Why you shouldn’t use your garlic press…
Garlic is a divisive subject – some people love it, others don’t like to eat it. If you don’t want garlic missing from a dish, you certainly have a garlic press. But the latter can actually have its drawbacks. Find out here why you shouldn’t use a garlic press!
Why you shouldn’t use your garlic press
Your garlic press can damage your garlic clove
- Researchers in Argentina have found that pressing garlic cloves releases an enzyme called alliinase. Alliinase in turn forms allicin, which is decisive for the bulbous plant’s positive effect. But alliinase has yet another effect: it makes allicin heat-resistant. That’s why garlic’s characteristic smell is retained even when fried or baked.
- On the other hand, when you cut garlic, less alliinase is released, reducing the allicin content. This means that garlic’s after-meal fragrance is much less pronounced, if not non-existent. The downside, however, is that the aroma of the garlic in the dish is that much weaker.
- Squeezing garlic also crushes the green core, which has a high allicin content. If you cut the cloves while removing the green core, the garlic aroma will also be less intense after the meal.
- Another disadvantage of the garlic press is that you can hardly measure out the quantity you need for your meal. If you use a kitchen grater instead, you can grate the garlic directly onto the food and better estimate how much you really need.
- Garlic presses are also difficult to clean, and the risk of food remains getting stuck in them is relatively high. It’s not very appetizing. So it’s best to crush the garlic clove with your good kitchen knife or a hand grater.
How the garlic heel is formed
This bulbous plant contains substances such as allicin, fructans and flavonoids. Allicin, an organosulfur compound, is thought to inhibit the growth of bacteria, viruses and fungi. But this active substance also has a drawback: allicin is responsible for garlic’s characteristic odor.
What helps fight garlic odour
If you don’t want to smell of garlic after your meal, you can either eat an apple, some raw lettuce or a few raw mint leaves. These foods are supposed to neutralize the smell as much as possible, thanks to their active substances.
However, it’s best to prepare garlic the traditional way, rather than using a garlic press. This way, you retain the natural aromas and prevent the appearance of garlic plume. Happy cooking!
