One of my favorite online sources for organic, raw, vegan food is Natural Zing!

You may have already discovered my fondness for Natural Zing from clicking on a link or two within my recipe posts, like this one or this one, which lead you to a particular item in their online market.

I’m always thrilled to receive a package from them and to stock up my kitchen pantry with a number of their outstanding products. Shopping at Natural Zing, you’ll find a multitude of raw, living, and organic foods, health products, kitchen tools, books, videos, fantastic services, and more to support your healthy lifestyle.

As part of our 1st Annual Healthy Holiday Giveaway, Jeff Rose, owner and CEO of Natural Zing reached into his bag of holiday goodies and pulled out four (4) $25.00 Natural Zing gift certificates!

I give many heartfelt thanks to Jeff for his generous contribution to Raw Epicurean readers.

Now, if the words Natural Zing, don’t inspire visions of Cacao and Goji Berries dancing in your head, I don’t know what will.

I often wonder what natural foods and food products others like to buy or would like to know more about, so I’d like to ask,

What natural foods or food products from Natural Zing’s online market would you like to see featured here on Raw Epicurean?

Answering this question enters you in the draw for one of four (4) $25.00 Natural Zing gift certificate!

I’ve proudly added a Natural Zing badge to my sidebar. Feel free to click, browse and get ideas on what to add to your raw food pantry.

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If you are a true garlic lover, like me, garlic holds high rank as a staple and essential ingredient in the kitchen. I can’t imagine a kitchen pantry without it, and I make certain to pick up one or two fresh garlic bulbs when shopping.

Here we take a look at garlic and learn helpful tips and suggestions, from buying it to cleansing your hands of its scent so you can make the most of your garlic.

Garlic Basics

Buying Fresh Garlic

Buying fresh garlic is one way to ensure a lengthy shelf life at home. Always look for firm bulbs of garlic with tight, unblemished skin that is intact.

Avoid bulbs that have sprouted (though they are still usable) or that have soft or shriveled cloves. This is an indication that they are past their prime. Also, stay away from peeled garlic cloves. They won’t last long without the protection of their papery skins.

Storing + Keep It Fresh

Keep whole bulbs of garlic in a cool, dark, dry place [like in a cupboard or cellar area] for up to two months, individual cloves broken from the garlic bulb will last anywhere from a few day to two weeks. Storing garlic in these conditions keep excess light exposure to minimum, moisture away, and helps prevent the bulbs from sprouting.

If you prefer to keep your garlic atop the kitchen counter, a great way to store it is in a garlic keeper. They are inexpensive and available at many grocery or specialty stores. Another storage option is a simple brown paper bag.

Be sure not to store your garlic in the refrigerator, the moist air encourages mold.

What about freezing garlic?

You can freeze just about any type of food, garlic included. However, I wouldn’t recommend it. Garlic is plentiful and always available fresh year-round. In my opinion, there is no justification for freezing garlic when you can enjoy it at it’s best, fresh.

Peeling Garlic – Two Ways

I alternate between two ways of peeling garlic using a knife. I use the flat side of my knife to crush cloves with one strike. The skin comes off easily, and the cloves are lightly smashed which bring out their delicious pungent flavor.

The other way I peel garlic is by cutting the bottom tip off the clove, thenI hold the top tip of the clove with my index finger and thumb and pop the clove out from peel.

Get Rid of the Germ

What is the germ?

It is the sprout in the center of each garlic clove. When the garlic is young and fresh, the germ is tiny and pale in color. As garlic ages, the germ grows, turn green, and becomes bitter and is hard to digest.

Why get rid of it?

When using raw garlic, it is a good idea to remove the germ for two reasons:

1. it is bitter.
2. it is hard to digest.

How to Remove the Germ

It’s simple. Peel the garlic clove. Cut the clove in half, lengthwise. Pull the germ out from the center of the clove with your fingers, or use the tip of a knife to lift it out. See the photo above.

Garlic’s Intense Aroma and Flavor

What would some recipes be without garlic? Not as tasty, that’s for sure. I love the spicy almost hot flavor of garlic. It has a fabulous pungent aroma when chopped. This is due to the release of sulfuric compounds and essential oils contained in each clove. So the more you chop it, the scent and flavor become stronger.

Preparing Garlic

Garlic can be prepared in several ways. You can chop it, crush it, juice it, mince it, press it, puree it, and slice it.

More often than not a recipe calls for minced or sliced garlic. I enjoy mincing garlic by hand with a good knife. If that is too time consuming, a quicker way to do the job is with a garlic press, especially the type of garlic press that will press a clove or two with the peel on.

Substitutions + Equivalents

Knowing how much to substitute and its equivalents is useful information.

Alleviate Garlic Breath and Its Scent from Hands

Garlic imparts its pungent aroma not only into our recipes, but onto our hands, and after we’ve indulged in garlicky food, the deliciousness of the meal can linger on as garlic breath. Here are some excellent tips and suggestions.

Removing Garlic’s Scent from Hand and Fingers

Try:

1. Rubbing your hands with fresh lemon or lemon juice
2. the blunt edge of a knife.
3. rubbing your hands on a stainless steel sink or faucet.
4. using a stainless steel bar of soap like this one, or this one.

No More Garlic Breath

Three fresh and delicious tips to help offset garlic breath.

1. Eat one or more sprigs of fresh parsley during or after your garlicky meal. It’s a great way, and excuse, to eat your parsley.
2. Chew on cardamom seeds.
3. Chew on a piece of lemon. It is sure to cleanse your palate and make your mouth water.

Now you don’t have to hesitate to enjoy your garlic.

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This summer I took full advantage of the blueberry harvest. Blueberries were among the fresh fruits we brought home from every shopping trip. I couldn’t seem to get enough of these precious berries and want to continue enjoying them long after their season has ended. One great way to extend blueberry season is to dry them using a dehydrator.

The process of making home-dried blueberries is easy. The prep time required is minimal and you know your dried blueberries are 100% natural, free of preservatives, sulfites, artificial flavors and colors.

Keep in mind when dehydrating fruits or vegetables to be sure they are completely dry to prevent the possibility of molding during storage.

Dried Blueberries

Dried blueberries have a concentrated flavor and chewy texture. They make a great snack on their own, and add nutritional power to trail mixes, cereals, salads, desserts.

Rinse the blueberries. Sort through the blueberries making sure to discard any that are moldy, soft, or bruised. Place the blueberries in a mixing bowl. Juice half a lemon and pour the fresh squeezed juice in the mixing bowl with the blueberries. Gently mix to coat all the berries. Strain the berries through a strainer and then spread them in a single layer on a dehydrator tray.

Dehydrate anywhere from 6 – 10 hours or longer – depending one how you want the finished texture. The longer the blueberries dehydrate they become smaller and more leathery. When the blueberries are completely dry, turn off the dehydrator and allow them to cool to room temperature before storing.

Store the dried blueberries in an airtight container, glass jar, or re-sealable plastic bag. Label and date the container; store in a cool dry place.

Three Methods for Rehydrating or Softening Dried Blueberries

Method 1: Soft Pliable Rehydrate Blueberries – Rinse the desired among of blueberries needed with cold water and drain well. Place the rinsed blueberries in a glass jar with lid or re-sealable plastic bag; refrigerator overnight.

Method 2: Rehydrated Blueberries – Place 1 cup dried blueberries in a bowl or glass jar, add ½ cup cold water, mix well and cover; refrigerate overnight.

Method 3: Rehydrated Blueberries For Sauce or Smoothie Recipes – Place 1 cup dried blueberries in a bowl or glass jar and add 1 to 1 ½ cups water or other liquid, cover; refrigerate overnight.

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~ Living Earth Herbs – certified organic and wildcrafted culinary herbs and botanical products

~ Mountain Rose Herbs – certified organic herbs, spices, and teas you can buy in bulk.

~ Natural Zing – an assortment of organic wild food and more.

~ One Lucky Duck – Sarma Melngailis online shop for all things to sustain a raw and organic lifestyle.

~ Organic Living Food – I recently discovered this online source because one of my readers from my other blog, Natural Living Cuisine, so kindly tipped me off to The Ultimate Clear Real Raw Agave Nectar. I’m patently waiting for its arrival. Thanks Gina!

~ Sun Food Nutrition – David Wolfe’s site for superfoods, organic raw foods and more.

~ The Raw Choice – I buy Himalayan Hunza raisins here.

I’m always on the look out for new online sources. Do you know of any you’d like to share?

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