Some peeling and chopping required

When You Don’t Have Fresh Garlic and Herbs

 I keep finding good reasons to add Trader Joe’s to my grocery shopping hotspots. I’m especially fond of their Unsweetened Apple Sauce and Mini-Chocolate Ice Cream Cones.

But recently Cyndy sent me a note about TJ’s Crushed Garlic Cubes and Ginger Cubes by Dorot. If your fresh garlic tends to sprout before it’s used or if you’ve ever damaged a finger while peeling ginger, this may be just what you need.

Pop a cube into a hot pan. One minute later you have garlic ready for a sauce, casserole, stir fry, or for a meat or vegetable dish. To prevent mushiness, be sure to let the frozen garlic thaw before using.  (If time is no factor, let the cubes thaw for a half hour until they reach room temperature.)

During the wait, you might enjoy a healthy cup of ginger tea made by melting one of the ginger cubes in hot water. No peeling or microplanning required.

A Cube or a Clove?

The freezer tray contains 20 pop-out cubes. A cube equals one garlic clove. You can also stock your freezer with Dorot’s frozen herbs: crushed turmeric, chopped basil, cilantro, parsley and dill, as well as glazed onions. All containers are BPA free.

“Growing” Garlic Cubes

Dorot garlic is grown on a 3,500-acre kibbutz in Israel and flash frozen within 90 minutes of harvest. The original taste and nutritive value are maintained up to two years in the freezer. No preservatives or artificial ingredients are used. 

I have since learned that Dorot products can also be found at Whole Foods, Kroger, Schnucks, Dierbergs, and others. Find the cubes at Walmart under the name Pop & Cook. Target carries a version of the garlic and herbs as well.

Worth a Try

Even so, frozen garlic and herbs are not my primary choice. My ideal additives are those grown outside my farmhouse window or bought at a farmers’ market. Even so, frozen garlic and herbs are a flavorful and convenient option.