The Worst Way To Peel Garlic Is Also One Of The Most Common Ways

Whether it's in quality or dollars, you always pay for convenience, a fact that's all too true when it comes to garlic. Pre-peeled garlic may be the easy way out, but it is diminished in both flavor and shelf life. If you're passionate about cooking and are intent on getting the best bang for your buck, there is no substitute for fresh garlic, but peeling garlic is both a test of endurance and patience. Even more aggravating, the smash and peel technique, a method recommended the most by seasoned cooks, is also the worst way to peel garlic.

Though you'll often see chefs on TV using the side of a sharp knife to smash and peel cloves of garlic, there's several reasons why this method has its drawbacks. After smashing, the skin can become embedded in the clove, and the juices released from the broken cell membranes make peeling an excessively sticky situation. Also, crushing the garlic releases alliin, which interacts with an enzyme called alliinase and converts into allicin — the compound responsible for the sharp and sometimes bitter flavor. If you're baking up a loaf of ultra flavorful garlic bread, smashed or finely minced garlic is perfect, but what if you want the clove intact?

If you plan ahead, you can peel garlic like you work at a restaurant by soaking it in warm water for several hours, which loosens the skin, but who has time for that? There are also several garlic peelers on the market, like this OXO silicone peeler, which are basically silicon tubes. But according to Alton Brown, these types of tools are "unitaskers" — a waste of money and valuable kitchen space (via NPR). What now? Don't lose hope, as there are a few other ways to peel garlic, and while they may not be 100% reliable, they do work most of the time.

Overall, Martha Stewart's method seems to be the most reliable. Simply place your unpeeled garlic into a jar, close the lid tightly, and shake it up for 15-30 seconds. Another hack is to hold the clove with both hands and gently twist until you feel a light crack — from there, the peel should come right off. Naturally, this method is more effective with longer cloves, and you have to be careful not to snap the whole clove in half. Finally, you can pop your cloves into the microwave for approximately 20 seconds and the peels will slide off, but keep in mind this method is cooking the clove, so the flavors will be a bit muted.