garlic salt
See also: garlic
A blended seasoning of table salt and dried, powdered garlic -- mostly salt by weight and volume, with just enough garlic to flavor it. A quick way to season and add a mild garlic note in one shake, but not a substitute for garlic powder where garlic is meant to be the main flavor.
Buying guidance
Check the ingredient list if the garlic-to-salt ratio matters for a recipe -- brands vary, though salt is always the dominant ingredient by a wide margin. It sits on the shelf right next to garlic powder and the two look similar in the jar, so double-check the label before buying or using.
Substitutions
- Garlic powder plus table salt -- roughly 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder plus 3/4 teaspoon salt per teaspoon of garlic salt, letting you control the ratio directly.
- Garlic powder alone, adding salt separately to taste -- more flexible, since garlic salt's fixed ratio isn't right for every dish.
Tips & common mistakes
Using it as a 1:1 swap for garlic powder is the most common mistake -- since it's mostly salt, doing so both oversalts the dish and under-delivers on garlic flavor. It also stacks with any other salt already in a recipe, which is easy to forget when a dish already calls for salt on its own.
Storage
Keeps indefinitely at room temperature in a sealed container -- salt doesn't spoil, though the powdered garlic in the blend can lose potency and turn slightly musty-tasting after a year or two.