How to Dehydrate Garlic:
Elephant or Regular Cloves

Thanks for stopping by to learn how to dehydrate garlic! Whether you're working with mammoth-sized elephant garlic or classic cloves, dehydrating garlic at home is surprisingly easy — and incredibly satisfying.

From garlic powder to savory chips, dried garlic adds intense flavor to your pantry staples while taking up very little space.

Garlic bulb with loose peeled cloves

Let’s walk through how to slice, dry, and even grind your garlic for maximum shelf life and kitchen flexibility.It's easy when you use Elephant garlic, often called Mammoth Garlic! As the name implies, it's much bigger than regular bulbs, like four times bigger!

Oddly enough, elephant garlic is milder in taste than its smaller counterpart. Kinda like peppers, right? The smaller they are, the hotter they are.

Types of Garlic You Should Know Before Dehydrating

There are several different types of garlic that you can grow. Some of the most popular varieties include:

Softneck Garlic
Softneck garlic is a type of garlic that is easy to grow and store, has a mild flavor, and is often used in cooking.

Hardneck Garlic
Hardneck garlic is a type of garlic that has a strong flavor and is typically used in pickling or roasting.

Elephant Garlic
Elephant garlic is a type of garlic that is actually a member of the leek family. Elephant garlic has a milder flavor than traditional garlic as mentioned above.

And if you're wondering what on earth "softneck" and "hardneck" means, here's some info.: Softneck garlic has a flexible stem (makes sense) that can be braided for storage!

This type also produces more cloves per bulb than hardneck garlic. And hardneck garlic has a more rigid stem and has a stronger flavor than softneck garlic. So now you know.

Elephant Garlic cloves before slicing on a mandoline

Garlic Nutrition Info.

VITAMINS: Vitamin A, Vitamin C, and Vitamin B6, followed by Choline. There are trace amounts of Vitamin K, Folate, Niacin, Thiamine, Riboflavin, and Pantothenic Acid.

MINERALS: Potassium, Phosphorus, and Calcium, followed by Iron and Manganese. There are trace amounts of Zinc, Copper, and Selenium, and contains Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids.

Garlic is great for tons of savory recipes: Soups and stews, and Italian dishes of all types!

Step-by-Step: How to Dehydrate Garlic Perfectly

  1. Peel the bulb and separate the cloves and cut them into 1/8" slices—a mandoline slicer does a fine job of this for the elephant/mammoth bulbs—just watch your fingers, please! With regular (small) cloves, carefully use a paring-type knife!
  2. Arrange the slices on your food dehydrator trays, making sure the slices don't touch or overlap.
  3. Turn on your food dehydrator and set the temperature between 125°F and 135°F (or per your food dehydrator's instructions).

💡 Tip: Outside the U.S.? Most dehydrating temps here are listed in Fahrenheit — use our quick converter to see the Celsius equivalent for your machine.

  • It will be brittle when fully dried and stores well in a small Mason jar, I just crumble it up when adding it to my soups, etc.
  • Drying time: between 6-12 hours.
  • Please remember to rotate your trays for even drying.
Thinly sliced Elephant Garlic on Nesco dehydrator trayThinly sliced Elephant Garlic on Nesco dehydrator tray

Safety First: How to Handle Spicy Garlic Without Regret

If you're sensitive to handling raw garlic, please read 10 Tips for Handling Spicy Garlic prior to dehydrating it!

Air Ventilation Warning
How to Keep Your Kitchen (and Pets)
Safe from Onion Odor

You may also wish to have your windows OPEN or put the A/C on
while you're dehydrating onions or garlic... as the powerful odor
can certainly circulate throughout the entire house!

If you ABSOLUTELY LOVE onions and garlic,
it's not such a bad thing, but if you don't...
just sayin'!

Air Ventilation
Warning
How to Keep Your Kitchen
(and Pets) Safe from Onion Odor

You may also wish to have your
windows OPEN or put the A/C on
while you're dehydrating onions or
garlic... as the powerful odor
can certainly circulate throughout
the entire house!

If you ABSOLUTELY LOVE onions
 & garlic, it's not such a bad thing,
but if you don't... just sayin'!


When Dehydrating Garlic—
Heed the Air Ventilation Warning Above!

When dehydrating garlic, watch out for strong odors as mentioned earlier.
Either you LOVE garlic, or you DON'T!

When
Dehydrating Garlic—
Heed the
Air Ventilation
Warning Above!

When dehydrating garlic, watch out for strong odors as mentioned earlier. Either you LOVE garlic, or you DON'T!


Dehydrated sliced Elephant garlic

DIY Garlic Salt: How to Grind Dried Garlic Like a Pro

Did you know, you can grind up dehydrated garlic to make garlic powder? Just add equal amounts of salt to the ground powder and you now have homemade Garlic Salt.

NOTE: While dehydrating your garlic, consider dehydrating onions at the same time if you've got a spare dehydrator tray or two available! In other words, don't mix garlic and onions with, say, apples, when dehydrating—unless you WANT your APPLES to taste like GARLIC or ONIONS!!

TIP: If you're out on a date, make sure you both eat this pungent veggie. You'll thank me later for that tip!

Dehydrating garlic is an odorous job... so please run your range hood vent (if you have one) and place your dehydrator as close to the vent hood as possible. Doing so will help enormously to take the garlic odor out of the kitchen and away from your pets' sensitive noses and nervous systems— garlic aroma is poisonous to them!

Julie's powdered smoked garlic salt

Julie’s Smoked Garlic Salt Twist (Yes, It’s Delicious!)

Check out Julie's great post on how she dehydrates her garlic with added sea salt!

Not only does it look amazing, but she assures us it tastes amazing too!



Quick Garlic Bread Recipe with Dehydrated Garlic

Slices of garlic bread on a plate

Garlic bread is often served as a side dish or an appetizer.

Here's a quick and easy recipe for garlic bread:

Ingredients:

  • 1 loaf French bread
  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 1/4 cup minced garlic
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried parsley
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
  2. In a small bowl, mix together butter, garlic, parsley, basil, and garlic salt.
  3. Cut the bread loaf in half horizontally. Spread the butter mixture over the cut sides of the bread.
  4. Wrap the bread in aluminum foil and place it on a baking sheet.
  5. Bake for 10 minutes, then remove from oven and unwrap. Return to oven and bake for an additional 5 to 10 minutes, or until bread is lightly toasted.

💡 Tip: Outside the U.S.? Most dehydrating temps here are listed in Fahrenheit — use our quick converter to see the Celsius equivalent for your machine.

Elephant and regular size garlic bulbs

“That’s Not Garlic… THIS is Garlic!” 🐊

A Nod to Crocodile Dundee:

If you've ever seen the movie Crocodile Dundee
you'll appreciate this comment about 'regular' versus 'Elephant':

"You call that garlic?
Now this...
(pointing to the elephant bulb)
... is Garlic!" :-)

Where Garlic Grows Best (And When to Plant It)

Garlic grows best in full sun and well-drained soil. Garlic prefers soil that is high in organic matter. The plants should be spaced 4 to 6 inches apart and is typically harvested in the summer or early fall.

How to Tell When Garlic Is Ready for Harvest

Garlic is ready to harvest when the leaves start to yellow and the bulbs begin to form. To harvest, lift the garlic plants out of the ground with a garden fork.

Thanks for taking the time to read all about how to dehydrate garlic. Remember to run the exhaust fan on your range, or at the very least, open the windows!

FAQ: Garlic Drying, Garlic Chips & More

Can you dehydrate garlic chutney into powder?

Yes! Spread thin layers of garlic chutney on lined dehydrator trays and dry at 145°F for 6–8 hours. Once brittle, grind into powder with added salt for a savory spice blend that lasts up to a year.

How do you make crispy dehydrated garlic chips?

Slice garlic cloves 1/8" thin, toss with oil and optional salt, then dehydrate at 125°F for 6–10 hours. Rotate trays halfway through for even drying. Once crisp and brittle, store in an airtight container. Delicious on soups, salads, and pastas!

How long does dehydrated garlic last?

When stored in an airtight container in a cool, dark place, dehydrated garlic can last up to 12 months. For longest shelf life, avoid humidity and keep it away from direct light and heat.

What’s the best way to grind dehydrated garlic into powder?

Use an old coffee grinder, spice grinder, or high-speed blender. Keep this old appliance just for garlic, and/or onions! Be sure the garlic is completely brittle before grinding — if it bends or feels leathery, it needs more drying time.

Is dehydrated garlic as healthy as fresh garlic?

Yes, mostly! While it may lose a small amount of vitamin C during dehydration, garlic’s beneficial compounds like allicin, along with its antioxidant and antimicrobial properties, remain well preserved in dried form.

Garlic may leave a strong scent behind, but the payoff is worth it! With your dried garlic on hand, you're ready to season soups, salsas, sauces — even make your own garlic salt or crispy chips. Want even more pantry-ready ideas? 👉 Grab our free 5-recipe dried food PDF below - and start drying like a pro today with our (also free!) Six Simple Steps here.

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