Peeling garlic cloves is not too difficult. There are different ways to properly peel garlic, depending on what kind of garlic clove you want: whole or chopped.
Step
Method 1 of 5: Peeling with a Knife
Step 1. Take a bulb of garlic and separate the clove
A clove is the small wedge-shaped part that makes up the whole "lum" of garlic. Just pull one of the cloves from the lump.
You can also remove the thin whites to make it easier
Step 2. Cut off the brown tops of the garlic
If there are hard, thin brown "shoots" on the garlic clove, slice it with a kitchen knife. This will make peeling a little easier, but it's not absolutely necessary, and some garlic cloves don't have a lot of shoots to remove.
You can also cut the clove in half. The skin will be easier to peel
Step 3. Place the cloves on the cutting board
Place it flat side down, so that the part of the clove closest to the center of the lump is away from you.
Step 4. Place the flat side of the knife on the clove and push it down steadily
You need to push it quickly and firmly with the heel of your hand. You will hear a light crunching sound. Remove the knife and the garlic skin has come off the clove.
Step 5. Peel off the skin and discard
You may need to practice a little to determine how much pressure you can apply, but once the knife is lifted, you will find the garlic peel coming off the clove immediately.
Step 6. Use the peeled cloves, either chopped or whole
The garlic cloves are now ready to be cooked.
Method 2 of 5: Peeling with Water
Step 1. Remove as many cloves of garlic from the clove as you need
Remove any easily removable skins before moving on to the next step.
Step 2. Soak the cloves in cold water for five minutes, making sure they are completely submerged
Put all the cloves in a container filled with water as high as 2.5-5 cm and let stand. The water will loosen the skin of the cloves. Use a metal shaker to stir the cloves and speed up the process of loosening the skin of the cloves.
Place all cloves in a closed or watertight container if possible. While the cloves will loosen when soaked, you can also shake the container to speed up the loosening of the garlic skins
Step 3. Remove the cloves from the water
Now the skin of the clove has loosened and is easy to remove by hand. Peel off the skin by tugging at the cloves, and trim the ends if the cloves are a bit difficult to remove.
Method 3 of 5: Microwave Peeling
Step 1. Remove the cloves you need from the lump
Do not put a whole lump of garlic in the microwave as this can damage it for days to come. Just remove the number of cloves you will be using at that time.
Step 2. Put the garlic in the microwave for 5-10 seconds
Place the garlic in a small dish, then heat briefly on high. You will see the garlic skin bulge and loosen.
Step 3. Peel off the remaining loose skin
Cut off the root tips with a knife and the skin of the clove will be easy to remove.
Method 4 of 5: Peeling by Shaking it
Step 1. Place a whole piece of garlic in a stainless steel bowl
This method works great for peeling a whole lump of garlic at a time. Remove any loose, loose skin that you can peel off by hand before starting this method.
Step 2. Cover the bowl with another similar stainless steel bowl
Place the bowls together, with the top side of the bowl facing the top of the other bowl, to form a larger 'lid' bowl.
Step 3. Hold the bottoms of the two bowls together and shake them
Shake the garlic in the bowl for 1-2 minutes, shaking vigorously.
Step 4. Open the bowl and remove the peels off the cloves
Now all that was in the bowl were the cloves of garlic that had fallen off the hunk, which were probably still covered in skin. Peel off the skin of the clove and the hard bottom of the garlic clove and throw it in the trash or mix it with compost. After that, close the bowl again.
Step 5. Keep shaking the bowl until all the skin is removed
You may have to peel the fine, thin skins off by hand, or use another method to peel the garlic cloves, such as soaking them in a stainless steel bowl filled with water. However, with sufficient shaking, most of the peel will come off on its own.
Method 5 of 5: Peeling with a Hammer
Step 1. Separate the cloves of garlic from the chunks
Remove the cloves you want from the chunks and place them on a cutting board.
Step 2. Place all the cloves evenly under a dry cloth
The cloth will prevent the garlic from falling off the table when you hit it. You can use any kitchen towel.
Step 3. Pound the cloves once or twice with a hammer
The peel will crack, making it easier for you to peel the skin off. This method is similar to the knife method, but it's easier to peel a large number of cloves at once.
You don't need to crush the cloves, just hit lightly but firmly to remove the skin
Step 4. Remove the cloves from the cracked outer shell
Remove the cloth and peel off any remaining skin. You may need to trim the ends of the cloves to fully remove the skin.
Tips
- If you don't want to use your fist to pound the knife, you can still use the knife method and crush the cloves with an object from a can in your kitchen.
- What makes garlic difficult to peel is the dry skin. Although the Water Peeling Method takes longer, it is much easier to do and most of the cloves will remain intact.
Warning
- Always be careful when using a knife.
- Do not use an unstable cutting board.
