The healthy tuber has it all: As a tried and tested household remedy, it helps against a variety of problems, it is aromatic and refines all kinds of things in the kitchen. But not only the preparation, but also the unpleasant smell after consumption deters many a person. Our Knobi tips make it easier for you to prepare and enjoy, without bad breath or garlic hands. And: We recommend two recipes to make yourself - garlic butter & aioli.
All-rounder garlic
Garlic is used in medicine very early on, as it contains many valuable and healthy substances. In addition to potassium, calcium, magnesium, vitamin C & iron, the main active ingredient allicin is probably its greatest super power. From treating athlete's foot or herpes, to toothache and sore throat, to strengthening the immune system - garlic is a real all-rounder with health-promoting effects.
But beware, too much garlic is not healthy! Excessive consumption can cause nausea or heartburn. Garlic also has a blood-thinning effect and can increase the effects of blood-thinning medication such as aspirin.
Tips & tricks for preparing garlic
Some love him, others hate him. Garlic leaves an intense and aromatic flavor in every dish. Anyone who cooks with it knows the unpleasant side of the tuber: the peel is difficult to remove, your hands smell of garlic for a long time and of course the good old garlic smell. We would like to make it easier for you to use garlic with a few simple tips.
What to do against the unpleasant garlic smell?
Whether it's a date or a meeting, if you want bad breath to go away quickly, try one of the following tricks to get rid of it quickly:
Hold a sip of milk in your mouth for about 1 minute without swallowing
Chew cardamom seeds
Take half a handful of coffee beans and keep them in your mouth for a while - in combination with your saliva, the smell disappears quite quickly
Chew herbs like mint, parsley, or sage — the essential oils will banish the odor
Eat the pulp of half a lemon and keep the pieces in your mouth for a while
What helps against the smell of garlic on your hands?
Where soap doesn't help, stainless steel is needed! The rustproof metal is an odor neutralizer and can be purchased in soap form in stores or online. The cheaper option: Rub your hands and fingers thoroughly in the sink (if it's made of stainless steel and not enamel) or on stainless steel kitchen utensils, such as a garlic press or pots. Alternatively: rub some coffee grounds in your hands and wash them afterwards.
How does the shell easily detach from the toe?
Put the desired amount of garlic cloves in a bowl of cold water and let them soak for 20 minutes. The shell can then be easily removed. This is particularly beneficial for older toes, as it gives them a fresh cure and doesn't burn them as quickly in the pan.
What to do if the garlic taste is too intense, not intense enough, or too bitter?
For more intense taste:
Instead of crushing the garlic with a garlic press, it is better to use the cloves on a grater or chop them very finely with a knife so that the taste is retained particularly well.
Only add the garlic at the end of the dish.
For less intense garlic flavor: Put the garlic in the pan or pot right from the start. So it loses some of its intensity during cooking (unfortunately also in terms of health-promoting ingredients).
Against bitter garlic taste:
Once the garlic has started to sprout, it can become bitter in taste. To avoid this, the green shoot should be removed before processing.
For all garlic fans who love quick and easy recipes that anyone can copy at home.
The recipe: garlic butter
The intense garlic butter goes perfectly with grilled meat, baguette, grilled cheese or vegetables. Super tasty and very quick to make yourself:
Ingredients for 4 servings of 50g each
200g butter
3-6 cloves garlic (depending on size of clove & taste)
1 splash of lemon juice
1 pinch of sea salt
½ bunch of chives (optional)
How to do it:
First you divide the butter into smaller pieces and let them soften at room temperature before mixing them in a bowl.
Now add the sea salt and lemon juice.
Peel the garlic cloves and grate them all on the ceramic grater. Add the garlic pulp to the butter-salt mixture and stir everything into a homogeneous mass.
Looks nice and tastes good: If you want to round off your garlic butter with chives, then chop the fresh chives into small rolls and mix them with the garlic butter.
Put the butter in the fridge for an hour – done!
Our tip:
Prepare more of the garlic butter and freeze it in small batches. So it is quickly to hand for spontaneous barbecues.
The recipe: aioli
The popular dip comes from the Mediterranean region and means something like "garlic and oil". Not only irresistible for grilled food, tapas & fish, but also to refine any other dish. Easy to do yourself:
Ingredients for about 250ml
200ml rapeseed oil or olive oil
2 - 3 cloves of garlic
1 fresh egg yolk
1 splash of lemon juice
1 pinch salt & pepper
1 tsp mustard (optional)
How to do it:
Separate the egg and set the white aside. Now season the egg yolk with pepper & salt and puree everything with a hand blender or whisk.
After peeling, grate all the garlic cloves on the grater and fold them into the cream. Add the lemon squeeze and, if necessary, the mustard.
Now slowly add the oil (first drop by drop and then as a thin stream) to the mixture while you continue to puree. This creates a creamy mass (mayonnaise). The aioli is ready!
You can either enjoy the aioli right away or leave them in the fridge for half an hour.
The aioli stays fresh for about 2 days in the fridge.
Our tips:
Make sure all ingredients are at room temperature.
Rapeseed or sunflower oil are more neutral and therefore have a milder taste than olive oil.
Do you like it spicy? Then mix a chopped chilli into the aioli.