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I'm making kosher dill pickles which calls for one clove of garlic.I have some fresh and wonder if fresh or dried garlic cloves is stronger in flavor

Barbara
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    To be sure: Are you asking between "fresh" dried garlic vs garlic powder, or fresh garlic vs fresh dried garlic vs garlic powder? If the first, you can find your answer [here](http://cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/10806/is-there-a-measurable-difference-between-fresh-and-dried-minced-garlic). The "fresh-fresh" garlic is strongest, followed by the "fresh-dried" garlic, followed by the powdered garlic. – Willem van Rumpt Jun 08 '15 at 07:13

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When a recipe calls for a clove of garlic it almost certainly means fresh. If it was asking for dried it would call for a weight or a volume measurement as dried usually does not come in cloves. One clove isn't particularly helpful though, as garlic cloves vary widely in size depending on the variety of garlic and which part of the bulb you get the clove from. I'd say pick one clove from the outside of a bulb, or 2 small ones from the inside.

Although drying fruits and vegetables usually intensifies flavors, for me drying garlic doesn't do it any favors - it seems to lose power and complexity of flavor, so I'd go fresh every time.

GdD
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  • Just to add - for pickles either way fresh garlic should be used, its much more susceptive for flavour extraction with a salt brine, IMO. – data Jun 09 '15 at 09:12
  • The flavors are also simply *different*. Fresh garlic has a bright, sharp garlic flavor, while dried is more mellow, like cooked garlic. (I'm sure there's a question around here somewhere to link to, but I haven't found it yet.) And though it's rare, I have actually seen dried sliced garlic and even dried whole cloves. – Cascabel Jun 09 '15 at 21:25