Your grandmother definitely knew what was good! Homemade garlic powder is in a completely different league than the store-bought stuff. The aroma is much more intense, slightly sweet, and almost nutty—without that typical musty aftertaste.

Since I still can’t see the comments (darn! 😉), I’m guessing Grandma used one of these two methods to perfectly preserve the garlic:

The classic method: Drying and grinding

Preparation: Peel the garlic and slice it paper-thin (the thinner the slices, the more evenly it dries).

Drying: Either in a dehydrator or the classic way in the oven at about 50–60 °C (120–140 °F). The oven door should be left slightly ajar to allow moisture to escape. It takes a few hours for the slices to shatter like glass.

Finishing: Grind the garlic chips into a fine powder using a mortar and pestle or a clean coffee grinder.

Grandma’s secret tip for that “special flavor”:

Perhaps she lightly toasted the garlic before grinding it? This gives the powder a golden color and a deep, caramelized aroma that instantly enhances any dish.

Why homemade powder is better:

No anti-caking agents: Commercially produced powder often contains anti-caking agents (like silicon dioxide) to prevent clumping. Grandma only used 100% garlic.

Using up leftovers: Perfect if you’ve bought too much garlic and it’s starting to sprout.

Customizable texture: You can choose between a fine powder or a coarser garlic salt (mixed with coarse sea salt).

A little pro tip: To prevent the powder from clumping at home, simply add a few grains of rice to the jar. They’ll absorb any remaining moisture.

Was that Grandma’s secret? Or did she perhaps even ferment the garlic first (think black garlic) before making it into powder? That would be the ultimate gourmet version!

Would you like me to show you how to make a fantastic garlic butter mixture from the finished powder?