How Much Minced Garlic Equals One Clove?

Garlic is probably the most common ingredients in the food industry. It is used in a wide array of dishes and cuisines, including Italian, Asian, American and many more. But there is one itsy bitsy problem that most people have to deal with. This article will take the age old question, how much minced garlic equals one clove.

You see, most recipes would indicate a certain amount of minced garlic. This is quite understandable after all mincing it is the most popular way to prepare garlic and incorporate them in different dishes.

While that seems reasonable, the problem lies in the difficulty of figuring out how many garlic cloves you need to use to get that specific amount of minced garlic. Because of this, we just guess how much we need. The sad part is, we overestimate and end up wasting precious amount of garlic.

That is why it is about time that we put a stop to this garlic abuse! It is about time that we learn to measure how much minced garlic equals one clove. That is what we will figure out in this article.

How Much Minced Garlic Equals One Clove?

There is no one answer to this question. That’s because the amount of minced garlic would depend on the size of the garlic clove. With that in mind, we present to you this conversion:

  • A small clove of garlic can yield about ½ teaspoon of minced garlic.
  • A medium-sized garlic clove can yield 1 teaspoon of minced garlic. 
  • A large clove of garlic will produce around 1 ½ teaspoon of minced garlic. 

Taking these measurements into consideration, we can say that you would need around 12 to 12 medium-sized garlic cloves to make ¾ cup of minced garlic. If you need 3 cups of minced garlic, you would need approximately 50 garlic cloves.

But please keep in mind that this is just an estimate and the amounts may vary a bit, especially on how you mince your garlic.

How to Make the Most Minced Garlic of Your Garlic Clove

Chopped garlic

It is a must that you mince your garlic properly to achieve the conversion and measurements that we have provided above. Lucky for you, we also have a few tips on how you can maximize your garlic cloves by mincing it the right way. Here they are:

Prepare your garlic.

Before we dive into the nitty-gritty details of mincing garlic, you should properly prepare your garlic first. You can do this by trimming the root end of the garlic clove. Afterward, place the clove in the chopping board,

Place the surface of the knife against the highest point of the garlic clove then apply pressure to it using your hand/ palm. That would cause the skin of the garlic cloves to loosen the skin. Remove the skin afterward.

Use a garlic press to mince your garlic. 

Garlic crushed and garlic press

Based on recent studies, one of the must-have kitchen tools nowadays is the garlic press. We highly recommend this as it makes mincing as easy as possible.

If you don’t have one at home, you can use a knife for mincing, but we recommend that you buy a garlic press for future use. If you have a garlic press on hand, then you can use it!

This press has a specialized design that features a small chamber where you can place your garlic clove. With just one press, the tool can already mince the garlic—you do not even have to remove the skin of the onion because the press will already do all of that for you.

Since the press has a chamber where you can put your garlic clove, all the minced garlic will remain in that chamber, allowing you to fully utilize the amount of minced garlic that you can get from your clove. Moreover, using a garlic press produces finer garlic which can make the dish more flavorful.  

Or you can use a knife (if you have a garlic press!).

With a two-handed chopping motion, press the knife repeatedly over the garlic clove to mince it. Place one hand on top of the knife’s blade and rock the knife back and forth to ensure that the garlic will be minced into smaller pieces.

Consider the Quality of Your Garlic Too!

Aside from the way you mince your garlic, the quality of the garlic that you will use also matters. Because of this, it is crucial that you learn how to choose your garlic correctly. Here are some tips that you can use:

Buy garlic that is sold loose.

Do not buy packed garlic because it will be difficult for you to check if the garlic bulbs are solid and healthy. It is recommended that you examine the condition of the bulb. It must be taut and compact (not mushy), and its skin must be unbroken.

You should also consider the weight of the bulb. A large and heavy bulb means a healthy bulb. But if the bulb feels light, or tends to give under your fingers when you press it, it may mean that its contents have already dried up inside.

Take a look at the formation of the clove. 

The average garlic clove contains eight cloves, but some cloves contain as much as 40. We highly recommend that you go for the bulbs that contain only a small amount of cloves (or larger cloves). This will allow you to mince the cloves faster and better.

Final Words

There is no denying the fact that garlic is a must-have ingredient for flavored dishes. And that is why it is essential for you to determine how much minced garlic equals one clove. As mentioned, the amount of minced garlic that a clove will yield will be determined by its size.

Keep in mind these conversions the next time that you prepare your meals, and you won’t have to waste any garlic cloves ever again.

If you have more minced garlic tips and recommendations, we would be happy to hear about it in the comments section!

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