I mentioned in my article for Pantry Essentials that it's cheaper and healthier to make your own garlic paste in the long run. Here, I will show you how I make it and what the running prices for the ingredients are.
Stuff
1 bulb of garlic, peeled to the cloves
2 teaspoons of olive oil per head
A square of tin foil that can wrap the garlic completely
A cookie sheet or a muffin pan (the pan is better for multiples)
Your oven
(Optional) Tupperware to hold the paste.
(Optional) Spices to make your own garlic paste.
Method
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Peel the bulb of garlic so that the cloves are showing.
Cut out squares of tin foil for each bulb you have, large enough so that you can wrap the whole bulb.
Wrap them up, but not to the top, put in your teaspoons of olive oil in the top and then wrap it.
Place them on a cookie sheet or in the muffin tins to make the multiple bulbs easier to handle.
Put them in the oven for 30-40 minutes or until the cloves are squishy.
Take them out, let them cool to the point where you can take your fingers and push out the garlic paste.
It is best to do this with a Tupperware bowl so you can seal it and use it later. It can go into so many recipes and be much better for your health.
Price List
As of 6/23/20 at Walmart
1 Garlic Bulb: $.48
Bottle of Great Value Extra Virgin Olive Oil (17 fl. oz): $3.94 ($.24 an oz)
Great Value 75 sq ft Aluminum Foil: $2.36 (size of wraps will vary if you get a big bulb)
(Optional) Morton Iodized Salt & McCormick Pepper Shakers, 5.25 oz: $1.84 ($.35 an ounce)
If you are planning on making a lot of paste for future cooking, invest in a bag of garlic instead. Only get the bag if the garlic inside is the same size. Otherwise getting the bulbs in 3.98 a lb. The bags don't have to be weighed, though, so if you think you can get a better bang for your buck by comparing them, then go for it.
If you are using the garlic for another immediate recipe, go for the single bulbs as they are usually bigger.
For the olive oil, there are six teaspoons in an ounce. So let's assume we are making three bulbs for this comparison.
I did the salt and pepper according to the cheapest for now. If you want to save money in the long run, get one of the grinders and refill it over and over. You will likely need a pinch or two for it, so I won't add that to the equation.
A square ft. is 12x12 inches. You shouldn't need a ft for every clove, but I'd say that 6x6 squares should be more than enough for two. I'll make it two squares, just to be on the safe side. That's 2.36/75 which is rounded to 4, x 2 is 8.
8 cents.
.48x 3 = 1.44 + .24 = 1.68 + 8 = $1.76
Three bulbs will make a decent paste for you. Just make sure to keep it airtight and use it within the week. This is a paste that you can put into anything and you save time from mincing your own garlic and some decent pennies when getting minced or tube garlic. If you buy your bulbs right (by finding sales by the bulb, not the lb), you can make your own tube of garlic for half the price.
Enjoy it in your mashed potatoes, or use it to spice up any soup!
