Elle's Favorite Garlic Hack

I buy so much garlic, like there's cloves all in my window sills. It's like we're fighting off serious demons in here. Instead of allowing it to go bad, here's my favorite trick.

#GarlicGirlsUnite! No, seriously LOL. I love garlic so much and use it in pretty much any dish I prepare. Sometimes I have cloves lying around that I don’t want to dry out so I love to make garlic confit and infused oils with the leftovers. With the seasons changing, adding more garlic to your diet is the perfect way to combat the common cold. The infused oil is also great for my #TummyGirls who find that garlic upsets their stomach. Garlic contains glucose (sugar) molecules that disrupt the gastrointestinal system. Those molecules aren’t soluble in oil which means that oil will not be infused with those bad molecules. Since I have a chronic illness affecting my GI system, I use garlic-infused oils as a way to add garlic to my foods.

Confit is a French culinary term used to describe covering foods in fat by cooking them low and slow until the oil has been infused with the flavors. The food that has been submerged in oil becomes extremely tender and flavorful.

This recipe is extremely easy and can be customized according to what’s in your kitchen or whatever your heart desires. I like to add fresh herbs from the garden or sometimes peppers to make it spicy. The garlic can be used to make roasted garlic butter, or garlic paste, or place it in a jar with the oil and add it to everyday recipes. Especially homemade mashed potatoes, whew! This infused garlic oil can stay in the fridge for up to 12 days without the risk of botulism, nature’s botox and life insurance check casher.

What You Need:

• 3 cups of Garlic Cloves, freshly peeled

• 6 to 10 sprigs of Fresh Thyme, dried is also fine.

• 2 small Bay Leaves

• 2¾ cups of Grapeseed or Olive Oil

  Optional Add-Ins:

• 1½ tsp of Black Peppercorns

• 1 tsp of Red Chili Flakes

• 5 Red Chili Peppers

What to Do:

1. Preheat oven to 250F.

2. Place garlic, herbs, and any other add-ins into an oven-safe dish. I like to use a small casserole dish or my mini cast iron pot with a lid.

3. Add the oil until the garlic is completely submerged.

4. Cover with a lid or foil and bake for about 2 hours.

5. Allow to cool before storing in an airtight container and placing in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Store in a pressurized jar for longer use.

Other Leftover Garlic Hacks!

• Make compound butter by taking one stick of very softened, but not melted salted butter and 4-5 cloves of the roasted garlic. Add chives. Roll the butter into a log using plastic wrap and allow to harden in fridge. Use for breads, roasting chicken, or basting a steak. Yum!

• Mince fresh garlic and place into an ice cube tray. Stick the tray in a gallon-sized ziplock back and stick in the freezer for later use. Just pop a garlic cube out of the freezer and use as you please!