Peeled Garlic Cloves

It is quite surprising what you can find pre-prepped in the produce section.  In most cases these items are more expensive because of their convenience.  Some items like baby carrots (really formed from larger carrots) the nutritional content is lowered somewhat.  Pre-cut fruits like apples have preservative to prevent oxidation that you won't get when using whole apples.  I very seldom use pre-prepared fruits or vegetables at home.  When I do, it is usually baby carrots for the eye appeal. 

There are times that these types of pre-prepared fruits and vegetables can be quite convenient.  The first one that comes to mind is longer road trips with children, especially if crossing from Canada into the US or visa versa where some produce is prohibited from entering.  A quick stop at a grocery store after clearing customs and you can have the cooler filled with healthy snacks for the drive.

Pre-prepared fruits and vegetables can be quite convenient when doing a bulk cooking session or canning.  Normally I would not consider buying peeled garlic.  It is a new product in a couple of the grocery stores here.  I was canning last week on a very tight schedule for packing, trying to do too much while both sick and tired.  That's not a good combination!  Walmart had 250 g bags of peeled garlic flagged as a new product on sale for $1.  I bought a bag to use in my canning sessions for the week.  This saved me a fair amount of time in peeling garlic and the results were the same.  The only thing I wasn't impressed with is the garlic is from China.   I'd rather buy locally if possible and garlic grown in Ontario is available so will be looking for local peeled garlic.  Garlic is planted in the fall so will plant some this year at our new house. 

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