Fresh from the garden and oh so pungent. Image Credit: Bob Webster.
We ate our fair share of garlic in our meals in Alabama, but Mom didn’t often bother with fresh garlic. My brother and I were like hungry dogs nipping at her heels in the hopes that one of us could distract her long enough to allow the other to snatch just-cooked food from the various serving bowls and plates prior to dinner. As a result, our dear mother had to cut corners, and that usually meant cutting corners when it came to flavorizing recipes. She’d give a few shakes of garlic powder over our pasta sauce, and we’d chow down.
As a child-free adult who likes to cook, I’m able to take my time in the kitchen and prepare almost of my meals from scratch, and fresh garlic is packed with cancer-fighting properties. Still, when it comes to prepping garlic for recipes, I’d like the aromatic bulb to be a little quicker in the peeling department. If you’re like me, not only is garlic peeling a laborious task, but it often leaves my fingers smelling strong enough to keep Dracula at bay.
Image credit: LightGirl.
Here are a few quick maneuvers to speed up garlic peeling so you can savor the other parts of the food prep process.
1. Knife slam technique: Remove the amount of garlic cloves from the bulb. Then, lay the knife blade sideways against the clove and press it against a hard, flat surface (i.e. cutting board). Ta da! The tough outer skin of the garlic will separate from the clove, and you’re ready for chopping, pressing, or mincing. I usually listen to the band below when I implement this technique.
2. “Hand of Destruction” technique: Remember those self-defense classes you took where you learned about the intense power latent in the heel of your hand? Yes, the heel of your hand holds the power to destroy someone’s nose and sinus cavity. Your hand is also a perfect force for destroying unpeeled garlic.
Similar to the knife slam technique above, remove the cloves from their bulb and place on a hard, flat surface. Using your hand like the knife blade, press down against the garlic with all your strength until the peeled garlic is under your dominion. I often channel Bruce Lee when I’m using the “Hand of Destruction” technique.
If you’re worried folks will notice the strong garlic smell on your hands and suspect your violence against garlic, the Kitchn and Good Housekeeping have a few fool-proof methods to remove the smelly evidence.
Finally,
3. 10 second garlic peel: Below you’ll see a great garlic peeling technique if you need to peel a bunch of garlic at one time.
How to Peel a Head of Garlic in Less Than 10 Seconds from SAVEUR.com on Vimeo.
Do you have a speedy way to peel garlic and/or eliminate its pungent odor from your hands? Let me know all about your quick garlic peeling and de-smelling tips in the comments below.
I have seen that Saveur video before and love it! Kevin and I use fresh garlic like it’s going out of style, but to cut some corners I’ve started buying pre-peeled garlic (Christopher Ranch: http://www.christopherranch.com/archives/products/peeled-garlic-in-bags) from our local Harris Teeter grocery store, and it’s wonderful! I pop that into our handy-dandy garlic zoom, and within seconds the garlic is minced and ready to go.
Garlic Zoom?!?!? That sounds as if it might take my garlic peeling to the next level.
That method looks fun! I find that squeezing the cloves between my fingers usually (but not always) works!
That’s a good idea, Cathy! I’ll give this one a try.
Ah, yes, peeling garlic. I generally just squeeze the clove between my fingers until the skin pops. Those little rubber tubes about the size of a toilet paper tube work too, although I’ve found that if you need to do more than a half-dozen cloves oil begins to coat the interior and the cloves slip around rather than losing their skins. The clanging bowl thing works great, but my hearing always feels like I’ve been to a rock concert when I finish so I try not to do it too often. Good post. Ken
Thanks, Ken. I’ve tried the rubber tube method (my friends had one), and it worked well. We only needed to prep a small amount of garlic, though. I haven’t tried the pot method yet, but if my neighbors downstairs keep up their weekend bickering, I might need to give it a try. ;P
Definitely. And then do a slow-cooker version of Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic.
Ken
Hmm…I must be the boring, pragmatic one. I just slice off the root end but not all of the way through the skin as I then rip that off down the back. Simply twist the clove sideways and usually that’s enough for the skin to slip off. Most of it anyway.
Loving these posts, btw.
That’s a quick method, Johnny, and is the closest to what I find myself doing naturally. I’m glad you’re liking the posts. One of my new year’s resolutions has been to add a new posting component to the blog.
Great tip–thanks.
You’re welcome, Sally.
I’m a big fan of the knife press method. My husband and I both love the scent so we never worry about it on our hands.
I’m lucky my partner-in-crime feels the way, too.