peeling garlic

[slr]

I love my "bat", a stainless steel tool for tenderizing meat. A round heavy stainless disk with a center post _I_ fill in the space on bottom and make the center post a little longer, connected to the base. I use it for crushing garlic every day and for cracking the fresh hazelnuts I love with a bit of Shramsberg 71 percent chocolate!cost about 10,00

[syyphron]

awesome tip imma try it maybye toss out that hand roller lol

[SlowCookIt!84]

Nice! I wish i had a "bat" myself, that sounds useful. Personally, I use a simple method for peeling garlic. Put the side of the knife blade against the garlic and press down, splits the peel right off the bulb. If anyone has ever seen "Yan Can Cook" Martin Yan takes the side of a cleaver and slaps the garlic on the cutting board. Same concept, but I'm a little hesitant about swinging large knives in my kitchen...

[CM]

I have a bat, too, but it looks more like a 1/2-inch thick spatula. It's great for making thin slices of beef and chicken for breading and minutes steaks.

I have a few methods I use for garlic peeling, depending upon what tools are handy. For many years (this is going to sound primitive!) I used a heavy, round, smooth river rock that fit perfectly in the palm of my hand to crush the garlic. I've also used a mocajete or a mortar & pestle in a smiliar fashion, and that works well. The side of a knife or heavy cleaver will sometimes do. Or sometimes I pinch a clove between my thumb and forefinger and squeeze both ends together, crushing it, which usually makes the skin pop off for easier peeling. A food processor book I once had said you could just toss the garlic into the processor with the peels on and then they would be easier to separate, but I haven't used that method. I've got one of those garlic rollers but rarely use it because you can just roll the garlic on a cutting board with the palm of your hand for the same result.

It really depends upon the age of the garlic - as it gets older, it's easier to peel. I buy garlic by the string/strand and don't refrigerate it because I feel that the quality isn't as good when refrigerated. Sometimes, if the garlic is very new and the peel is stubborn, I run it under water before using the pinch method above.

[Clove]

Another way to peel garlic:
Cut the root end of the garlic clove, give the clove a frim tap with the side of a chef's knife to crack the peel, grab the "pointed" end of the garlic peel and tap the clove firmly on the cutting board.
The peeled clove will pop out.

[Cassie-Jane]

I have a garlic press but still I have trouble peeling the garlic,
Thank you

[Mariah-RoseCass]

A "Bat" sounds really cool. I would like to get one myself.

[Clove]

I have a garlic press but still I have trouble peeling the garlic,
Thank you

Did you try the "cut the root end and crack with the side of a knife, hold the end opposite the cut root and tap the clove firmly on the board" approach?

[Cassie-Jane]

Thanks Clove-that helped me alot
I was just going to make homemade garlic bread!

[Clove]

Thanks Clove-that helped me alot
I was just going to make homemade garlic bread!

CJ,

Glad it helped.

Here's a tip on classic Italian garlic bread.

• Slice crusty bread 3/4 - 1 inch slices
• Toast under broiler on on grill (you can just toast one side)
• Take a pealed clove of garlic and "sand" it on the toasted side
  • You can "sand" about 3 or 4 slices from each clove
• Drizzle the slices with extra virgin olive oil

This way you get the hint of garlic flavor without eating a mouth-full of garlic.