Looking for a cool kitchen hack? If you want to find an easy way to peel garlic, you’ve come to the right place. You can peel garlic swiftly and efficiently using a “water trick”. In this article, we’ll outline the nine steps you need to follow to get that peeling job done quickly. So let’s get started!
1. Get Ready to Peel Garlic Easily in 9 Steps with the Water Trick
1. Soak the cloves – Start by soaking the cloves in a bowl of hot water from the tap and let them sit for 5 to 10 minutes. You’ll see the skin start to pull away from the cloves.
2. Separate cloves – Take the garlic out of the water and separate any cloves that are stuck together.
3. Apply pressure – Put each clove between two fingers and apply pressure to the clove. The skin should easily come off.
4. Remove the skin – Peel the skin off each clove and discard it.
5. Slice the cloves – Slice each of the peeled cloves into thin pieces.
6. Crush the garlic – Place the garlic slices in a garlic press. Squeeze the handle to crush the garlic into paste.
7. Chop the garlic– Alternatively, chop the garlic with a sharp knife if you don‘t have a garlic press.
8.Store garlic paste or slices – Transfer the garlic paste or sliced garlic to a storage container and seal it tight.
9. Freeze the garlic – You can store garlic in the freezer for up to a few months. Chopped garlic can be stored in an ice cube tray and frozen.
2. Step 1: Gather Supplies
The first step in peeling garlic in the water trick is gathering everything you need. To do this trick, you will need:
- A bowl filled with cold water
- Garlic cloves
- A wide, shallow container
The bowl should be deep enough to submerge the garlic cloves while still leaving plenty of room for them to move about. A wide, shallow container is the second part of this step; it will be used to scoop and shake the garlic cloves around in the bowl.
Once everything is ready, the actual trick can begin. Make sure all the supplies are available before moving on to the next step.
3. Step 2: Separate Garlic Cloves
Now it is time to get to the messy and most time consuming step. Separating the garlic from the head can be tricky, so take your time here. There are several ways to do this. Here are the methods you can follow:
- Hand Separating – Using your fingers, carefully start to pull apart the individual cloves. It may take some practice, but it will get easier the more you do it. Make sure you hold each garlic head at the stem end.
- Knife Separating – You can also use a knife to help separate the cloves from the garlic head. Gently hold the garlic with your fingertips and slice each close in half using a sharp knife. This way is faster, but it takes some practice to perfect it.
Once you have separated the cloves, you should have a pile of individual garlic cloves. Now you are ready to move on to the next step in your cooking.
4. Step 3: Soak Garlic Cloves in Water
Now that you have prepped the garlic, it’s time to soak it in water. There are a few ways you can do this:
- Two to three cloves: fill a bowl with warm water and add garlic cloves. Let it soak for 10 minutes.
- More than three cloves: fill a pot with water and place garlic cloves in the pot. Bring it to a low simmer, and turn off the heat. Let it steep for 10 minutes.
This method serves several purposes. It hydrates the garlic to ensure even cooking. And the most important part: it makes it easier to peel off the skin. As the cloves soak, their skin will start lifting off. At this point, simply pop the garlic out – the cloves should come right off.
You can now move on to the cooking process.
5. Step 4: Use a Stable Cutting Board
Now it’s time to use a cutting board. For this trick to work, it has to be stable and on a flat surface. When you have a stable board, follow these steps:
- Place the garlic cloves on the board and press them down with the palm of your hand.
- Using a sharp knife, cut each clove in half.
- Take one clove in each hand and press it lightly on the board.
- Using the same knife, rub the garlic clove in circular motion in a very gentle way.
After a few rubs, you will see that the skin has started to come off. Now repeat these steps for all the remaining cloves and you are done!
6. Step 5: Slice off the Top of the Clove
Now that you’ve got the cloves out, slice off the top portion. Grab the top part of the clove and carefully use a knife to remove the tip. This will expose the lovely garlic pieces that lie beneath the parchment-like skin without ruining them.
- Be careful, go slowly and make sure you’re in full control.
- Don’t push too hard; a light pressure should do the job just fine.
You can adjust the lengths of the cloves by slicing off the top as much as you want — use a knife to do it as much as possible. Once done, you should be able to break apart the garlic paper/skin into its individual cloves effortlessly.
7. Step 6: Put the Clove Under Running Water
Clinging to the paper skin of the garlic head, the seemingly impenetrable cloves must be broken free next. Hold the garlic firmly below the cut surface of the cloves and use your other hand to push one side of a clove with your thumb. It should make a split in the center and then you can easily pull and pry the hull away.
The skin should then be loose and easily removable with just one gentle tug with your elbow. However, if it’s still clinging on you should give your clove a thorough rinse in cold water.
Here’s how to do it:
- Take the clove and place it under cold running water.
- Let the water hit the clove from different angles.
- Continue this for a few seconds and the skin should separate from the clove.
- Allow the clove to air dry.
When you’re done, the clove should now be skinless and ready for the next step in your garlic peeling journey!
8. Step 7: Peel Away the Skin
The next step involves removing the skin of the garlic clove. With your hands, begin to lightly massage the garlic clove. Then, you can begin to use your fingertips to peel away the skin. Use a light touch as too much pressure can mash the garlic clove.
Here are some tips to help you with this step:
- Try placing the garlic clove flat on the chopping board and roll it to loosen the skin.
- Use a paring knife to scrape off any pieces of skin the cling to the clove
- If you have trouble peeling the garlic skin, try soaking the clove in warm water for a few minutes
Once you’ve peeled away the skin, you can use the garlic clove for whatever recipe you’re cooking up!
9. Step 8: Make Sure to Remove All Skin
Now that you’ve broken the garlic into pieces, the skin needs to be removed. There are two methods that work in this step.
- Method 1: Pick off the skin with your fingers. You can use a paring knife to peel off any stubborn pieces.
- Method 2: Put the pieces of garlic into a bowl of cold water, and leave for a few minutes. When you come back, you should be able to remove the skin with ease – it will have softened.
Be careful not to lose any of the garlic whilst you are peeling it! Make sure to place the skin onto a paper towel or into a garbage bowl. You’re almost done now!
10. Step 9: Enjoy Easily-Prepared Garlic Cloves
You made it to the last step! Now you can enjoy your delicious, easy-to-prepare garlic cloves. This very simple trick gives you a fast and efficient way to peel the garlic, without worrying about any mess in the kitchen. You can use these now-bare cloves to cook for a tasty meal. Here’s what you need to remember when enjoying the garlic.
- Mash the cloves – Mash up the garlic cloves with a knife to make them into a paste. They can easily be blended into stews, gravies, and sauces.
- Cook them – You can use the peeled garlic in any number of ways. Saute, roast, or even use in a soup. Regardless of how you choose to use them, simply cooking them with some oil will bring out the flavor of the garlic.
- Season the cloves – For some extra flavor, you can season the garlic cloves with some herbs and spices. This perk up any dish you decide to make.
And don’t forget to enjoy the peeled garlic. It’s a good source of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
If you needed any additional convincing for the water trick, hopefully you now know how easy it is to peel garlic using this method! No matter how you feel about garlic, this easy process for peeling garlic makes it easier than ever to use fresh garlic for all your cooking needs.