One of the most common “folk” remedies is eating raw garlic to ward of everything from infections to the common cold. With few side effects (besides making you smell like garlic!), it is a safe way to build your immune system that I’ve used often. Many of my friends will eat raw garlic when coming down with a cold or the flu, so I thought I would share some of my favorite ways to consume higher amounts of this sharp tasting bulb.
I put garlic in just about everything I cook and love it, but when you are trying to consume a whole clove at a time, it can be a little more challenging. The first thing to keep in mind is always consuming raw garlic with a bit of some type of fat. Raw garlic can be unpleasant in the stomach when consumed on it’s own (if you eat raw garlic frequently on it’s own, I’ve read it could even lead to eventual damage in your stomach!). It also just tastes a lot better when consumed with something fatty.
Keep in mind that these “recipes” aren’t culinary recipes. They are just tasty ways to take a more medicinal amount of garlic.
Raw Garlic Toast
Mix one clove of finely minced garlic with one to two tablespoon pastured butter and spread on a piece of toasted sprouted or sourdough bread. This is also good when dipped into a hot bowl of soup.
Garlic Dip
I learned this trick from my mother in law. Mix one clove of minced garlic with 1-4 tablespoons of mayonnaise. Serve with organic corn chips. This sounds quite strange but is actually quite good! If you don’t have any homemade on hand, my first choice is Wilderness Family Natural’s mayonnaise, my second choice (imperfect and does contain soy protein) would be Follow Your Heart Vegenaise Grapeseed Oil .
Guacamole
Mix 1-3 cloves of minced garlic with 1 small mashed avocado. Add salt and chopped cilantro. Serve with chips or dollop on your choice of Mexican food.
Raw Garlic Shot
When consuming raw garlic frequently throughout the day, some like to take a “shot” of garlic by putting the raw garlic in their mouth and chasing it with some water. I would just recommend that you add a bit of olive oil to the garlic to protect your stomach.
What about you? Do you have a favorite way to eat raw garlic? Please Share
{ 92 comments… read them below or add one }
← Previous Comments
Thanks for the reminder about raw garlic. We’ve been taking it crushed with a water or OJ chaser all winter.
I’d forgotten this excellent and addictive recipe from, Coconut Butter Recipes, by Serene Allison.
The Cure All
in a blender
2 WHOLE bulbs peeled garlic
1 jalapeño(I remove most of the seeds and membrane)
a few pinches of salt
enough coconut oil to cover(approx. 6 oz.)
blend this until fairly smooth
It’s great as a spread on toast, or just by the spoonful. I like to use it as a base for salad dressing, adding some lemon juice and Bragg’s aminos. Also great in pasta sauces and soups.
I wasn’t able to keep up with the demand for it last year.
I’m going to see if I have everything to make up a double batch right now
One whole garlic finely chopped
1/4 cup onion finely diced
1/2 cup diced tomatoes
1/4 cup bell peppers
1/2 fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup virgin olive oil
combine, and serve with wheat toast.
it’s a Bahamian thing.
visit Grand Bahama, the Bahamas.
I turn the maligned baked white potato into a satisfying and healthy meal using garlic and dipping oil. (It is a similar idea to dipping bread)
1 clove minced garlic
onion wedge minced
2 T parsley
2 T cilantro
1/2 t curry powder
extra turmeric
bit of ginger
salt
2T either Udo’s Oil, flaxseed oil, or olive oil. (I use Udo’s Oil because of its Omega 3,6,9 benefits.)
Mix all ingredients in a bowl, cut baked potato in half, and dip into the mix. Very brain healthy.
This also works with lightly steamed broccoli, or lightly steamed carrots.
Hello from Brasil!!!
I was thinking about lacto-fermented garlic. Have you ever tried? How could I do it?
Hi there – I have a post describing how I recently made lacto-fermented garlic. Mine wasn’t 100% raw because I did roast the heads for a few minutes before taking off the skins, but you could make it with completely raw cloves too and I think it would be totally delicious, not to mention probiotic too…
I love to culture lots of garlic with my pickles, peppers or veggies. It is delicious and you can eat the cloves so much easier than eating raw garlic. I usually culture through summer and late fall and save them for the winter time flu season, trying to eat at least one clove a day.
crushed garlic
fresh ginger
lemon juice
honey
I let it all sit, then strain it and add to warm water for a tasty cold remedy.
I also add crushed garlic to homemade soups AFTER it’s done cooking. Just crush a clove into your bowl when the soup cools enough to eat it.
Can you believe it, my kid is allergic to garlic and onions, and we love ‘em. I can’t even cook them without her reacting. (I think it’s the sulfur.) I wonder if fermenting it (as a poster mentioned) would make a difference. Hmmmm.
Don’t forget pesto which has the oil in it. (Did someone mention that? I can’t see all the comments.)
Thanks for this. We don’t eat raw garlic, mostly because I didn’t know how to get it in. Now I know some ways I might be able to get my family to consume it!
I love to use raw garlic in my salad dressing. I will just a lemon, add extra virgin olive oil and crush a few cloves of garlic. Sometimes, in the summer when my herb garden is plentiful, I’ll add some fresh herbs to the dressing too.
If I’m feeling a need for garlic, I like to add it crushed to my cheese omelet, just before folding it over!
I’m shocked you didn’t mention hummus! Especially with sprouted chickpeas, it’s one of the healthiest-tastiest things I can think of. Pack in the garlic and fresh lemon too. Easy and yummy and cheap!
I used tomake a salad comprising green beans and, for the dressing, minced garlic, mustard, and EVOO.
thinking of taking ‘shots’ of garlic to combat a cold or the like, i do it like this….a spoonful of garlic mixed with raw honey and fresh or ground ginger….the raw honey completely stops any stomach irritation the raw garlic could have!!
as a cure for everything i consume two very large bulbs (not cloves) of fresh, crushed, organic garlic. it must be organic and we buy local california garlic. i mix it with various things; one avocado combined with the crushed garlic is a good way to consume it. of course you must build up to such a large dose, perhaps over one year of eating smaller quantities because you really do not want to overload your system. and everyone is different, so use caution when trying new things. but this works for me and i have not even had a mild cold since 1989. it is also important to do this on a day that you can rest and drink plenty of water. takes a couple days to work through your system and you must not take this dose of garlic with any sort of medication. the garlic thins the blood which combined with certain medication is not a good idea. it is also workable to mix the garlic with thick organic plain yoghurt with some added olive oil and a bit of sea salt. it takes about 30 minutes to consume the dose by one spoonful at a time. the garlic must be crushed and eaten right away because the active ingredient allicin springs out of the garlic approximately 20 minutes after it has been crushed and fades away after that. allicin has been clinically proven to destroy cancer cells. so you want to have the benefit of allicin in your system during the active period. never use packaged or pre-peeled garlic. use with caution. and after a couple days be sure to eat plenty of plain organic yoghurt with live cultures to replace any healthy bacteria that the garlic may have carried away.
DEAR READERS,
THE BEST WAY TO CONSUME A CLOVE OF GARLIC IS TO TAKE IT EMPTY STOMACH WITH A GLASS OF WATER JUST LIKE AS WE TAKE A CAPSULE WITH WATER . THIS IS MY PERSONAL VIEW . BUT REMEMBER IF YOU ARE SUFFERING FROM ULCER OR CHRONIC ACIDITY , THEN DO NOT TAKE IT LIKE THIS . REMEMBER IT IS A PROVEN FACT THAT IS AS POTENT AS RAW WHEN TAKING IN FRIED FORM WITH ANY TYPE OF VEGETABLE , SOUP . TOGETHER WITH ONION THEY ARE THE HEART TONIC , REDUCE CHOLSETROL , PROTECT AGAINST INFECTION . IT HAS BEEN FOUND TO BE ANTI CANCEROUS ALSO . SO ALL THE BEST . GOD BLESS YOU ALL.
DR. RAJBIR SINGH GARCHA
HOMOEOPATHIC PHYSICIAN
M-9646058251
Put the whole garlic on a spoon and add honey and lemon. You won’t taste it at all!
I have been using three garlic clobs daoly for the last five years and never get colds
I chop garlic…let it sit for a few minutes…then I smother it in peanut butter..chew and swallow…
raw garlic chopped into small pieces along with banana
ONE CLOVE OF GARLIC SWALLOWED LIKE A PILL WITH HEMP OIL
I’ve been reading its best to crush the garlic rather than swallowing a whole clove; the crushing releases the in it.
Can I mix it with flax oil. Or will it kill the benefits of the oil?
← Previous Comments
{ 1 trackback }