How to Peel and Mince Garlic
How To Series Tip #3: How to Mince Garlic, and deal with those pesky peels.
Oh garlic, how I love thee.
Sometimes I’m tempted to put a few cloves in cupcakes or fudge. Then I refrain, knowing I might be eating (and enjoying) the whole batch all by myself.
Garlic, does however, have a prominent roll in most of the savory dishes I cook. It adds that extra depth of flavor that takes a flat boring dish to a new level.
I used to buy minced garlic in a jar, so I didn’t have to mess with those little papery peels that never want to come off the clove… then stick to your fingers.
But if you’ve ever done a garlic taste-test, there is no comparison in jarred garlic and freshly minced garlic.
Fresh always wins.
So I finally gave in to fresh garlic and all its glory. It’s most definitely worth taking the extra minute to peel and mince a clove yourself.
There are all sorts of contraptions to peel garlic and to mince garlic, that work rather well.
But today, I’m going to discuss How to Mince Garlic using only your knife.
How To Mince Garlic
The best way to peel garlic without a special tool, is the crush the cloves on your cutting board. The peel cracks and loosen around the clove, then usually slips right off.
First separate the clove from the head of garlic and lay it flattest-side-down on the cutting board.
Then place your largest knife one the clove, parallel to the cutting board.
Place the palm of your hand on the flat side of the knife, with your fingers up for safety. Raise your hand, and come down hard….
WHACK!
If you plan to mince the garlic, the harder you hit the better, because it crushes the clove so it won’t roll around when you chop it.
If you would like to keep your garlic clove whole, gently tap the clove, instead of whacking it.
You should now be able to easily remove the peel.
Hold the end of the clove, with your fingers curled back like a bear claw, and slice the crushed clove to flatten it out further.
Finally, place the palm of your hand on the tip of the knife (fingers up again) and rock the blade back and forth to mince the garlic into tiny pieces.
Done! After a little practice, this technique will probably only take you 30 seconds per clove.
I often mince several garlic cloves at once and it takes no time at all!
Have a special trick to get Garlic Odor off your hands? Share Below!
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An easy tutorial for a simple kitchen task. Well done, Sommer! Pinned. xo
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Great tutorial!! I throw minced garlic in…well…just about everything.
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Fresh is SO much better than the jarred stuff — so worth taking a few extra minutes to prepare it!
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I love it. Garlic makes nearly a daily appearance in my kitchen!
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The best way to get rid of the garlic odor is place your hands under cold water. Do not rub them, just let the water flow. Then dry your hands very carefully with a tablecloth, again do not rub them! Works for me 100% of times. Do the same to eliminate the odor from the knife!
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I buy garlic in bulk! I use lemon juice to help with the odor. A little squeeze and then wash away.
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I run cold water off the (stainless) knife that I used onto my hands to remove the odor.
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Rebecca {Foodie with Family} — February 6th, 2013 @ 1:32 pm
Amy’s right! Stainless steel rubbed over the surfaces of your hand under cool running water does the job every time. Works for onion, too. It’s strange but effective!
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Shaina — February 21st, 2013 @ 9:05 pm
Agree 100%
There is no substitute for fresh garlic. None. Great tutorial, Sommer!
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Such a great post!! I would love more just like it!
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I do it the same way as you. Love your tutorial. Nice pictures.
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I use garlic in everything, so I am definitely with you on the importance of learning how to mince it. Great tutorial.
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Great tips and I love the photos! I have that same Le Creuset crock in black.
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Great tips, this IS the best way to do it. I use lemon juice or rub my hands on stainless steel to get rid of the smell on my hands.
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This is my standard way to mince garlic, but lately I’ve gotten even lazier and started using my microplane to grate it. To get the smell off my hands? I don’t have a trick and weirdo me, I kinda like an occasional reminder of its tastiness.
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Rose — February 6th, 2013 @ 1:34 pm
I like to “cheat” with the microplane too.
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Love fresh garlic and this awesome tutorial. Greatj ob!
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Great tutorial–I think I’m going to have to direct people to this post when they mention buying the jarred kind!
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Beautiful step by step photos on this, Sommer. I have a post for this weekend on how to peel a ton of garlic at once and I’ll be sure to link to your great tutorial, too!
I mince so many garlic, onions and mushrooms throughout the week that I think people are beginning to believe the lingering scent is my perfume.
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This is so helpful! and the step-by-step photos are very clear on what to do next.
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You explained it perfectly! I think Rachael Ray’s show is where I heard this method for the first time and I’ve never gone back. GREAT tutorial!
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What a useful tutorial! I use garlic every single day.
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Of the ten bajillion things I bought at the grocery store today, I forgot garlic!
I too use it ALL the time in almost every savory dish I make. No odor trick here besides a good handwashin’!
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Fresh garlic is always the best!!
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This is exactly how I do it, except when I’m lazy and use a microplane. If you have a stainless steel sink, rub your hands on the side to remove the odor (works for onions, too). Great illustrations!
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Great tutorial! I’ll have to try it instead of the jar sometime
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I agree Sommer. Fresh (anything) is always worth the extra effort! This is how I do my garlic and I love it because you don’t need anything special but a knife and some aggression
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We just planted 30 pounds of garlic into our field. I I will be peeling and mincing a ton soon! Thanks for the tutorial!
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I saw someplace that if you soak the clove in water a little before peeling, you don’t have to deal with the sticky paper! I am tempted to try b/c even with this method, those darn papers seem to multiply and end up everywhere! Same with onions. Sheesh. Beautiful photos!!!
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Nice work! I kinda suck at mincing garlic but I’ve gotten better over the past few years.
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I use my mini food processor and whirl up a bunch of cloves and put them in the fridge in a little bowl in olive oil so I can use it all week.
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Great tutorial!
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Why would you want to get the garlic odor off of your hands?! I don’t mind it
Perhaps it’s just an Italian thing.
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Perenniallady — February 9th, 2013 @ 2:52 pm
I love it too. No, I’m not Italian, lol.
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It’s the only way to do it! So easy. There is no replacement for fresh garlic.. or onions, for that matter. Fresh is best!
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The other thing to do is crush and peel, then use the small grate on the Vidalia onion chop wizard. It works great, it’s fast as well. I go crazy with onions and garlic using the chopper. It’s also great for fresh veggies and toss them in the freezer. You’ll always have delicious onions, garlic, zuke, butternut squash, etc. Great gadget and it saves a ton of time. Do a lot at one time.
Putting the garlic in oil is a great idea. The oil is so good to dip bread into.
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I have a garlic press but yeah, haven’t used it in years. I just prefer knife mincing like you do.
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Who would want to remove the smell of garlic?! Yum. And what a handy post!
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