How to Cook Garlic to Maximize Health Benefits

Sticky Post December 10, 2024 Tamika Wiley 0 Comments

For millennia, people have utilized the pungent bulbous plant garlic both as a medicinal cure and a food additive. Its several health advantages come from molecules called organosulfur compounds, which also define its distinct taste and smell. To retain these helpful molecules, though, you must know how to prepare garlic. Here we will discuss the best cooking techniques to enhance garlic’s health advantages.

The Best Cooking Techniques for Garlic

Here are they:

1-Mincing

One common technique to unleash the flavor and aroma of garlic is mincing or chopping it. But over time, cutting garlic can actually weaken its strength. Garlic minced or chopped right away will help to retain its helpful properties.

2-Crushing

Another good approach is to crush garlic either with a flat side knife or a garlic press. Crushing unleashes the enzymes that turn allicin, a powerful chemical in garlic, into other helpful molecules. To best activate the crushed garlic, let it sit for a few minutes before cooking.

3-Sauteing

Common cooking technique that can improve the flavor and aroma of garlic in olive oil is sautéing it in olive oil. Prolonged heating, however, can breakdown some of its helpful molecules. Short sauté garlic for a brief time, only until it smells, to cut this.

4-Roasting

One excellent approach to lessen garlic’s flavor and produce a sweet, caramelized taste is roasting it. Roasting can also help to focus its useful elements. To roast garlic, snip off the top of a bulb, sprinkle olive oil over it, then wrap it in foil. Roast it for 30 to forty minutes in a preheated oven set at 375°F (190°C).

Summary

Knowing the optimal cooking techniques helps you to optimize the health advantages of garlic. Whether your preferred method is minced, crushed, sautéed, or roasted, adding garlic to your diet can help you be generally healthy.