, but enjoy the spicy comfort in warm beverages? You’re still in luck. Several other foods and spice combinations offer the same feel-good benefits and they’re equally flavorful and healthful.

“Chai would be very similar in that it is black tea often mixed with the main ingredients of pumpkin spice plus cardamom,” Hovet said. “Cardamom, in addition to having warming properties itself, is excellent for relieving gas and bloating. You can see that many of these blends share certain commonalities. They are warming, increase circulation, and aid digestion.”

Shelke adds that the mixture of spices for Middle Eastern baklava and the cinnamon-nutmeg mix in rice puddings evoke many of the same intense emotions as pumpkin spice. “The caramelizing notes of burning sugar can be soothing for many, for it reminds them of childhood days and mom baking cookies,” Shelke added. “When sugar is heated, it forms a vast number of aromatic compounds that can transport people through a range of experiences beyond cookies.”

What you may not know about your pumpkin spice is that there are a couple of really surprising health benefits. According to a study done by the Journal of Medical Foods, of the most potent herbs and spices on the planet, three are cloves, cinnamon, and Jamaican allspice-- which are also three of the ingredients that go into making a good pumpkin pie spice. Another point of interest, is that pumpkin spice (all mixed together) is also listed among the most potent herbs on the planet due to the medicinal benefits of its many different spices combined and working synergistically to provide more benefits to our bodies than each of its parts can provide individually. So, let’s take a quick look at just some of the health benefits you can get from the different, individual spices in your pumpkin spice.

1. Cinnamon - Cinnamon has a history of being used to spice up both food and medicine. It has a number of different medicinal properties that keep the body healthy and strong. It possesses anti-clotting agents, plus it has a real positive effect on the blood and in and some circumstances can be used to prevent unwanted clumping of blood platelets. It also helps lower cholesterol, keeps your arteries remain healthy, and can aid in managing blood sugar levels.

2. Ginger - Ginger is a natural remedy for nausea, kind of like how you drink ginger ale when your stomach is upset. You can also use ginger to help improve the absorption and assimilation of essential nutrients in the body, not to mention that its often used as an anti-inflammatory agent. According to some research, ginger also has some cancer preventative measures, sort of similar to chemotherapy!

3. Nutmeg - Next on our list, nutmeg is apparently really great for digestion. It also has the added benefit as a sleep aid, reducing the effects of insomnia. One positive health benefit is that it processes the oils, myristicin and macelignan, which have been proven to reduce the degeneration of neural pathways and cognitive function in the brain; something that usually afflicts those with dementia or Alzheimer's disease.

4. Allspice - Finally there is allspice. Allspice is not just a combination of spices used in pumpkin pie spice. It's also a spice product that originates from an evergreen in Central America and Caribbean islands that ironically smells like a combination of black pepper, cloves, nutmeg and cinnamon. Traditionally this spice has been used to treat and prevent infections. It can also help with colds, chills, and bronchitis, as it aids in opening the airways and inhibits the over-production of mucus. While holding some digestive benefits, as well as a mild pain reliever, allspice has in some cases exhibited antioxidant properties and helped in fighting depression.

So yes, buried beneath the deluge of lattes, limited-edition snack foods and baked goods, the autumn spice blend known as “pumpkin spice” has a nutritious foundation. And while it’s wise — for the sake of our waistlines — to back off on those wonderful pumpkin spice Frappuccino’s (400 – 650 calories per 16oz serving – ouch!), ‘tis the season to take advantage of the health benefits of this ever-popular fall flavor combination. So, go for it!

Happy Gardening and Happy Halloween!!

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Antioxidants - Simplified!

10/13/2017

6 Comments

Every so often I am reminded that I am not as good a speaker and teacher as I think I am. I am often, say, brought back down to Earth as it were, and that is really a good thing - we all need to be put in our place sometimes - that happened just a few weeks ago and I thought it was time again to write about antioxidants and to take another attempt at simplifying the topic. You can find antioxidant supplements in store shelves, and their health benefits are beloved by both marketers and the media. For the most part everybody has heard the term and thinks that they understand what antioxidants are and that they are important for our health. However, very few people actually know what they are and how they work.

I met a man a few weeks ago named Fred Jacobs. I was in Wimberley, Texas talking to a fairly large group about my Phytonutrient Gardening Book series and I started talking about antioxidants and about this and that - I dove right in to the meat of things and I was off and running. It was then that a red-shirted fellow in third row sheepishly raised his hand with a question. This is how I met Fred and this is where I learned that Fred is a pretty honest guy.

“Before we got started,” he said, “I was talking with a few others and, well, I thought I was the only one in the dark about what an antioxidant actually was. I mean, I know that they are important in our diet and all, but what the heck is it?"

Then another voiced, "A bunch of us really didn’t know".

Fred then continued before sitting back down, "Yep. But I guess I am the only one willing to look stupid enough to ask. So here goes, can you please explain to us what antioxidants actually are and why are they important?”

Fred got a laugh from the audience and then we all applauded him – a standing ovation in fact!

He had a great point, many of us have indeed heard the term ‘antioxidant’ and we have been told that antioxidants are important to our health but many of us have never been told why this is. Understanding this is important because understanding lead to taking action and all the information in the world is not going to impact our health unless we understand the importance enough to take action!

The concept of antioxidants is fairly complex, so, I’ll try to explain antioxidants in simple and easy language and in human terms, why they are important in our diets, to that end I have drilled this subject down to what I feel are 5 important points.

First point, what are antioxidants and how do they work. In order to understand how antioxidants work, we must start at the molecular level...

Don’t leave me here, remember I’m going to make this easy to understand, I promise. As you may know, all matter in the universe is made of atoms. Atoms are composed of a core with protons and neutrons, and a bunch of electrons that revolve around the core.

On the right is a simple diagram of an atom:

The blue balls are electrons, which carry a negative (-) charge, while the protons (red balls) in the core carry a positive (+) charge. When two or more atoms are linked together, they become what we know as molecules. The human body is made up of substances like proteins, fats and DNA, which are basically just large molecules with dozens, hundreds or thousands of atoms joined together.

Now, on the left is an image of a fatty acid molecule. Each ball represents an atom.

Human beings and other organisms maintain their structure and function by chemical reactions. All the chemical reactions needed to sustain life are collectively known as metabolism.

Easy so far, right? Now on to the second point. In the chemical reactions that make up our metabolism, bigger molecules are broken down into smaller molecules, and smaller molecules are organized into bigger molecules. In order for a molecule to be stable, it must contain the right number of electrons. If the molecule loses an electron when it isn't supposed to, it can turn into a free radical.

Free radicals are unstable, electrically charged molecules in the cells, that can react with other molecules (like DNA) and they can cause damage at the molecular level. They can even form chain reactions, where the molecules they damage also turn into free radicals and go off and do even more damage.

This is where antioxidants come in... if a molecule loses an electron and turns into a free radical, the antioxidant molecule steps in and "gives" the free radical an electron, effectively neutralizing it. The wonderful thing about antioxidants is that they are able to lose (or in this case give away) an electron without themselves becoming a free radical.

This is how it happens:

This is the mechanism behind antioxidants. They donate electrons to free radicals, which neutralizes them and prevents them from causing harm and stops the possible chain reaction right then and there.

So, what you really need to understand is this…

Antioxidants are simply molecules that fight damage by free radicals, which are unstable molecules that can harm human cellular structures. Antioxidants do this by giving electrons to the free radicals and there by neutralizing them.

And now on to the third point, OK, we must get rid of all free radicals then right?

Well, not so fast there partner, both antioxidants and free radicles are important to our health. There is a reason that free radicals are constantly being formed during metabolism. Sure, without antioxidants, they would destroy our bodies very quickly, but it is important to keep in mind that free radicals also serve important functions that are essential for our survival (1).

For example, the body's immune cells use free radicals to kill bacteria that try to infect us (2). As with so many things in the body, we need a certain balance... we need the right amount of free radicals, and the right amount of antioxidants to keep them in check. When this balance gets disrupted, things can start to go wrong. When the free radicals (which are also known as pro-oxidants) outnumber the antioxidants, this can lead to a state called oxidative stress.

During oxidative stress, important molecules in the body can become severely damaged, often this even leads to cell death. Several stress factors and lifestyle habits are known to promote excessive free radical formation and oxidative stress:

Air pollution.
Cigarette smoke.
Alcohol intake.
Toxins.
High blood sugar levels (3, 4).
Consuming large amounts of polyunsaturated fatty acids (5).
Radiation, including excessive sunbathing.
Infections by bacteria, fungi or viruses.
Excessive intake of iron, magnesium, copper, or zinc (1).
Too little oxygen in the body (6).
Too much oxygen in the body.
Intense and prolonged exercise, which causes tissue damage (7).
Excessive intake of antioxidants, such as vitamins C and E (1).
Antioxidant deficiency (8).

Prolonged oxidative stress leads to increased risk of negative health outcomes, such as cardiovascular disease and certain types of cancer. It is also thought to contribute to the aging process itself.

So, what you really need to understand at this point is this…
Our bodies need a certain balance between free radicals and antioxidants. When this balance is disrupted, it can lead to oxidative stress, which can cause all sorts of negative effects.

My fourth point is that antioxidants are essential for life and are found the very things we eat. As I have mentioned, free radicles are formed in our bodies and enter our bodies through many sources, but what about the antioxidants that we need to counter balance the free radicles?

Antioxidants are essential for the survival of all living things not just we human creatures. But, lucky for us, the human body actually generates some of its own antioxidants, such as the cellular antioxidant glutathione. Plants and animals, and all other forms of life, have their own defenses against free radicals and the oxidative damage caused by them. Therefore, antioxidants are found in pretty much all foods of plant and animal origin. Getting antioxidants from foods is important. In fact, our life depends on the intake of certain antioxidants – two of the most important being vitamin C and vitamin E.

The health benefits associated with a diet rich in plants is, at least partially, due to the wide diversity of antioxidants they provide (9). Meat products and fish also contain antioxidants (10, 11), but in smaller amounts compared to fruits and vegetables. Berries are a particularly good source (12). Then there are plenty of other good sources of antioxidants... including green tea, coffee, and dark chocolate. According to a number of studies, coffee is actually the single biggest source of antioxidants in the Western diet (13, 14), but this is partly because the "average" individual doesn't eat as many antioxidant-rich foods as we really ought to eat.

Antioxidants can increase the shelf life of both natural and processed food products. Therefore, they are frequently used as food additives (15). For instance, vitamin C is often added to processed foods to act as a preservative.

There is a huge variety of different antioxidants found in foods. They can be broadly categorized into two groups, water-soluble and fat-soluble antioxidants. Water-soluble antioxidants perform their actions in the fluid inside and outside cells, whereas fat-soluble antioxidants act primarily in cell membranes.

Here is a list of a few important dietary antioxidants:

Vitamin C: One of the most important water-soluble antioxidants and an essential dietary nutrient.
Vitamin E: The main fat-soluble antioxidant that plays a critical role in protecting cell membranes against oxidative damage.
Flavonoids: A large group of antioxidants found in plant foods. They have many beneficial health effects (16).

Many substances that happen to be antioxidants can also have other important functions. Notable examples include curcuminoids in turmeric and oleocanthal in extra virgin olive oil. These function as antioxidants, but they also have potent anti-inflammatory activity (17, 18).

So, what you really need to understand is this:

Our diet is an essential source of antioxidants. They are naturally found in foods of both plant and animal origin, but are found in especially plentiful amounts in vegetables, fruits, and beverages like coffee and tea. There are many different types of antioxidants in the diet, including vitamins C and E, as well as flavonoids. These substances can serve various other functions that are not related to the antioxidant activity.

Now Point five. By now the question you are probably asking yourself is “should I be taking supplements that contain antioxidants?”

As I stress, the dietary intake of antioxidants is essential for optimal health. However, more is not always better. Remember what I said about maintaining a proper balance? Excessive intake of isolated antioxidants can have toxic effects and may even promote rather than prevent oxidative damage. It is absolutely better, in 99.999999999% of all cases to get your antioxidants through the food you eat and to through a pill you swallow. In fact, some studies have shown that high doses of antioxidants increase the risk of death (19, 20). Therefore, you should avoid high-dose antioxidant supplementation. In addition, studies show that foods reduce oxidative damage more than supplements. For example, a study using orange juice showed that it had significantly greater antioxidant power than a drink with sugar water that contained the same amount of Vitamin C (21).

The truth is that foods – and I am talking about real foods now not highly processed, bagged, boxed, canned, wrapped, and bagged foods, real foods have hundreds (if not thousands) of different nutrients that work synergistically. Taking just one or two isolated nutrients won't have the same beneficial effects. It simply does not work that way regardless of what the nutraceutical industry wants you to think. The best (and healthiest) strategy to ensure an adequate intake of antioxidants, is a diet rich in various vegetables and fruit (22), along with other healthy dietary habits.

However, low-dose supplementation, such as in multivitamin tablets, may be beneficial if you are deficient in certain nutrients or unable to follow a healthy diet. Low-dose, not the super high dose or highly concentrated forms of supplementation that the industry constantly wants to sell us at ridiculously high prices.

All of my five points lead to this final message that I want you to take to heart:

Adequate intake of antioxidants is an essential part of a healthy diet... but getting too much of isolated antioxidants (via supplements) can in some cases be harmful. At the end of the day, the best way to ensure that you get the right amount of antioxidants, is to eat a real food based diet that includes plenty of healthy fruits and vegetables.

So our Moms were right after all, we need to eat our fruits and vegetables, get plenty of exercise, and get a good nights sleep. Way to go moms!

The only other thing I would add to that is that we should grow as many of the veggies we eat as possible - these vegetables will be far superior to those you can find in a grocery store.

Happy Gardening!!

6 Comments

Growing Garlic 101

10/6/2017

4 Comments

Garlic is amazingly easy to grow, and is one of the few crops that never fails me. You can have the same kind of success too!

It’s a good thing it grows so well, too, because at my house, we LOVE garlic. It’s a key player in nearly every recipe and is amazing how often a “ruined” dish is “saved” by adding just a bit of garlic. A wonderful kitchen helper and great in the garden! If you have a little patch of sunny garden, give it a try! Here’s how easy it is.

Prepare your soil. I’ve grown garlic in pots, garden boxes, and directly in the soil. My best results come from planting in soil, probably because we have very hot summers and the pots and garden boxes don’t retain enough water. I’m in central Texas which is zone 8a, so Grandpa always said to plant garlic between Labor Day and Halloween (the earlier, the better). This year, I chose a spot between the raised beds and the birdbath in the backyard, I pulled all the weeds, and mixed in a healthy load of homemade compost.

Just like veggies, garlic needs to be spaced properly so it has room to grow. A buddy slapped this planter-ma-jigger together from a piece of scrap wood and some dowels. Great tool, not at all necessary but still, a great tool.

Just push into the soil and presto! Perfectly spaced planting holes, about three inches deep and three inches apart. If you don’t have a planter-ma-jigger, poke holes in the soil with a pencil or stick.

Now it’s time to prep your seed garlic. I like the different varieties I can order online from any number of sources, but you can use organic garlic from the farmers’ market too. Don’t use the kind at the grocery store, because it’s usually sprayed with chemicals and stuff that keeps it from sprouting. Below is the Chesnok Red and Basque Turban I planted just last week.

Take off the outside “paper” so you can see the individual cloves. (See Image Below)

Then pop the cloves off at the base and get ready to plant. Note: don’t plant the tiniest cloves as the tiny cloves will likely produce tiny crops! That's not what we are looking for! Save those little guys for cooking or adding to a homemade balsamic vinaigrette.

You’ll just need to push one clove into each of the little holes you made. Be sure you’re planting them right side up, like in the image below. Each individual clove will grow into an entire head of garlic! Don’t worry if you think you’ll end up with too much garlic (is that even possible?). It’s easy to freeze it for future recipes.

Now check out the photo (below, top left) - There they are, all lined up, beautifully, and ready to grow!

Now all you need to do is just spread a half in or so of soil over the top to cover them - or cover them with the same amount of compost as I usually do, pat down gently, water them a bit, and wait. I like to give them a drink of a diluted compost tea fertilizer in a day or so, just to start’em off right.

After a week or so, you’ll see them sprouting (See Photo below, top right - and yes, *cough* that is them, among the weeds *cough*). Now it’s time to do something that seems counter intuitive – I’m going to recommend that you cover the entire area with straw, hay, or loose grass clippings, just as I did in the photo below, bottom left.

Why on earth would we do that? If you’ve ever had garlic sprout on your counter, you know it will grow under the toughest conditions. The straw insulates the ground, keeps the soil moist, and prevents the weeds from growing. Don't worry, that garlic will grow right through the straw, and the weeds won’t. The proof is in the photo below, bottom right.

The garlic will grow all through the winter and spring and will be ready to harvest anytime from late May right on into July.

Next thing your going to need to know is when to harvest your garlic, knowing when to harvest garlic can be tricky unless you know what to look for. Unlike tomatoes, zucchini, or other garden vegetables, garlic bulbs grow completely underground. You can’t tell if the garlic is ready to harvest by looking at the bulbs…but the plant will give you several clues.

Let’s take a look at the garlic patch so you know what to look for.

Your first clue are these little squiggles (below left). These are garlic scapes, and will become flowers if allowed to grow.

Since we want the garlic to keep all its energy in the bulb (and not spend time growing flowers), we’re going to cut off the scapes. Use them like chives to give a gentle garlic flavor to scrambled eggs or stir-fry.

Next, you’re going to keep an eye on the leaves. When the bottom leaves start to turn brown, stop watering the garlic patch (below right). This is usually 2-3 weeks after you’ve cut off the scapes.

Your garlic will be ready to harvest about a week after that last watering.

You might be tempted to harvest your garlic by pulling the leaves, like you do with carrots. However, I’ve found that this will just break the stems off and leave the bulbs underground.

As you can see in the photo below, garlic roots are deep and strong. They’ll hang on to the soil and the leaves will give way first, you can guarantee it.

I’ve had the best success with using a shovel or fork and reaching down between the rows to lift the bulbs out gently. Shake off the large clumps of dirt but don’t disturb the outer wrappers. I leave them outside on an old window screen, resting in the shade for one day (if it’s under 90F outside if it is too hot I take them right into the house) and then bring them in to complete the curing.

And for heaven’s sake, don’t wash them off! The moisture will make it much easier for fungus to get into the garlic and your crop will be ruined!

You want to cure the garlic for a while before you eat it. This will help concentrate the flavors and the garlic will keep longer without sprouting. I used to bundle the garlic and hang it in the garage to cure. However, because the temperatures just get way too out there, it proved to be a bad idea. Now I use a homemade drying rack (that looks suspiciously like a baby gate) and it works perfectly.

It’s sitting a few inches off the ground so it has good air circulation, and is inside the house and out of the hot summer sun. Before setting the garlic out to cure, dust off any chunks of dirt, just to keep it off the kitchen floor. Leave the roots and paper intact, and cut off the stems about halfway up.

Lay out the garlic in a single layer on the drying rack. It’s OK if the bulbs touch each other, but try not to pile one on top of another. Now just walk away! Let the garlic sit on the drying rack, out of the sun, for about 2 weeks. (Your kitchen will smell amazing during this time.)

After the garlic has cured, trim the roots off and cut the stems down to storage length. Don’t trim them with scissors! Use clean pruners so you don’t introduce any contaminants into your crop.

Reserve several of the largest cloves to plant next year. Remember, the bigger cloves grow into bigger bulbs!

Your garlic will keep at room temperature for several months. If you’ve harvested more than you’ll use in that time, it freezes great. Congratulations! You’ve successfully planted your garlic crop and had a bountiful harvest. Way to go!

Now you have more garlic than you know what to do with, but you want to use it before it begins to sprout.

Good news! It’s easy to preserve fresh garlic by freezing it. Then you can use it in stir-fry, soups, Instant Pot recipes – shoot, in just about anything you can think of.

I was going to end this post here but my wife suggested that I include the steps we use to freeze our garlic. So if you want to know how to freeze your garlic for using it later then read on!

Instructions:

Step 1. Peel massive amounts of garlic. The fastest way to do this is to separate the cloves and place them into a large mason jar. Put on the lid and shake, shake, shake. Warning: this will cause your children and/or grandchildren to dissolve into hysterical laughter–but it really works!

Step 2. Put peeled cloves into your chopper-ma-jigger, I use a small food processor. Then I pulse until the garlic is the desired texture. I left mine at a fine dice, since you can always make it smaller but you can’t ever make it bigger again.

Step 3. Scoop the garlic into a bowl, add olive oil, and stir gently. Use a little less than 2 tablespoons of oil for each cup of chopped garlic. More oil is not better!

Step 4. Using a tablespoon or regular spoon, plop scoops of garlic onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. You can see (in the photos below) that the first scoops are better formed and the ones at the end look pretty sloppy. This is because there’s too much olive oil left in the bowl and the garlic doesn’t keep its shape as well.

Step 5. Put the cookie sheet in the freezer.

Step 6. After a few hours, your garlic will be frozen into tidy little pucks. Place them in a zip bag and store in the freezer. A 1-Tablespoon scoop is roughly equivalent to 3 cloves of garlic.

Friends, I have not even mentioned that garlic is incredible healthy for us and that we should all be eating more garlic. I mean, com on, who doesn’t love the tantalizing fragrance of garlic? Those who appreciate this savory bulb have tasted it in seasonings, spreads, dips, rubs, oils, cheeses, soups, roasts, and salad dressings… Listing the culinary credits could take a while.

But conventional wisdom regarding garlic goes far beyond its use in the kitchen. Researchers have tested it and have not been disappointed with its proven power as a natural preventive for numerous diseases and illnesses including cancer, heart disease, high blood pressure, bacterial and fungal infections, and the common cold.

So go ahead and grow some garlic! Eat it for your health or just to enjoy your meal!

Happy Gardening!!

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The
Phytonutrient Blog!

Pumpkin Spice Time Again!

Antioxidants - Simplified!

Growing Garlic 101

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Phytonutrient
Blog

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The Phytonutrient Blog!

Pumpkin Spice Time Again!

Antioxidants - Simplified!

Growing Garlic 101

ThePhytonutrientBlog

Archives

Categories

The
Phytonutrient Blog!

The
Phytonutrient
Blog