How to Peel Garlic

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Peeling garlic seems to be something of a mystery to many cooks, as is the best way to use garlic flavor.

First things first: do not peel garlic at all if you do not intend to eat the cloves. If it's a sauce that is going to be strained, leave the garlic cloves whole. The skin has an excellent flavor.

To peel an individual clove, either press it with your thumb until it gives a little, or lay the flat of a knife blade on it and thump the blade with the side of your fist. In both cases the skin will fall away. To see this in action, watch my video How to Peel Garlic

To peel an entire head of garlic, cut the top off so that the tips of the cloves are exposed and microwave on high for about 20 seconds. The cloves will pop out of the skins with just a slight pressure from you.

And my final tip? Do not peel garlic at all unless you absolutely have to.