The infusion of synthetic MSG is often placed in foods intentionally.  It is hidden in not so clear ingredients under terms like artificial flavors.  The fine powder can also be blown from one production line to the next or be incorporated due to residue from a prior product run on a line.  For those sensitive it is more than enough to set them off with serious migraines and other symptoms.

Here are a few examples of just how easy it is to circumvent commercial products.  We have found Onion Powder and Garlic Powders that do not list synthetic MSG or any other chemicals, yet produce the same symptoms as one would experience with the presence of synthetic MSG.  After contacting the company they assured us products that do include MSG are run on separate lines.  We can only assume dust from the MSG powder is in the air and blows from one line to the next contaminating what was intended to be safe.

Garlic powder and onion powder are critical to a number of recipes including spice rubs and mixes like chili powder or taco seasoning.  They are essential ingredients in a number of salad dressings.  The flavor and taste are more intense than diced or sliced onion and the texture is obviously different.  Where it could be great, you may not want onion chunks in  you catsup or barbecue sauce.  The answer make your own.

Slice one large onion into relatively thin slices and quarter the slice for ease of handling.  scatter the onion pieces in a food dryer* (an oven set at 100 to 200 degrees fahrenheit also works but ties up the oven).  Over a 24 to 48 hour period the onion will dry to a brittle state, easy to crumble or snap rather than bend.  Place in a small grinder/coffee mill such as used to grind coffee beans and reduce to onion flakes by pulsing or create onion powder by leaving it run longer.  Larger food processors meant for chopping will simply bounce the material around and not grind it completely.

From one large onion you will acquire a small batch of onion flakes or powder, enough to last several months when you can make a fresh batch.  Why use stale onion powder when fresh has a stronger flavor and aroma.  Use Vidalia onions and you get a delicate sweet onion flake and powder.  Wait a minute, by selecting different onions you can create different onion powder flavors, now that is interesting don’t you think since the stores only offer one onion powder.  As you become more adapt at cooking from scratch you will find a broad array of flavors and choices that are just not on the market.  Why not get a several different onions and dry several at the same time on different dryer shelves, then you can compare the different onion powders for flavor, sweetness and aroma.

Garlic Powder is done much the same way.  One garlic head will produce sufficient garlic powder or flakes for a couple of months.  We break the garlic head apart and remove the paper hull from the garlic and slice it into fairly regular pieces.  Even pieces mean the material dries more evenly.  Smaller pieces means it dries faster.  We actually do the garlic and onion at the same time, just on separate shelves and can also dry some peppers or tomatoes using the same process and separate shelves.  The flavors do not cross.  Wetter items like tomatoes are dried more quickly if thinly sliced.  Cherry tomatoes are good for trying and some are exceptionally sweet when dried.  Items lower on the shelves are closer to the heat and dry more quickly, rearrange shelves and foods to get optimal performance.  Humidity will shift drying times slightly.  There are dozens of different garlic and each offers a different taste, heat and bite.  Look for different garlic types and dry them for additional complexity in your cooking.

Drying peppers of various temperatures and types allow for a range of seasonings, we grow 16 different peppers including Tabasco, Jalapeno, Anaheim, Pablano and others from which we can use fresh or dry to spice up our recipes.  Eating chemical free has nothing to do with boring foods.  Growing foods at home is more than sustainability and independence it is variety, texture and a wider array of flavors and aromas.  Where a lot of Tabasco pepper can be hot, a small portion of the powder can add a very subtle heat.  Jalapenos are a grate addition to a salsa diced fresh, but are a distinctive flavor that can seem out of place in other dishes.  Other peppers with subtle heat can create the impact needed with out the distinct taste of Jalapenos.

A cutting board, a sharp knife, a food dryer and a coffee mill were all we needed to replicate garlic and onion powder and flakes from various types or onions and garlic creating a much greater array of fresh flavors.  We doubled up and also dried tomatoes and peppers.  You can also dry meats candies and other vegetables or fruit.  Clean up was quick and easy and the time invested was minimal.  When grinding the ingredients we pulse first and pull out a portion for flakes and then continue processing to create the powder developing both flakes and powder from the sames effort.  By placing onion, garlic, tomato or pepper flakes in water or a broth you can partially reconstitute the product.

If you want garlic or onion salt simply add three times as much salt as onion or garlic.  Not sure why you would do this since you can add salt and garlic to a recipe without getting too much salt.  Did you know sea salt has a much salter taste and is actually much better for you than traditional table salt.  Try different salts and you will see another side to flavor and how you can shift the taste in foods.  We all need salt in our diet, but on average people eat way too much salt with one result being high blood pressure.  Commercial foods are laden with salt since it brightens otherwise dull flavors.  Yes, salt is a natural perservative and has it place.

Browning a portion of vegetables in a dish brings out the sugars and adds complexity reducing the amount of salt needed to stimulate flavor.  Rich, robust, mouth watering flavors are what you experience when you leave the boring and bland foods sold on shelves.  Food sold on shelves must use preservatives to last longer and must forgo expensive ingredients and invaluable cooking steps to lower the cost.  You don’t need the preservatives or chemicals and can use the time used shopping to create amazing dishes at home.  You are the chief and research scientist of good taste and healthy food for you and your family.  Chemical free food is not about doing without, but doing better.

Here is a WEB site out of Canada http://www.saveourplanetcanada.com that offers additional information on healthy eating and points to more resources on drying and preserving foods.

* Food dryer options: http://Harborfreight.com has an in-expensive food dryer for about $20 with 5 or 6 shelves and a small heater that does a nice job.  Walmart sells one and you can find a wide array you can buy over the Internet from companies like http://Amazon.com.  you could even make your own using a light bulb or two for the heat source.  Additionally you can use the summer sun for your drying by placing the product between two layers of non-metal screen.  You can find instructions to build one at http://www.motherearthnews.com/Do-It-Yourself/1993-02-01/How-To-Build-a-Food-Dryer.aspx