It may not take up
much space in your kitchen, but the humble garlic bulb has caused a big
culinary stir over the centuries. In fact, despite its unmistakable ability to
flavour a dish and its amazing health benefits, it took a long time for the rather
smelly rose to truly win over the West. We take a quick look at why garlic is great,
how to best use it and why you never need to fear its bad-breath after affects
ever again!
Garlic’s goliath health benefits
Garlic has long
been considered a herbal “wonder drug”, with a reputation for
preventing everything from the common cold to the Plague! There is also strong evidence
that garlic can assist in managing high cholesterol levels and preventing blood
clots. It’s an antioxidant and a natural antibiotic too (with 1% the potency of
penicillin).
Cooking with garlic – some great tips
In general with
garlic, the finer the chop the stronger the taste. Crushed garlic has the
strongest taste of all and if used raw, is even stronger still. When cooked
whole, garlic has a much milder, sweeter taste. Garlic also mellows the longer
it is cooked, so garlic added at the end of cooking will give a stronger taste
than garlic added earlier. Here are a few other helpful tips to keep in mind:
- Don’t microwave garlic as this kills its active ingredients.
- Crushing or chopping garlic helps to best release its active
compounds. - Garlic
bulbs shouldn’t be stored in the fridge or a sealed container, but in a cool,
ventilated place away from direct sunlight.
Beating bad breath
Garlic’s sulphorous compounds are
a recipe for bad breath, but thanks to Clorets, this problem needn’t
be an obstacle to you enjoying the foods that you love. Clorets will instantly
freshen your breath and leave you confident to continue any dinner party
conversation. That’s especially good news when you consider what you could win…