Forum Thermomix
Questions Doubts and Requests => Tips and Tricks => Topic started by: CarolineW on December 05, 2008, 12:25:41 pm
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Just got the UK newsletter (you can download it here http://www.ukthermomix.com/pdfs/MyThermomix_Newsletter_Issue03.pdf (http://www.ukthermomix.com/pdfs/MyThermomix_Newsletter_Issue03.pdf) )
There is a tip on page 3 for peeling garlic quickly and easily - without the smelly fingers!
Put 1 - 30 unpeeled cloves of garlic in the TM bowl, press :-: and set to speed 4 for 3 - 6 seconds. And your garlic is peeled.
If you don't want to pick out the garlic skins, just run a gentle cold tap into the TM bowl and let the garlic skins float up and out of the bowl.
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OMG if that works i will love you forever caroline :-* :D
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Thanks CarolineW. I've just printed that off. Really appreciate the link. :)
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Thats a great idea... awesome...
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holy guacamole it's true!!! i did it this afternoon!!! thank you caroline!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i LOATHE peeling garlic!
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Thanks CarolineW. I have a rubber sleeve gadget that somebody gave me yeasr ago that I use if there are loads to peel.
This sounds brilliant.
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This tip (and the one for onions) sounds great. Can anyone tell me what to do with cloves of unpeeled garlic to preserve them until needed as it would be a great idea to buy garlic in bulk, peel the lot and have them ready to go. I have a feeling I read somewhere (not here) that they could be frozen - anyone tried this or have other ideas.
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I'm not sure but I think they can be stored in the fridge in olive oil. But then you see them ready peeled at the supermarket and they're in nothing. ???
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i often chop a whole bulb or two and just store them in airtight tupperware covered in olive oil. can't say how long they'll keep as i'm lucky if that lasts us a week or two ;) ;D
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Thanks Cookie1 & Karen, will give it a go that way. What a time saver.
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Storing garlic in olive oil can be dangerous....
The worst danger from botulism comes if raw garlic is stored in oil at room temperature - or even for too long in the refridgerator
http://www.garlic-central.com/dangers.html
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i'm assuming a week or 2 is not too long ??? :)
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According to this site - http://www.gourmetgarlicgardens.com/pickle.htm
3 weeks is too long.
Storing Garlic in Oil - Warning! - Not Safe.
It's important to keep food safety in mind when storing garlic in oil. Low-acid foods like garlic can be a source of Clostridium botulinum bacteria which are found in soil, water, and air. Oil's oxygen-free environment is perfect for growth of this anaerobic bacteria. Garlic in oil, therefore, must be stored correctly to prevent botulism food poisoning.
Commercial garlic-in-oil mixtures are acidified to prevent bacterial growth. These products can be stored safely at room temperature. Unfortunately, acidification of garlic in homemade oil mixtures can't be recommended because no research exists to support proper procedures. Different people recommend different methods and time to acidify and it is hard to know who is right. Instead, it's best to store these hazardous oils in the refrigerator, but for a limited time only. This conflicts with the desire for long term storage.
When raw garlic is stored in oil, Clostridium botulinum bacteria can grow. These mixtures must be refrigerated to slow bacterial growth. After 3 weeks of refrigeration, the increased number of bacteria will become a food safety hazard. Therefore, these mixtures should not be refrigerated longer than 3 weeks.
When garlic is immediately removed after flavoring oil, the bacteria will not have a "food source" for growth. The flavored oil can be stored safely at room temperature.
When vegetables or herbs are dried, water will not be available for bacterial growth. Therefore, DRIED vegetables or dried herbs (including garlic) in oil can be stored safely at room temperature. Note. Tomatoes are high in acid. Therefore, plain dried tomatoes in oil can be safely stored at room temperature.
Storage Recommendations: (According to Oregon State University Extension Service).
Raw or cooked garlic and/or herbs in oil:
These mixtures MUST be refrigerated. Do not store them longer than 3 weeks in the refrigerator. (Note. Raw garlic MAY be safely stored in vinegar at room temperature.)
Dried garlic and/or herbs in oil: If oil is seasoned with dried garlic and/or dried herbs, the mixture may be safely stored at room temperature. (Refrigeration may delay rancidity, however.)
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Karen, I don't think it's worth the risk. Store it in some vinegar instead.
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This topic has set the cat amongst the pigeons! Think I'll do the vinegar tip to be on the safe side - I'll still keep it in the fridge though and won't do too many either. Thanks for your help on this subject. I was going to google the question but hadn't found the time - might still do that and read up some more about it.
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Scarey. I usually peel and use, think I'll keep doing it that way. There are enough germs around as it is. Daughter works in a hospital and I'm sure she manages to bring lots home, just for us. ::)
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Interesting what this site turns up isn't it? You would never have though one little clove of garlic could cause so much discussion or, as it turns out, problems!!
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:'(
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My husband just tried it, it really does work!
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Funny how you have to see it with your own eyes to believe it ;D The TMX is going to be useful for you Ayla to cook and mash your baby's food in - my daughter uses hers all the time for that.
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i find it works sometimes and not at other times!
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Garlic can be frozen, as in Spain you can buy it already peeled and chopped in the frozen foods section. I imagine that possibly it would lose some flavour ??? so you would just have to use a little more than the specified amount ;)
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Garlic can be frozen, as in Spain you can buy it already peeled and chopped in the frozen foods section. I imagine that possibly it would lose some flavour ??? so you would just have to use a little more than the specified amount ;)
Funnily enough (in sauces, at least) the flavour of garlic intensifies when it's frozen. I've never tried freezing cloves of it, but I do know that the amount of garlic in a recipe needs to be reduced if it's to be frozen.
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Thanks to our overseas friends for this information - will certainly do myself a batch now for the freezer.
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Yesterday I froze the peeled (in TMX) cloves from 2 large bulbs of garlic and I removed all the little green bits from the centre. You wouldn't believe how handy that exercise has been - just open the bag and take out how many pieces you want. Next time I buy garlic, it will be a bagful! I just love shortcuts.
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Good to know, Judy. And how's the flavour? Do you need to use less, or just the same?
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To be honest Caroline, I haven't noticed any difference. If the recipe says 2 cloves, I use 2 which isn't a great quantity anyway.
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To be honest Caroline, I haven't noticed any difference. If the recipe says 2 cloves, I use 2 which isn't a great quantity anyway.
Yeah, but you're a chilli and garlic addict !!!! ;) ;) ;) ;) ;D ;D ;D :-* :-* :-* :-* So am I ;D ;D
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LOL, Thermomixer ;D
Got to admit, I'm a garlic addict too. I thought to myself after I posted before, 'Would you actually care - or even notice? - if it was more garlicy??'
Who was the French chef who said you could never add too much onion or garlic to a dish? Got to say I agree with him :D
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Can you imagine life without chilli and garlic? Daughter often says "I have to work tomorrow and everyone will be able to smell the garlic on me." We only discovered real chilli about 10 years ago, but we've made up for it.
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I went to the green grocer's last night to get some onions to cook and there was a packet of 13 little "scud" chillis for 99cents. How could I resist. One of them, about 1 cm long was added to the pumpkin/sweet potato/carrot stew (about 2 litres) and was TOO MUCH even for me !!
I only really added most of it for decoration for a picture - so then retrieved the pieces. The heat had already penetrated.
Looks like I'll be making sambal oelek from the rest to "thin" it down.
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Hi!
I found this idea for storing garlic on the German forum www.virusculinarius.de. Perhaps someone has already tried it, I haven't because I'm waiting for my TM 31 to arrive at the end of the week (sound of impatient finger drumming....)
400g garlic
100g chives
100g parsley
200g salt
Put all the ingredients into the TM and work into a paste, 1 min./speed 6.
Fill into a screw-top jar and store in the fridge.
I suppose the large amount of salt stops the garlic from becoming "evil."
Hope that helps!
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Thanks vivacity and Willkommen. Great to have another interpreter on board ;) ;)
The idea seems simple enough. I usually put some oil over the top of such things to reduce air contact and increase keeping time. Hope to try it soon.
Hope the TMX comes soon.
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I really like the look of this Vivacity - thanks. Might try a version with chilli too. I like the idea of my 'basics' being pre-prepared and ready to go.
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This tip really works - and soooo easy!
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Thanks again for this tip Caroline. DH has just pickled heaps of olives and he likes to put garlic in them. It was so easy peeling them this time.
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Great tip, thanks! Also, thanks for the link to the UK Newsletter, there were some great recipes there! :-*
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I have peeled garlic like that and then put it in a jar with olive oil ready to be used as and whenever.
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I am getting so frustrated and would love to know why this garlic tip just doesn't work for me no matter what I do! Has anybody else tried it and failed?
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Looks like I'll be making sambal oelek from the rest to "thin" it down.
How do you make this? Are you adding oil to your chili's and just blizting them? I have a load of recipes using this, but dont want to buy it from the shops as it has preservatives. I just use chili instead, but sometimes its a little chunky (ie hot) for my liking, so a paste might be the way to go.
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I am getting so frustrated and would love to know why this garlic tip just doesn't work for me no matter what I do! Has anybody else tried it and failed?
What happens to your cloves of garlic tarosuma. Do they just remain unpeeled? Maybe you could up the speed by 1 notch, are you doing lots at a time or just trying it with 1 or 2 cloves?
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Hi Judy.
Yes, if I follow the usual instructions they just stay unpeeled despite me whizzing them for about 10 times as long as the instructions say. And if I give it a bit more power, then they end up getting mashed around and all mixed up with the skins. Nothing at all like the results everyone else seems to get. It is really bugging me! I have tried with all different quantities though I must admit that I haven't tried as little as 2 or 3 cloves.
I am using the turbo button and going from 1 through to 4 on reverse for about 10 seconds at a time for 3 or 4 times..............
But I have tried all different combinations of spped and time. Each time,the silly things are still completely whole. (just wet and soggy!)
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OK let's see if we can get this to work for you tarosuma. Take 1 whole bulb of garlic and separate it into individual cloves. Place in the TM bowl and set time for 3-6 seconds/speed 4/reverse. I don't use the turbo button at all. Some will be completely separated from their skins but some will still be hanging on for dear life but will be pretty easy to pull out by now. I haven't used the water trick to get all the skins to rise to the top - I just go through all the skins to find the cloves or pieces of garlic. Hope you've got plenty of heads of garlic still left with which to practise :D :D Failing this, I would give up before you throw your TMX against the wall in frustration. :-* :-* If I want 1 or 2 cloves of garlic, I just put them on a chopping board, lay a wide bladed knife on top of them, bash down on the knife with the palm of your hand and they will split enough to just pull out.
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Thanks Judy! I did use all my garlic up the other day and ended up peeling them by hand so I could have then ready in the freezer. It might be a little while before I brave the garlic trick again but will let you know how I go!
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This topic has set the cat amongst the pigeons! Think I'll do the vinegar tip to be on the safe side - I'll still keep it in the fridge though and won't do too many either. Thanks for your help on this subject. I was going to google the question but hadn't found the time - might still do that and read up some more about it.
Judy how did you end up storing your garlic? I was just coming on here to post a question about olive oil that had solidified with the garlic in the fridge and saw all of the warnings! EIK!
If storing in vinegar, for how long is it stored, what type of vinegar and where is it stored? Does the garlic still taste ok?
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I have pickled garlic in a vinegar and salt method. I found a jar I had forgotten about (feeling embarrassed) which would have been preserved about 4 years ago. I was surprised to find the garlic looks the same as when I preserved it. No mould or change of colour. I don't know whether I will cook with it yet or not, it still has the garlic taste but probably not as strong. It was some garlic we had grown ourselves. If you would like the recipe I can post it for you.
Marie :)
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Marie since getting Tenina's For Food Sake recipe book I now only make her caramelized garlic paste and I use this in almost everything that requires garlic. In the past I have frozen peeled cloves of garlic successfully but the paste is so much better and really lifts any meal you use it in.
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Yes Judy I agree, I have made Tenina's paste and it is wonderful, in fact next time I will make a larger batch. So very useful in many ways.
When we had our crop of garlic there was just so much to use. I had a carton of it and wanted to keep it from sprouting.
Marie :)
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If you have heaps of garlic and you want to preserve it Marie, I'd just do more batches of the garlic paste and freeze it in small batches.
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Thank you Judy, will be buying more garlic soon.
Marie :)
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I've been keeping the peeled garlic in a jar in the fridge for up to a week.
I'm going to vac pack and freeze in future when garlic is in season again.
I HATE having to buy Argentinian garlic at the moment. TMX Demos use so much garlic!