How to Peel Garlic

There’s nothing quite like fresh garlic. Fresh garlic bulbs can be found in the produce section of the grocery store. A bulb is typically made up of 10-16 cloves, and each clove is covered in a papery like skin.

If you don’t have a garlic peeler, you can easily remove the skin from garlic by following the directions below.

1. Pull a clove from the bulb and place it flat side down on a cutting board.

2. Press the clove firmly with the flat side of a heavy object, such as the bottom of a heavy pan or the flat side of a heavy chef’s knife ( be sure the sharp edge of the knife is pointed away from you).

3. The skin should break open so you can then remove it.

Be sure to cut away the woody end of the garlic clove where it was attached to the bulb before mincing or chopping.

You can also soak a clove of garlic in cold water for 5 minutes. This loosens the skin so that it can be peeled right off with your fingers.