Hey there, In this “HOW TO” article, we will explore together every way to cut and peel garlic. I’m talking chopping, slicing, grating, mincing, smashing, pressing, and even some more. Believe me! After watching the video below, you will feel like you’ve been peeling garlic all wrong this whole time.
Garlic in the culinary world is used as an aromatic, right? We mainly use it as a flavor enhancer. How you cut it and how you peel it makes all the difference in how much flavor you get out of your garlic.
Choosing the Right Garlic Bulb
The most important is to pick garlic bulbs that are really firm. If it feels light and spongy, that means it’s starting to grow, and you’ll start to see little green sprouts. Essentially, the flavor in the garlic is disappearing as it gives its energy to the sprouts. You can use garlic that’s starting to sprout; it’s just going to be a little muted and not as strong. So, heavy for its size, nice and firm.
Peeling Garlic: The Best and Worst Ways
Garlic CPR Method
Before cutting your garlic, you need to peel it first, and here’s how you do it. Place the garlic on the counter and press down firmly with the palm of your hand, applying your body weight. Think of it as giving the garlic a little CPR. This process will easily separate the cloves from the skin, leaving you with clean, ready-to-use garlic.
Peeling by Hand
The first way is with your hands. You can just get in there and peel them away. If you’re lucky, the skin may naturally separate, but that doesn’t happen all the time.
Using a Paring Knife
With the paring knife, it’s a little more time-consuming and labor-intensive. Cut off the root end, make a small incision, and peel it off. Be careful, but it usually comes off fairly easily.
Two-Bowl Method
This method is about 70% effective. Put the garlic cloves in a bowl, cover them with another bowl (lips on the bowls help), and give them a shake.
Jar Method (TikTok Hack)
Throw garlic into a jar, put the lid on, and shake it. While not as successful as the bowl method, it works somewhat.
Cutting Garlic: The Best and Worst Ways
Whole Cloves
Sometimes we don’t cut garlic at all. By using the whole cloves to flavor oil and then removed them. On a flavor scale, this is a zero.
Crushed Garlic
Get your clove on the board, give it a light tap, and that’s it. This releases some flavor compounds and gives a mellow garlic flavor, and it gives about a two on the flavor scale.
Slicing
Slicing garlic keeps it visible in dishes like mussels. On a flavor scale, it’s a five or six.
Using a Mandolin
Run garlic over a mandolin for even slices. Be cautious of your fingers! It’s slightly better than slicing with a knife.
Razor Blade Method
As seen in Goodfellas, razor-thin slices of garlic melt into sauces for a mellow flavor. This is about a four on the flavor scale.
Rough Chopping
Whack garlic with the side of a knife and chop it evenly. This works for meatballs or stuffings. Flavor scale: six.
Mincing
Cut garlic finely by slicing it and then cutting across. This is pungent and flavorful, about an eight or nine.
Grating
Use a microplane to grate garlic for maximum intensity, close to a ten. Be careful when grating to avoid injury.
Using a Garlic Press
Garlic presses are easy to use but hard to clean. The flavor scale here is an 11—intense and powerful. The best option so far.
Roasted Garlic
Roasted garlic is the mellowest option. You can roast it in foil or simmer peeled cloves in oil. Flavor scale: two or three—nutty, mild, and delicious.
In the end! I hope you learned something new about garlic. Cut and peel it fresh, experiment with methods, and don’t forget to avoid the jarred stuff. Remember, it’s your dish, so handle garlic how you like, but freshly cut is always the way to go!
