Yes, you absolutely can blend garlic in a blender to create smooth garlic paste or a quick garlic puree. This method is highly efficient and commonly used to save time and achieve a consistent texture for various culinary applications.
Blending Garlic for Culinary Use
Blenders, often alongside food processors, are excellent tools for transforming whole garlic cloves into a versatile paste or puree. This allows you to prepare a significant amount of garlic quickly, which can then be used immediately in recipes or stored for future use. The process simplifies meal preparation by eliminating the need for tedious hand-mincing.
The Process: Making Garlic Paste or Puree
Creating garlic paste or puree in a blender is straightforward. The key is often to add a small amount of liquid to help the blades process the garlic efficiently and achieve a smooth consistency.
- Preparation: Begin by peeling the desired amount of garlic cloves. For larger cloves or less powerful blenders, you might consider roughly chopping them into smaller pieces to facilitate initial blending.
- Add Liquid: To achieve a smooth paste, it's beneficial to add a small amount of liquid. Popular choices include:
- Water: For a neutral-tasting paste.
- Olive Oil: Creates a richer paste and can help with preservation.
- Lemon Juice: Adds a bright flavor and acts as a natural preservative.
Start with just a tablespoon or two of liquid, and add more sparingly if needed as you blend.
- Blend and Scrape: Place the peeled garlic cloves and your chosen liquid into the blender. Begin blending, often using a pulse function first to break down the garlic. As demonstrated in resources like "How to Make Garlic Paste In a Blender | Quick Garlic Puree," you will likely need to:
- "Take off the lid and use a spatula to scrape the sides." This critical step ensures that all garlic pieces are pushed down towards the blades for even processing.
- Replace the lid and "give it another go."
- Achieve Desired Consistency: Continue blending and scraping until you reach your preferred consistency—from a chunky puree to a completely smooth paste.
Key Tips for Success
For the best results when blending garlic, consider these practical insights:
- Don't Overload: Avoid filling your blender too much, as this can strain the motor and lead to uneven blending. Work in smaller batches if you have a large quantity of garlic.
- Control Liquid: Be conservative with liquid initially. You can always add more, but you can't remove it. Too much liquid will result in a very thin puree.
- Pulse vs. Continuous Blend: Use the pulse setting to start, especially with whole cloves, to break them down. Once roughly chopped, you can switch to a continuous blend for a smoother texture.
- Storage: Once blended, transfer your garlic paste or puree to an airtight container. If using oil as your liquid, you can often pour a thin layer of oil over the top before sealing to further prevent oxidation and extend freshness in the refrigerator.
Why Blend Garlic? (Benefits)
Blending garlic offers several advantages in the kitchen:
- Time-Saving: It significantly reduces the preparation time, especially when you need a large amount of garlic for recipes like curries, marinades, or sauces.
- Consistent Texture: A blender can produce a very uniform paste or puree, which integrates seamlessly into dishes, unlike hand-minced garlic that might have varying sizes.
- Versatility: Blended garlic is perfect for dishes where you want the flavor of garlic without discernible pieces, such as salad dressings, dips, spreads, and smooth sauces.
- Convenience: Having a batch of ready-to-use garlic paste on hand simplifies daily cooking, making it quicker to add garlic flavor to almost any meal.
