Consuming garlic as part of a healthy diet is a great way to acquire its many health benefits. But what happens when you cook garlic? It appears that cooking garlic at high temperatures or for long periods of time may reduce some of its beneficial properties. This happens because high temperatures destroy the enzyme needed to activate allicin, the compound in garlic that results in so many of its health benefits. So while raw, crushed garlic is best, there are some guidelines to follow to get the most out of cooked garlic as well. Cooking at temperatures below 400F or boiling for less than 3 minutes seems to allow garlic to retain its benefits. A great trick is to crush garlic and allow it to sit for 10 minutes before using it in a dish. This way, that useful enzyme has time to activate allicin before cooking temperatures are introduced. Crushed garlic should also be added to dishes closer to the end of cooking time to minimize damage to active compounds (learn more here).
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