Best Ways To Peel Garlic – Easy Guide to Peeling Garlic Like a Pro

Peeling garlic can be a rather frustrating job for a couple of reasons. Firstly, the thin skin of the cloves can be fidgety to remove, especially if the skin has dried out a bit.

Handling multiple cloves at once can be tricky, too, as they are dainty little things. But no worries, this article will show you several ways to peel garlic fast and easy!

If you’re a garlic fan like myself, check out How To Make Garlic Bread and Domino’s Garlic Parmesan Sauce.

Easy Ways to Peel Garlic

There are several ways to get your garlic cloves peel-free and ready to go. Here are a few of my favorite ways to peel garlic easily:

Traditional Hand-Peeling

The standard method of peeling garlic by hand involves breaking the bulb into individual cloves, removing the papery outer layer from each clove, and then removing the thin, translucent skin covering the clove itself. Here are the steps:

1. Begin by separating the cloves from the bulb. You can do this by placing the bulb on a cutting board and using the flat side of a knife to gently press down on it until the cloves separate or by simply pulling them apart by hand.
2. Once you have separated the cloves, use the flat side of a knife to crush each clove slightly.
3. Use your fingers to peel away the papery outer layer from each clove.
4. To remove the thin, translucent skin that covers the clove itself, gently pull the skin away with a paring knife or your fingers. If the skin is particularly stubborn, you can use the tip of a knife to pry it away gently.

Check out a few tips and tricks to simplify the process:

• To make the papery outer layer easier to remove, try microwaving the whole bulb for 15-20 seconds before peeling.
• You can also try placing the cloves in a bowl, covering it with another bowl, and shaking vigorously. This can help loosen the papery outer layer.
• If you find removing the thin skin from the clove difficult, try soaking the cloves in water for a few minutes before peeling.

Common problems that people encounter when peeling garlic by hand include:

• The papery outer layer can be challenging to remove, especially if it is dry or stuck to the clove. This can be time-consuming and frustrating.
• The thin, translucent skin that covers the clove can also be challenging to remove, especially if it is tightly attached. This can result in a lot of waste as small pieces of garlic are accidentally removed along with the skin.
• Peeling garlic by hand can be time-consuming, especially if you are peeling a large quantity. This can be a deterrent for some people who might opt for pre-peeled garlic.

Shake and Roll Method

This method is a quick and easy way to peel garlic using a jar or container to shake the garlic until the skins loosen. Here’s how to do it:

1. Begin by separating the cloves from the bulb and trimming off the hard ends of each clove.
2. Place the cloves in a clean, dry jar or container. You can use a mason jar, a plastic container with a tight-fitting lid, or any other jar or container that is big enough to hold the cloves and has a lid.
3. Close the lid tightly and shake the jar vigorously for 15-30 seconds. You’ll want to make sure the cloves are hitting the sides of the jar or container as you shake to help loosen the skins.
4. Open the lid and check the garlic. The skins should be loosened, and you should be able to easily remove them by pulling them away from the cloves.
5. If the skins are not fully loosened, you can repeat the process by shaking the jar again for another 15-30 seconds.

Follow the below tips the ensure the best outcome:

• Use a container with a tight-fitting lid to prevent the garlic from escaping as you shake.
• To make it easier to remove the skins, trim off the hard ends of the cloves before placing them in the jar.
• Don’t overload the jar – make sure there’s enough space for the cloves to move around and hit the sides of the jar as you shake.
• If you’re peeling a large quantity of garlic, you may need to do this in batches to avoid overcrowding the container.

If you want to know more about garlic, check out these articles!

• How Many Tablespoons Are 4 Cloves Of Garlic
• How To Tell If Garlic Is Bad
• How To Make Garlic Bread

Press and Twist Method

This method is a popular way to peel garlic that involves using a knife or other hard surface to crush the garlic before twisting it to remove the skin. Here’s how to do it:

1. Begin by separating the cloves from the bulb.
2. Use the flat side of a chef’s knife or another hard surface, such as a cutting board or a mortar and pestle, to gently crush each clove. You don’t need to smash the garlic – just apply gentle pressure to loosen the skin.
3. Use your fingers to remove the papery outer layer from each clove.
4. To remove the thin, translucent skin that covers the clove itself, use your fingers to gently twist the clove. The skin should come off easily, leaving you with a peeled clove of garlic.

Try these techniques to make it easier:

• Use a knife with a flat blade to crush the garlic – this will help prevent the garlic from rolling around as you crush it.
• Be gentle when crushing the garlic – you don’t want to crush it too much, or you may end up with garlic pulp instead of a peeled clove.
• You may need to use the tip of a knife to help remove any stubborn pieces of skin.

The Boiling Method

This is a fast and easy way to remove garlic skins and a really popular peel-garlic trick. Here’s how to do it:

1. Begin by separating the cloves from the bulb and trimming off the hard ends of each clove.
2. Place the cloves in a pot of boiling water. Make sure the water is boiling before adding the garlic.
3. Boil the cloves for 30 seconds to 1 minute or until the skins have started to loosen.
4. Use a slotted spoon to remove the cloves from the boiling water and transfer them immediately to a bowl of cold water.
5. Let the cloves cool for a few minutes in the cold water, then use your fingers to gently pull the skins away from the garlic.

A few easy tricks to follow:

• Make sure the water is boiling before adding the garlic – this will help loosen the skins more quickly.
• Use a slotted spoon to remove the garlic from the boiling water – this will help prevent you from burning your fingers.
• Use cold water to stop the cooking process and make the garlic easier to handle.
• If you’re peeling a large quantity of garlic, you may need to do this in batches to avoid overcrowding the pot.

Want to discover more garlic recipes? Check out Homemade Garlic Bread or this delicious Garlic Chicken Wings Marinade.

FAQs

Wrapping It Up

There are so many ways to get the job of peeling garlic done, and I hope these tips and methods have offered you some good ideas. Happy cooking with your perfectly peeled garlic cloves!