How Is Garlic Powder Made?

Garlic powder is one of the most widely used seasonings in the food industry and home kitchens alike. From soups and sauces to snack flavorings and instant meals, this fine powder delivers the punch of garlic in a convenient, shelf-stable form. Have you ever wondered how garlic powder is made?

 There are two main industrial methods to produce garlic powder: air-drying and freeze-drying. Each method starts with fresh garlic but follows a different path, leading to differences in color, flavor, and nutritional retention. Let’s walk through the step-by-step process of both methods and see how they compare.

How is Air Dried Garlic Powder Made

Step One: Raw Material Selection and Preprocessing

Factories source plump, fresh, and disease-free garlic. The first mechanical process is root cutting, where machines trim off the roots of the garlic heads. Next comes peeling, one of the most labor-intensive stages. To make it efficient, two methods are widely used:

Dry peeling: Garlic heads are placed in rubber drum peelers. Friction and pressure separate skins from cloves, while strong airflow blows away the papery husks. This method saves water but may leave some skin residues.

Wet peeling: Garlic is soaked in water to soften its skins, then cleaned with water jets and mechanical brushing. This achieves a cleaner finish but generates wastewater.

Step Two: Washing and Slicing

Once peeled, the garlic cloves undergo thorough washing in water channels or spray systems to remove dirt and residual skins. Clean cloves are then sliced into thin pieces. 

Step Three: Hot-Air Drying

In the hot air method, drying is the most critical stage, where garlic slices are transformed from fresh, juicy pieces into brittle chips suitable for grinding. Slices are evenly spread on stainless steel trays or conveyor belts. The trays move into a hot air drying chamber or tunnel dryer. 

Step Four: Screening and Cleaning

After drying, garlic slices are screened with vibrating sieves and air classifiers to remove burnt pieces, tiny root fibers, or any foreign matter. Only clean, golden slices move forward.

Step Five: Milling and Sieving

Dried slices enter crushers or hammer mills for rough grinding, followed by fine milling using turbo grinders. The resulting powder is sieved through mesh screens, to achieve a smooth, uniform texture. Coarser particles are returned for re-grinding.

Step Six: Sterilization and Packaging

To meet international food safety standards, garlic powder may undergo sterilization. Depending on customer requirements and local regulations, factories may use irradiation or ethylene oxide treatment.

Finally, the powder is packed in aluminum foil bags or multilayer plastic pouches, sealed to prevent moisture and oxygen infiltration. The sealed bags are then boxed and stored in cool, dry warehouses until shipment.

How is Freeze Dried Garlic Powder Made

Freeze-drying (lyophilization) is considered the premium method for producing garlic powder. Instead of relying on heat, it uses sublimation under vacuum to remove water. This preserves garlic’s natural flavor, aroma, and nutrients far better than conventional drying.

Step One: Raw Material Preparation

Freeze-drying requires top-grade garlic. Cloves are washed, peeled, and sorted carefully to eliminate defects. Garlic can then be sliced into thin pieces and evenly spread onto trays before freezing.

Step Two: Freezing

The trays enter a freeze-dryer chamber, where the temperature is rapidly lowered to -30°C to -40°C. Quick freezing creates small ice crystals that minimize structural damage to the garlic cells.

Step Three: Primary Drying (Sublimation)

Once frozen, the chamber is evacuated to create a strong vacuum. Under this condition, ice inside the garlic does not melt into liquid water. Instead, it sublimates directly into vapor.
Gentle heat is applied via heating plates to provide the energy required for sublimation. Meanwhile, the vapor is captured by a condenser, leaving the garlic completely dry. This stage removes about 95% of the water.

Step Four: Secondary Drying (Desorption)

To remove tightly bound moisture, the temperature is raised slightly higher under vacuum. By the end of this phase, the final moisture content drops to 2–3%. The garlic slices or paste become light, crisp, and porous, with a pale white color close to fresh garlic.

Step Five: Milling and Packaging

The fragile, sponge-like garlic is ground into fine powder and sieved for uniformity. Because freeze dried garlic is extremely hygroscopic, packaging is done under low humidity, often with nitrogen flushing in aluminum foil bags or composite cans. This ensures long shelf life while keeping its aroma intact.

Comparing Air Dried vs. Freeze Dried Garlic Powder

Final Thoughts

Both hot-air drying and freeze-drying are proven methods to make garlic powder, but they cater to different needs. Air dried garlic powder is cost-effective and widely used in mass-market food processing. Freeze dried garlic powder, though more expensive, delivers superior flavor and nutritional quality, making it a favorite in premium applications. For food manufacturers, the choice between air dried and freeze dried garlic powder often comes down to application, budget, and target market positioning. 

ShunDi Foods is recognized as a top garlic powder manufacturer in the global market, offering both air dried and freeze dried garlic powders. With decades of expertise and international certifications, ShunDi supports food companies worldwide with safe, reliable, and customized ingredient solutions.