4 ms·

> I use jarred garlic (a lot!) and buy it in quart (~900ml) containers. I want to use it, because it seems like such a convenience, but every time I buy a jar

> I use jarred garlic (a lot!) and buy it in quart (~900ml) containers. I want to use it, because it seems like such a convenience, but every time I buy a jar it tastes...weird/bad. I think because it's always mixed with citric acid to keep from oxidizing aggressively? But then it doesn't taste like garlic anymore. Is that something you experience too? Is there a remedy? Does it vary by brand?

nobody9999 4y ago
>I want to use it, because it seems like such a convenience, but every time I buy a jar it tastes...weird/bad. I suggest that you do whatever you want/prefer. As I said in a previous comment[0]: It's not that I find mincing fresh garlic onerous. Rather the taste difference (feel free to disagree, I don't mind -- please do exactly what you want to do) for me isn't big enough to compensate for the convenience (and lower cost) of dumping a couple spoonfuls of pre-minced (in water, not oil -- although if you prefer oil, then have at it) garlic and off you go. > Is that something you experience too? Is there a remedy? Does it vary by brand? Sort of. Yes, the flavor (if I eat it out of the jar) is a bit different, but once it's mixed into the dish I'm cooking, the difference isn't big enough for me to care. [0] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=31950407 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=31950407
- radlad 4y ago
  In case you're wondering, you're likely being downvoted because the person you responded to asked, seemingly in good faith, if you had any tricks or tips for improving jarred garlic (e.g. by preparation or brand choice.) To respond by quoting the very comment they replied to comes off as unnecessarily defensive and doesn't seem to assume good faith.
  - nobody9999 4y ago
    >In case you're wondering, you're likely being downvoted because the person you responded to asked, seemingly in good faith, if you had any tricks or tips for improving jarred garlic (e.g. by preparation or brand choice.) I don't have any useful suggestions and said so. Should I lie? >To respond by quoting the very comment they replied to comes off as unnecessarily defensive and doesn't seem to assume good faith. Except the comment they replied to was this one[0] (I checked to make sure before responding), not the one I quoted[1]. In fact, GP posted their comment before I posted the comment I quoted. I will say that clicking the "parent" link in GP's post (as I did) would have confirmed the above for you. I know what's in my mind and I wrote in good faith only to express my thoughts and ideas. If other folks don't like what I say or how I say it, so be it. I don't require their (or yours, for that matter) approval. That's not an attack on you (or anyone else) or an attempt to be mean or unpleasant. It's just how I see it. I don't even resent the downvotes. People wiil do as they do, and unless there's a material impact on me, I don't really care. [0] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=31949856 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=31949856 [1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=31950407 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=31950407
    - sbierwagen 4y ago
      >I don't have any useful suggestions and said so. Should I lie? You are not required to reply to every comment on HN.
      - nobody9999 4y ago
        My CIA handler told me that I have to respond to every response, no matter how inane (kinda like yours). I really hate it, but I don't want to go back to Gitmo.
        BugsJustFindMe 4y ago
        FWIW, I don't want you to go back to gitmo either.
    - deleted 4y ago
      [deleted]
- s1artibartfast 4y ago
  It strikes me as weird to go from a long well worded post describing how different personal opinions are legitimate, to seemingly dismissing someone for having an opinion.
  - nobody9999 4y ago
    >It strikes me as weird to go from a long well worded post describing how different personal opinions legitimate, to seemingly dismissing someone for having an opinion. I guess my writing style isn't conducive to conveying my meaning. I won't rehash what I said previously[0] about this, but I answered (without much detail as I couldn't answer their question reasonably as I just don't know). Perhaps that's something I might think about. I am a little taken aback with this, not because folks are downvoting me, but because the first assumption folks seem to be making is that I'm writing in bad faith. Aren't we supposed to (I know I try -- not always successfully -- which doesn't reflect well on me when I don't) to read others' comments in the most charitable way/assume good faith? I'm not really sure what seemed dismissive there, I certainly didn't intend it to be so. Thank you for taking the time to express this. If I could impose upon you to clarify what, exactly, seemed dismissive, perhaps I could express myself without that impression in the future. Thanks! [0] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=31951326 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=31951326 Edit: Added the missing link.
    - s1artibartfast 4y ago
      From your other posts, it seems pretty clear that sentiment received was different than the sentiment intended. I think the confusion stems from a response that seems to be a non-sequitur/ orthogonal to the parent statement. Because of this, readers struggle to fill in the intent, charitable or not. >>I want to use it, because it seems like such a convenience, but every time I buy a jar it tastes...weird/bad. >I suggest that you do whatever you want/prefer. The parent comment is already trying to do what they want, but encountering a challenge. Telling someone to do what they are already doing and ignoring the challenge/question comes off as inattentive and/or dismissive. for example: "Every time I restart my computer, I get a blue screen error code. do you have advice? " "Just restart your computer" It is hard to read a logical but charitable intent. The most charitable I can get is not understanding the question, or an error in the response. Hope this helps
klodolph 4y ago
Fresh garlic contains alliin (two Ls, two Is) and alliinase. Cutting or crushing garlic mixes the two, which starts a chemical reaction that turns them into allicin. Allicin has an incredibly powerful flavor--it's overwhelming, even. Jarred garlic has lots of allicin and there's not really anything you can do to prevent it. To prevent the chemical reaction, you prevent the alliin and alliinase from mixing, and to do that, you keep the garlic whole. I honestly don't think that choosing a different brand or different method of preparation is going to get you any advantages here, this is just how garlic works. This chemical reaction explains why every method of preparing garlic tastes different. If you use a sharp knife and cut garlic into thin slices, you'll get less allicin and once you cook the garlic, it will be more sweet. The sharp knife doesn't crush as much of the garlic's cell walls. If you crush garlic in a press, the chemical reaction happens at just about maximum speed, and you get a very pungent garlic flavor. This chemical reaction evolved as a defense mechanism against animals who would eat the garlic bulb. Bulbs in the same family--onions, garlic, shallots, scallions, etc--basically engage in chemical warfare. Humans (and certain other animals) have a number of adaptations which allow use to eat these foods anyway.
- Natsu 4y ago
  Isn't that basically true of most spices? They're things we're immune to that other animals/bacteria/etc. aren't?
- currency 4y ago
  Speaking of that chemical reaction, J. Kenji López-Alt says that if the garlic is cut or crushed in lemon juice (and I'd guess a citric acid solution would work by itself), the conversion to allicin doesn't happen. It's the basis of his tahini recipe[0]. No idea if jarred garlic bits are cut in citric acid or if it's added later to prevent botulism. I'd guess the latter based on how it tastes. [0]https://www.seriouseats.com/israeli-style-tahini-sauce-recipe https://www.seriouseats.com/israeli-style-tahini-sauce-recip...
Tagbert 4y ago
See if you can find Dorot Garden’s crush garlic in little frozen cubes. It retains the flavor of fresh crushed garlic. I get it a Trade Joes. https://dorotgardens.com/product-crushed-garlic/ https://dorotgardens.com/product-crushed-garlic/
deepsquirrelnet 4y ago
That weird taste is probably just the taste of Chinese prison workers’ melted fingernails. https://www.ft.com/content/1416a056-833b-11e7-94e2-c5b903247afd https://www.ft.com/content/1416a056-833b-11e7-94e2-c5b903247...

nobody9999 4y ago

>I want to use it, because it seems like such a convenience, but every time I buy a jar it tastes...weird/bad. I suggest that you do whatever you want/prefer. As I said in a previous comment[0]: It's not that I find mincing fresh garlic onerous. Rather the taste difference (feel free to disagree, I don't mind -- please do exactly what you want to do) for me isn't big enough to compensate for the convenience (and lower cost) of dumping a couple spoonfuls of pre-minced (in water, not oil -- although if you prefer oil, then have at it) garlic and off you go. > Is that something you experience too? Is there a remedy? Does it vary by brand? Sort of. Yes, the flavor (if I eat it out of the jar) is a bit different, but once it's mixed into the dish I'm cooking, the difference isn't big enough for me to care. [0] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=31950407 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=31950407

radlad 4y ago
In case you're wondering, you're likely being downvoted because the person you responded to asked, seemingly in good faith, if you had any tricks or tips for improving jarred garlic (e.g. by preparation or brand choice.) To respond by quoting the very comment they replied to comes off as unnecessarily defensive and doesn't seem to assume good faith.
- nobody9999 4y ago
  >In case you're wondering, you're likely being downvoted because the person you responded to asked, seemingly in good faith, if you had any tricks or tips for improving jarred garlic (e.g. by preparation or brand choice.) I don't have any useful suggestions and said so. Should I lie? >To respond by quoting the very comment they replied to comes off as unnecessarily defensive and doesn't seem to assume good faith. Except the comment they replied to was this one[0] (I checked to make sure before responding), not the one I quoted[1]. In fact, GP posted their comment before I posted the comment I quoted. I will say that clicking the "parent" link in GP's post (as I did) would have confirmed the above for you. I know what's in my mind and I wrote in good faith only to express my thoughts and ideas. If other folks don't like what I say or how I say it, so be it. I don't require their (or yours, for that matter) approval. That's not an attack on you (or anyone else) or an attempt to be mean or unpleasant. It's just how I see it. I don't even resent the downvotes. People wiil do as they do, and unless there's a material impact on me, I don't really care. [0] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=31949856 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=31949856 [1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=31950407 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=31950407
  - sbierwagen 4y ago
    >I don't have any useful suggestions and said so. Should I lie? You are not required to reply to every comment on HN.
    - nobody9999 4y ago
      My CIA handler told me that I have to respond to every response, no matter how inane (kinda like yours). I really hate it, but I don't want to go back to Gitmo.
      - BugsJustFindMe 4y ago
        FWIW, I don't want you to go back to gitmo either.
  - deleted 4y ago
    [deleted]
s1artibartfast 4y ago
It strikes me as weird to go from a long well worded post describing how different personal opinions are legitimate, to seemingly dismissing someone for having an opinion.
- nobody9999 4y ago
  >It strikes me as weird to go from a long well worded post describing how different personal opinions legitimate, to seemingly dismissing someone for having an opinion. I guess my writing style isn't conducive to conveying my meaning. I won't rehash what I said previously[0] about this, but I answered (without much detail as I couldn't answer their question reasonably as I just don't know). Perhaps that's something I might think about. I am a little taken aback with this, not because folks are downvoting me, but because the first assumption folks seem to be making is that I'm writing in bad faith. Aren't we supposed to (I know I try -- not always successfully -- which doesn't reflect well on me when I don't) to read others' comments in the most charitable way/assume good faith? I'm not really sure what seemed dismissive there, I certainly didn't intend it to be so. Thank you for taking the time to express this. If I could impose upon you to clarify what, exactly, seemed dismissive, perhaps I could express myself without that impression in the future. Thanks! [0] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=31951326 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=31951326 Edit: Added the missing link.
  - s1artibartfast 4y ago
    From your other posts, it seems pretty clear that sentiment received was different than the sentiment intended. I think the confusion stems from a response that seems to be a non-sequitur/ orthogonal to the parent statement. Because of this, readers struggle to fill in the intent, charitable or not. >>I want to use it, because it seems like such a convenience, but every time I buy a jar it tastes...weird/bad. >I suggest that you do whatever you want/prefer. The parent comment is already trying to do what they want, but encountering a challenge. Telling someone to do what they are already doing and ignoring the challenge/question comes off as inattentive and/or dismissive. for example: "Every time I restart my computer, I get a blue screen error code. do you have advice? " "Just restart your computer" It is hard to read a logical but charitable intent. The most charitable I can get is not understanding the question, or an error in the response. Hope this helps

klodolph 4y ago

Fresh garlic contains alliin (two Ls, two Is) and alliinase. Cutting or crushing garlic mixes the two, which starts a chemical reaction that turns them into allicin. Allicin has an incredibly powerful flavor--it's overwhelming, even. Jarred garlic has lots of allicin and there's not really anything you can do to prevent it. To prevent the chemical reaction, you prevent the alliin and alliinase from mixing, and to do that, you keep the garlic whole. I honestly don't think that choosing a different brand or different method of preparation is going to get you any advantages here, this is just how garlic works. This chemical reaction explains why every method of preparing garlic tastes different. If you use a sharp knife and cut garlic into thin slices, you'll get less allicin and once you cook the garlic, it will be more sweet. The sharp knife doesn't crush as much of the garlic's cell walls. If you crush garlic in a press, the chemical reaction happens at just about maximum speed, and you get a very pungent garlic flavor. This chemical reaction evolved as a defense mechanism against animals who would eat the garlic bulb. Bulbs in the same family--onions, garlic, shallots, scallions, etc--basically engage in chemical warfare. Humans (and certain other animals) have a number of adaptations which allow use to eat these foods anyway.

Natsu 4y ago
Isn't that basically true of most spices? They're things we're immune to that other animals/bacteria/etc. aren't?
currency 4y ago
Speaking of that chemical reaction, J. Kenji López-Alt says that if the garlic is cut or crushed in lemon juice (and I'd guess a citric acid solution would work by itself), the conversion to allicin doesn't happen. It's the basis of his tahini recipe[0]. No idea if jarred garlic bits are cut in citric acid or if it's added later to prevent botulism. I'd guess the latter based on how it tastes. [0]https://www.seriouseats.com/israeli-style-tahini-sauce-recipe https://www.seriouseats.com/israeli-style-tahini-sauce-recip...

Tagbert 4y ago

See if you can find Dorot Garden’s crush garlic in little frozen cubes. It retains the flavor of fresh crushed garlic. I get it a Trade Joes. https://dorotgardens.com/product-crushed-garlic/ https://dorotgardens.com/product-crushed-garlic/

deepsquirrelnet 4y ago

That weird taste is probably just the taste of Chinese prison workers’ melted fingernails. https://www.ft.com/content/1416a056-833b-11e7-94e2-c5b903247afd https://www.ft.com/content/1416a056-833b-11e7-94e2-c5b903247...