Ever have one of those dinners that you were sure was going to be a real winner in the taste department, but instead turned out boring and bland? Let me introduce you to my new favorite helper in the kitchen. It's called Garlic Gold, and it absolutely deserves that name.
This may look like an average grocery-store bottle of minced garlic in olive oil, but it's so very much better. First off, the quality of the ingredients is evident from the moment you open the jar and get hit with the powerful aromas of garlic and rich olive oil. It smells fresh and immediately appetizing. Those garlic nuggets are toasted before being packaged, which makes them just a little crunchy as well as deeply flavorful. The oil has been infused with garlic and is fantastic all on its own.
I've gotten in the habit of adding a teaspoon or so of this garlic to finish off a dish just before serving. It's particularly great with steamed and sautéed vegetables, but can also be drizzled over a bowl of hot soup, folded into eggs, or spooned onto bruschetta for a quick appetizer. I also like to whisk both the garlic and its oil into vinaigrettes when making my lunch salads.
This product is made by a little family-owned company based in Ventura, California, just up the road from where I live. They use all organic ingredients with no preservatives or other additives. I have also fallen hard for their shakers of straight-up toasted garlic nuggets (no oil), which are extra-crunchy and have a mellow garlic flavor.
You can find Garlic Gold's products in many gourmet shops, especially in the Bay Area. They also sell through their online store.
→ Find It! Garlic Gold
Related: Hot or Not? Herbs in Tubes from Gourmet Garden
Apartment Therapy Media makes every effort to test and review products fairly and transparently. The views expressed in this review are the personal views of the reviewer and this particular product review was not sponsored or paid for in any way by the manufacturer or an agent working on their behalf. However, the manufacturer did give us the product for testing and review purposes.
(Image: Emma Christensen)
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On Christmas Eve the Cuban side of my family has a huge dinne with roast pork, congris, and yucca topped with this stuff. Except my grandma makes it herself and it is divine. I blame my one-head-of-garlic-per-recipe addiction on her and this.
mmm hmmm.... yuca con mojo... i luv the stuff.
I am posting this warning in case anyone decides to make their own "Garlic Gold"... DON'T!
Garlic in olive oil is an excellent breeding ground for botulism. Commercial products rely on various adjustments to pH in order to ensure food safety.
For more details see full document.
I was thinking the same thing! Very dangerous to store garlic in oil without some serious training in food safety.
jslacks, the article cited is warning about raw garlic stored in oil, particularly if kept at room temperature. in the above product -- and presumably the homemade version -- the garlic is cooked, not just processed to make the ph more acidic.
From that article, it sounds like if you dry the garlic first (in a low heat oven or dehydrator), you could safely add it to oil to store. This may be why the commercial brand has a slightly crunchy texture? You could still add citric acid for added safety couldn't you?
I live in Ventura, anywhere I can find it locally?
Thank you so much for posting this, JSlacks! I just made a rosemary-garlic oil and didn't want to bother with it solidifying in the fridge, so I was just keeping it out on the counter. Going to toss it now. Would it be okay if I kept it refrigerated next time, though?
Paradise Pantry maybe?
This sounds wonderful. I will try it!
On that note, also try Momoya Chili Oil with Fried Garlic Taberu Layu. Instant magic!
mwae
Botulism likes a temperature between 50 and 130.
It's true. I have a friend who got botulism poisoning from a bottle of homemade herbed olive oil.
You bet. You can find it at Lassen's and Paradise Pantry. Whole Foods, when it opens, in Oxnard, should also carry it. Or, you're welcome to call us at 805-641-0441 or 800-695-7673 and we can prep it and have it ready for you at our offices here in Ventura. Thanks for the question!
You bet, Paradise Pantry should have it!
Great comment JSlacks and very true. When we started making Garlic Gold more than 10-years ago, we received a special certification from the State of California, who audited our process to insure our products would be safe and have a risk of botulism. Our unique, hand crafted process does indeed insure Botulism should not be an issue. We don't do this with preservatives. Rather, it's a result of the flash toasting process we utilize that leaves the garlic crunchy, milder than raw garlic, delicious and, of course, safe to enjoy without the worry of botulism!
Thanks to everyone for posting on this article. I saw several comments related to garlic, olive oil and botulism. We're delighted people are being safe with their foods and food preparation. When we started making Garlic Gold more than 10-years ago, we received a special certification from the State of California, who audited our process to insure our products would be safe and have no risk of botulism. Our unique, hand crafted process does indeed insure Botulism should not be an issue. We don't do this with preservatives. Rather, it's a result of the flash toasting process we utilize that leaves the garlic crunchy, milder than raw garlic, delicious and, of course, safe to enjoy without the worry of botulism! If you have any questions or concern with Garlic Gold, please don't hesitate to contact us.
Would be safe and NOT have a risk of botulism. Our fingers are moving too quickly this morning!