Indigo jones

I love garlic, but the strong aftertaste, and the lingering scent on my fingers…not so much.

The center of the garlic clove where it sprouts is the harshest, and removing it, can mellow the garlic’s flavor.

The sprout in the middle of the clove is called the germ. Young garlic has a small, pale germ, which is tender and milder in flavor. As garlic ages, the germ continues to grow, turns green and becomes more bitter.

To remove the germ, cut the clove in half and use the tip of a paring knife to pry it out and discard it. This should take a bit of the “bite” out of the garlic, especially if it is being used raw.

photo: Glasshouse Images

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Tags: garlic, garlic clove, germ, kitchen tips Tuesday, making garlic less harsh, removing the garlic germ

This entry was posted on August 19, 2014 at 7:53 am and is filed under Food. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.