Garlic Measurements and Conversions

Most recipes count garlic in cloves, but cloves vary a lot in size, from small inner cloves to fat outer ones. When the amount matters, peel and mince the garlic first, then measure it with a spoon. Press it in lightly and level the top with a knife.

How finely you cut it changes the weight of a spoonful. Minced or grated garlic settles into a dense layer, while coarsely chopped pieces leave air gaps between them. USDA's cup figure does not say whether its garlic was minced or chopped, so treat the spoon and cup weights here as close estimates.

Weigh garlic when you cook in bulk: a jar of garlic confit, a batch of pickles or a big pot of sauce. Peel the cloves, set a bowl on a zeroed scale and add cloves until you reach the weight you need.

For a single dish, a spoon or a clove count is close enough, and you can always add more to taste. Garlic that has started to dry out weighs less than a firm, fresh clove of the same size, so pick firm heads when you plan to weigh.

McCormick suggests 1/8 teaspoon of garlic powder for each clove of fresh garlic. For a recipe that asks for four cloves, that comes to 1/2 teaspoon of powder. The same page says dried minced garlic, crushed, can replace garlic powder in an equal measure.

Jarred minced garlic, packed in water or oil, is a different product again. The USDA data on this page covers raw garlic only, so a spoonful from a jar may weigh more or less than fresh. Drain off most of the liquid and measure it with level spoons, as you would fresh garlic.