Comments on: Your garlic-related life will be forever changed

Your garlic-related life will be forever changed

DoctorFedora — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 23:13:34 -0800

How to easily peel a whole bulb of garlic in ten seconds [single-link vimeo]

By: pianoboy

pianoboy — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 23:18:37 -0800

I can't wait to try this. I cook with garlic a lot, and hate peeling it.

By: Ad hominem

Ad hominem — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 23:21:27 -0800

That was very cool. I am tempted to go try it right now. Now I gotta figure out how to casually use this trick to peel garlic when I have guests over as to impress the shit out of them with my garlic peeling skills.

By: DoctorFedora

DoctorFedora — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 23:22:07 -0800

My first thought after seeing this, to be honest, was "how many bulbs could I peel at once this way?"

By: hurdy gurdy girl

hurdy gurdy girl — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 23:22:44 -0800

Dude! That did not look like it was going to work. But it did! Now I want to try it. (I hate peeling garlic too.)

By: pracowity

pracowity — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 23:23:43 -0800

It was the best of times... whoa, easy there, chief... it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom... hey, stop the shaking already... it was the age of foolishness... alright already, I'm peeling, I'm peeling!

By: vorfeed

vorfeed — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 23:25:20 -0800

Now I gotta figure out how to casually use this trick to peel garlic when I have guests over as to impress the shit out of them with my garlic peeling skills. *Ad hominem leans casually against the counter* "Hey guys, let's make garlic bread!" "Wow, yeah, let's--" BONK GABONK ABONK GABONK GABONKA "Done! And in a jiffy!" *Ad hominem's teeth sparkle*

By: Ad hominem

Ad hominem — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 23:28:18 -0800

I sometimes make steamed string beans with olive oil and garlic. I heat the oil to just below the smoke point and dump in whole cloves, wait for them to get golden brown and dump the mess on steamed string beans. This trick made that recipe much much easier. *Ad hominem leans casually against the counter* That sounds like a plan I've already decided I am going to somehow use a martini shaker instead.

By: twoleftfeet

twoleftfeet — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 23:29:57 -0800

By: Webnym

Webnym — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 23:36:52 -0800

Poulet aux quarante gousses d'ail three times this week (maybe pork one of those) if the cloves don't get all squished, even if it takes twenty seconds.

By: wuwei

wuwei — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 23:38:31 -0800

Yes!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you!!!!!!!! I cook with garlic regularly and peeling it sucks up so much of my time I sometimes add less garlic because I don't want to have to peel it!!!!!

By: Webnym

Webnym — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 23:41:22 -0800

I could eat it, twoleftfeet. I actually use sixty to a hundred cloves anyway when i make that, twenty heads would only be four or five times as much--- roasted whole garlic is very different from chopped and sauteed

By: Mister Cheese

Mister Cheese — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 23:44:33 -0800

I can't help but wonder if this was adapted from some industrial garlic peeling process, or if this process was adapted to industrial garlic peeling and is not commonly known. Hmmm...

By: twoleftfeet

twoleftfeet — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 23:47:35 -0800

I actually use sixty to a hundred cloves anyway when i make that I'm willing to bet that you haven't seen any vampires lately.

By: Trivia Newton John

Trivia Newton John — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 00:02:35 -0800

How to easily induce anal leakage in your cat in under 10 seconds.

By: Webnym

Webnym — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 00:04:03 -0800

twoleftfeet: "I actually use sixty to a hundred cloves anyway when i make that I'm willing to bet that you haven't seen any vampires lately." Nah, really. Garlic is very different when it hasn't been chopped up (I bet someone around here can explain the chemistry of it: I could but it would take some looking though some books first). Haven't you had whole roasted heads, where you just squeeze the clove onto some bread? Yum-nom-nom! (I'm getting real hungry)

By: GeckoDundee

GeckoDundee — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 00:09:21 -0800

I thought I had a recipe called "chicken with 200 cloves of garlic"* but all I can find is Keith Floyd's recipe which calls for 1kg of garlic for one bird. (One pound of peeled garlic roasted inside the chook and the other unpeeled pound roasted on the outside.) *The hyperbole is implied, but I remember it as using more or less the same quantity as Floyd's recipe.

By: zardoz

zardoz — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 00:09:35 -0800

I'm at work so didn't hear the audio...are the two gigantic metal bowls necessary to do this? Will my tiny plastic bowls suffice? Very cool technique.

By: From Bklyn

From Bklyn — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 00:18:30 -0800

just a note, don't try with tomatoes.

By: dibblda

dibblda — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 00:28:14 -0800

How to easily induce anal leakage in your cat in under 10 seconds. You put your cat in the bowl?

By: benzenedream

benzenedream — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 00:29:05 -0800

I always used the knife method to smash garlic but this looks much more scalable.

By: chortly

chortly — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 00:29:27 -0800

Metafilter: BONK GABONK ABONK GABONK GABONKA

By: FrereKhan

FrereKhan — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 00:40:29 -0800

I'd like to hear confirmation that this works as well as it looks on "TV"...

By: Nattie

Nattie — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 00:44:55 -0800

WHAT THE FUCK

By: hal_c_on

hal_c_on — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 00:47:36 -0800

This dude makes my life so much better

By: Ad hominem

Ad hominem — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 01:03:35 -0800

I don't like using the knife method if I need whole cloves. It may be just me, but I think crushing changes the flavor. If I need whole cloves they gotta be uncrushed.

By: tumid dahlia

tumid dahlia — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 01:37:21 -0800

That's not true! That's impossible!

By: teppic

teppic — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 01:38:09 -0800

I just tried this. It did not work.

By: evil_esto

evil_esto — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 01:43:01 -0800

OK, I watched this and put on my sneakers and walked round to my local posh grocer. Purchased 2 types of garlic: "Australian Gold" (quite large cloves sold loose, not in a bulb) and something unnamed that was a smallish bulb and quite purple. At home I added about half a bulb of regular garlic I already had. Followed the method as described in the video and these are my results... It worked perfectly on the 'Australian Gold' and the regular garlic I already had. Spectacular. The little purple garlic, not so much. Even after 2 goes. (This garlic was very tight and also felt quite damp and sticky when I broke up the cloves... maybe not ripe or something?)

By: DoctorFedora

DoctorFedora — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 01:46:44 -0800

It does look like he gives the garlic a good solid smash before he starts, presumably loosening the skin a bit to begin with.

By: pracowity

pracowity — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 02:02:45 -0800

OK, everybody go try this and report back on the results. *waits*

By: ZaneJ.

ZaneJ. — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 02:07:41 -0800

What he doesn't say is that this would not work with almost every hardneck variety of garlic. Their inner-most skin is very durable, most, and sticky. Hardnecks, by the way, are the best albeit a shorter shelf life.

By: progosk

progosk — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 02:13:24 -0800

The head of garlic needs to be not-fresh for this to work, with the cloves' skins sufficiently dry to just crackle away. Mind you, garlic is at its most delicious when cooked un peeled.

By: Elmore

Elmore — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 02:20:45 -0800

I like garlic. My sister's husband made dinner for us once, but he interpreted 6 cloves of garlic in the recipe as 6 bulbs of garlic.

By: Goofyy

Goofyy — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 02:30:43 -0800

Am I the only one that gets sick if I'm around cooking garlic on an empty stomach? Especially bad if browning it in oil.

By: halogen

halogen — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 02:35:56 -0800

Did nothing for my regular, white garlic. I blame it on the IKEA stainless steel bowls. Damn you, Ingvar, ruining my day yet again!

By: Cerulean

Cerulean — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 02:36:36 -0800

This method does not work for bananas.

By: obiwanwasabi

obiwanwasabi — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 02:44:12 -0800

Beard? Check. ARE YOU A WIZARD

By: ZaneJ.

ZaneJ. — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 02:44:30 -0800

This method does not work for eggs.

By: DangerIsMyMiddleName

DangerIsMyMiddleName — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 02:49:11 -0800

Tried it. Works insanely well - to the point I'm actually quite upset no one told me this before. They should teach this in school.

By: cilantro

cilantro — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 02:51:20 -0800

Didn't work for me, using very dry papery garlic- seriously, the clove skin pretty much rubs off with the barest brush of my finger, but shaking in two bowls did nothing at all. Weird.

By: hat_eater

hat_eater — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 02:57:03 -0800

USE THE FORCE LUKE

By: ninazer0

ninazer0 — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 02:57:41 -0800

I tried this with fresh new season garlic (don't know the variety) and had about a 50/50 success rate. I might have had a better rate but the noise from the metal bowls made me cross eyed and frightened the cat. I'll try it in plastic bowls next time.

By: SageLeVoid

SageLeVoid — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 03:04:01 -0800

Just tried it with two small glass bowl, on a bulb of smoked garlic, it worked ! This is magic.

By: tumid dahlia

tumid dahlia — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 03:05:05 -0800

This method did not work for Garlich, my Scottish neighbour.

By: Goofyy

Goofyy — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 03:05:42 -0800

Sounds lots easier than the method I use, involving a rubber tube, sold for the purpose. I got so sick of dealing with garlic peeling and chopping, I quit using fresh garlic.

By: tumid dahlia

tumid dahlia — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 03:10:03 -0800

But, yeah, this is going to very much depend on the kind of garlic you have going. For whatever reason the only garlic readily available over here is shitty flavourless Mexican garlic, with like a billion tiny cloves per bulb, and I guarantee it would not work. Good Greek or Australian garlic, with big cloves might work better. Purple garlic is too sticky and it would not work with that either.

By: Cerulean

Cerulean — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 03:10:41 -0800

This will aid me in my abundant use of garlic as a suppository.

By: tumid dahlia

tumid dahlia — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 03:13:24 -0800

...I quit using fresh garlic. I am very much the same, but god, jars of crushed garlic are just grim.

By: the noob

the noob — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 03:31:21 -0800

Doesn't this bruise the garlic? A chef I kitchen handed for used to put them in a bag and smack them on the counter top - same effect but he said it changed the flavour.

By: DoctorFedora

DoctorFedora — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 03:46:14 -0800

My results were quite good, though I also pressed the head onto the table first with my palm (basically until the crackling stopped). Fairly small bowls, too.

By: Akke

Akke — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 03:59:16 -0800

You could use a cocktail shaker and enjoy a garlic Margarita after dinner.

By: Dysk

Dysk — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 04:10:50 -0800

The garlic I buy does not have skin as obviously loose and falling off as his cloves do. Sure enough, it didn't work. I guess what I get is fresher? The peel sticks pretty determinedly to the cloves, and doesn't even loosen effectively when the clove is smashed with the flat of a knife...

By: Splunge

Splunge — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 04:25:37 -0800

Goofyy: "Am I the only one that gets sick if I'm around cooking garlic on an empty stomach? Especially bad if browning it in oil." I'm the exact opposite. When I was younger three generations of my family lived together in an illegal 2 family house. My brother and I slept in the attic, my parents on the converted second floor and my grandparents on the ground floor. There was a stairwell that went right through the middle of the house. Sundays my alarm clock was my grandmother sauteing garlic for sauce at 7:00 AM. To this day the smell of garlic in hot oil brings me tears of joy.

By: Splunge

Splunge — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 04:28:04 -0800

P.S. The Chemistry of Garlic.

By: orme

orme — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 04:32:45 -0800

I got my hand stuck in the bowls and now it's all flayed and shit. Also, it smells like garlic.

By: Thorzdad

Thorzdad — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 04:36:40 -0800

Oh, I am SO trying this today. We use so much garlic, Gilroy is thinking of putting a statue up in our honor. Anyone know if you absolutely need to use two large bowls like that? Or would any sealed container work? Like a very large Tupperware bowl? Or is the full, spherical effect of the two bowls key to this working?

By: TheWhiteSkull

TheWhiteSkull — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 04:39:11 -0800

How to easily induce anal leakage in your cat in under 10 seconds. You really shouldn't feed your cat that much garlic. It's not good for him.

By: Trivia Newton John

Trivia Newton John — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 04:48:06 -0800

Oh WhiteSkull, you don't feed it to the cat to get the flavour in the carcass...

By: leslies

leslies — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 04:48:18 -0800

Was planning to make garlic confit in the next day or so and peeling 3 cups of cloves to make it is really tedious so hope this works!

By: FrereKhan

FrereKhan — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 04:51:46 -0800

Did not work on my cat, Garfield.

By: theredpen

theredpen — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 05:01:11 -0800

Not only with I be trying this in full view of my family tonight, but I will make sure the background music I use sounds like it came from The Sting. I think that's the actual secret.

By: motty

motty — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 05:13:16 -0800

Did not work for me.

By: roomthreeseventeen

roomthreeseventeen — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 05:16:38 -0800

I don't think this is going to work for me. I do not have giant man hands, and I have almost no counterspace.

By: tumid dahlia

tumid dahlia — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 05:21:22 -0800

I do not have giant man hands In that case I have an idea for a new kitchen utensil - the Giant Wooden Man-Hand. Crushing an entire bulb of garlic before putting it in two bowls? It's no problem with the Giant Wooden Man-Hand! Order today and we'll send you a SECOND Giant Wooden Man-Hand FREE! Keep one at home, and one at the office! Clap them together at parties! You'll be astounded by the hundreds of different uses for the Giant Wooden Man-Hand! What's the sound of one Giant Wooden Man-Hand clapping? The answer is DELICIOUS!

By: ook

ook — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 05:22:27 -0800

I love the expression on his face while he's shaking it. My method has always been to put an unpeeled clove in the palm of my hand and then just rub my hands together quickly -- quick and consistent for individual cloves, but I'll be curious to try this for a whole bulb...

By: radiobishop

radiobishop — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 05:24:20 -0800

I just tried it and it worked surprisingly well with just six cloves and two small bowls. I feel like I just acquired a new superpower.

By: joshwa

joshwa — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 05:27:56 -0800

My method lately is to take the cloves and gently (but firmly) press them against the cutting board while applying some flexion to the clove, rolling it around to apply the pressure to most of the surface of the garlic. The flexion plus the pressure do an awesome job of separating the skin from the garlic. My second trick: after loosening the skin, dampen your hands slightly and firmly roll the clove back and forth between your open hands. Skin comes right off. (also: hey, I know that guy. 'Sup, Todd.)

By: Quietgal

Quietgal — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 05:28:15 -0800

Holy cow, this is awesome! I tried it using purple-skinned hardneck garlic and a plastic bowl and it worked! I had to shake longer than 10 seconds, but big deal. Also, the garlic head did not split apart when I slammed it on the counter so I pulled the cloves apart but that didn't take very long at all. I always wondered how those huge bags of peeled garlic cloves were processed, and now I feel better knowing it can be done without the tiny patient hands of underpaid Third World children. DoctorFedora, you have found the best of the best of the web!

By: backseatpilot

backseatpilot — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 05:29:39 -0800

garlic Margarita You guys are missing out on the important thing that this sounds delicious and you should all go home and try that instead.

By: aught

aught — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 05:31:24 -0800

Did not work on gars.

By: Cerulean

Cerulean — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 05:31:43 -0800

The garlic is nether peeled or unpeeled till you observe it.

By: The 10th Regiment of Foot

The 10th Regiment of Foot — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 05:32:18 -0800

garlic Margarita You guys are missing out on the important thing that this sounds delicious and you should all go home and try that instead. My breath is so bad noone will kiss me, but I'm so drunk I don't care!

By: seanmpuckett

seanmpuckett — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 05:32:36 -0800

It's hipster garlic, you can tell by the thin skin.

By: dprs75

dprs75 — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 05:32:39 -0800

This will only work with non-tight skinned garlic. Those you have to manually peel and can't slam peel.

By: joshwa

joshwa — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 05:33:15 -0800

(also, whoever was in charge of the overdubbing needs to have a an air-filled paper bag popped next to their ears)

By: Ella Fynoe

Ella Fynoe — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 05:37:51 -0800

Related trick that I happened to try yesterday: pomegranates are messy to peel, right? Wrong! Halve it, and pull it apart underwater in a large bowl. The seeds sink, and all the other bits float.

By: quoquo

quoquo — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 05:41:15 -0800

Rampant yet effective cooking procedures ftw. Here's a really fast way to open a pack of spaghettis.

By: Edogy

Edogy — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 05:46:23 -0800

Video 50 seconds too long.

By: Cerulean

Cerulean — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 05:46:45 -0800

Till now I didn't know there was a slow way to open spaghetti. All the more time I could have spent peeling garlic.

By: Patapsco Mike

Patapsco Mike — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 05:48:42 -0800

That's how I'd do it if I had someone else standing by in my kitchen to wash those two big bowls... As it stands, I'll stick to a whack with my big knife and a few seconds each to cut the root end off and slip off the skin. But could someone please make a ringtone out of that sound for me? And am I the only one who can smell garlic while watching that?

By: I am the Walrus

I am the Walrus — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 05:50:16 -0800

SageLeVoid: "Just tried it with two small glass bowl, on a bulb of smoked garlic, it worked !" But you missed the best part, the sound! No BONK GABONK ABONK GABONK GABONKA. I imagine yours was more TINK TATINK ATINK TATINK TATINKA

By: Mr. Bad Example

Mr. Bad Example — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 05:52:41 -0800

That's not true! That's impossible! Search your ~~feelings~~ metal bowl. You know it to be true.

By: zeoslap

zeoslap — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 05:54:54 -0800

We have a little rubber tube that you put a clove in roll et voila peeled garlic. Works really well.

By: Mr. Bad Example

Mr. Bad Example — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 05:55:32 -0800

(Also, you shouldn't feed garlic to your cat. It can cause hemolytic anemia, which is nasty.)

By: p3t3

p3t3 — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 05:58:21 -0800

This looks fun to try in front of guests if only to see their looks of "Oh shit, he's gone insane beating the shit out of that garlic with his bare hands."

By: aramaic

aramaic — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 06:15:00 -0800

OK, this is why I buy those bags of flash-frozen pre-peeled garlic from Costco. In ten seconds I can have five pounds of peeled garlic with only a slight crinkling sound. Stealthy! ...mildly subpar garlic, granted. But still.

By: arcticwoman

arcticwoman — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 06:29:02 -0800

I've used this trick before - in fact I am reasonably sure I learned about it on Metafilter maybe a year ago. It works like gangbusters (who do, in fact, work very efficiently). I don't actually have two stainless steel bowls of the same size, so it's a bit more trouble for me than for him, but I think in the interests of peeling garlic I should invest in some more bowls.

By: permafrost

permafrost — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 06:34:22 -0800

I like the gritted-teeth expression he has on when he shakes the bowls, like he knows that once in every 10,000,000 times you do this the garlic will achieve critical mass and leave him a smoking deliciously-scented husk.

By: obscurator

obscurator — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 06:38:00 -0800

HULK SEASON!

By: supercres

supercres — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 06:41:45 -0800

That guy is my new favorite person. Though the time savings are not really worth dirtying two bowls for me. But I hate washing dishes.

By: Ideefixe

Ideefixe — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 06:53:30 -0800

You can whack the garlic with just about anything to break up the bulb--cutting board, etc.. I use a little wooden implement shaped like a mushroom.

By: XQUZYPHYR

XQUZYPHYR — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 06:56:27 -0800

This method does not work for newborn infants.

By: Cerulean

Cerulean — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 06:57:35 -0800

^ Speaking of cutting boards, don't you hate when wooden ones stink of garlic long after you have done your chopping??!?!? Scrubbing with some course salt and a dab of water will remove it quickly.

By: odinsdream

odinsdream — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 06:59:30 -0800

Though the time savings are not really worth dirtying two bowls for me. But I hate washing dishes. What an odd definition of dirty.

By: device55

device55 — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 07:03:14 -0800

I just tried this technique and it worked really well. There about four cloves left that refused to be peeled. Obviously they are the strongest and should be left to breed future generations of super garlic.

By: qxntpqbbbqxl

qxntpqbbbqxl — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 07:04:02 -0800

Just tried it and it did work, but I had to shake really violently for about 30 seconds.

By: Lyn Never

Lyn Never — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 07:05:19 -0800

If I don't want it at all smashed with a knife, I generally peel garlic by rubbing each clove in a rubber jar-opener (like this, also sold in a garlic-specific format) Alton Brown stylee. This is flashier, but also runs the risk of having to stop cooking in order to vacuum the kitchen and your feet and the path you walked to get the vacuum cleaner.

By: odinsdream

odinsdream — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 07:06:04 -0800

Obviously they are the strongest and should be left to breed future generations of super garlic. The Strongest M&M

By: mrgroweler

mrgroweler — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 07:06:10 -0800

One tip I learned long ago is if you don't like the smell of Garlic on your hands rub them in a stainless steel sink and it gets rid of the perceived smell. (Why one would dislike the smell is crazy but it does work). I can't wait to try this.

By: Turkey Glue

Turkey Glue — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 07:09:57 -0800

One quibble: You do not shake the dickens out of the garlic. Clearly, you shake the shit out of it.

By: Turkey Glue

Turkey Glue — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 07:11:35 -0800

Also, it would be really fun to not warn your dinner guests that you'll get mad at the garlic ahead of time. "You clove-havin' son of a BITCH!"

By: R343L

R343L — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 07:13:50 -0800

mrgrowler: rubbing your hands on a stainless sink also seems to work for chile oil which is of more obvious use.

By: Eideteker

Eideteker — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 07:20:04 -0800

Where are you people getting garlic that is not already peeled? Is this something I'd need to have time to visit a grocery store/not live in a food desert (almost typoed 'dessert' lol) to understand?

By: The 10th Regiment of Foot

The 10th Regiment of Foot — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 07:26:14 -0800

Metafilter: just tried it and it did work, but I had to shake really violently for about 30 seconds.

By: The 10th Regiment of Foot

The 10th Regiment of Foot — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 07:27:31 -0800

This method does not work for newborn infants. Shake harder!

By: mrgroweler

mrgroweler — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 07:27:31 -0800

R343L Really! I just made Hot Sauce 2 weeks ago and wish I had known that. Thanks. Though honestly we were basically in Hazmat suits anyway.

By: Decani

Decani — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 07:29:18 -0800

I hope this one actually works, unlike that damned "opening a corked bottle of wine with a shoe" thing, which absolutely will not work for me no matter how often I try it.

By: sardonyx

sardonyx — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 07:33:40 -0800

What an odd definition of dirty. posted by odinsdream at 6:59 AM on September 29 How are the bowls not dirty? They're covered in garlic juice and garlic skins. There's absolutely no way I'm putting those back in the cupboard as clean bowls. They need to be washed, hence I'm in agreement with the two previous posters who said, thanks but no thanks to extra dirty dishes.

By: brand-gnu

brand-gnu — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 07:33:49 -0800

I learned this years ago using a cocktail shaker. Thought this was common knowledge!

By: Kabanos

Kabanos — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 07:40:58 -0800

I don't have room for metal bowls that big in my kitchen, so I will wait until I can purchase the GarlicGabonker^TM on TV. because I'm sure it will fold to easily store under my bed.

By: ofthestrait

ofthestrait — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 07:44:55 -0800

No, you wouldn't put them back in the cupboard, but there's also no need to wash them down with a sponge and soap as if they were dirty. Just rinse it out with water. Boom. Clean.

By: schwa

schwa — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 07:45:52 -0800

If it doesn't work for you you're probably not shaking like the dickings

By: squeak

squeak — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 07:49:41 -0800

I was expecting a really big mallet and garlic juice everywhere. articwomen, I have the same problem, but you might be able to nestle one bowl in the other enough to prevent the cloves from flying from the bowl.

By: Mitheral

Mitheral — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 07:54:09 -0800

I can't get the video to load; can someone detail the technique?

By: squeak

squeak — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 07:58:09 -0800

Separate a bulb of garlic into individual cloves. Put the cloves into a stainless steel bowl then, take another bowl of the same size and invert it over the first. While holding the two bowls together give it a really good shake.

By: pharm

pharm — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 08:02:31 -0800

A cocktail shaker might work for smaller numbers of cloves.

By: Wolfdog

Wolfdog — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 08:04:06 -0800

Hey! I can peel this garlic in Ten. Seconds. Flat.

By: seanmpuckett

seanmpuckett — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 08:04:21 -0800

The critical move is blunt trauma to the cloves, loosening the skins. The rest is just show biz.

By: inigo2

inigo2 — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 08:08:47 -0800

Did not work on my cat, Garfield. something something lasagna

By: sardonyx

sardonyx — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 08:09:50 -0800

No, you wouldn't put them back in the cupboard, but there's also no need to wash them down with a sponge and soap as if they were dirty. Just rinse it out with water. Boom. Clean. posted by ofthestrait at 7:44 AM on September 29 Nope. That wouldn't count as clean around here. Garlic juice is sticky. I would never just rinse it and be done with it. (Mind you I don't use a sponge for dishes either.) This would definitely be a case for soap and water and a proper washing.

By: storybored

storybored — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 08:10:26 -0800

Metafilter: Shaking like the dickings

By: TheWhiteSkull

TheWhiteSkull — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 08:20:29 -0800

No, you wouldn't put them back in the cupboard, but there's also no need to wash them down with a sponge and soap as if they were dirty. Just rinse it out with water. Boom. Clean. That sounds like a recipe for garlic-flavored fruit salad.

By: spilon

spilon — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 08:23:42 -0800

I don't have two bowls.

By: night_train

night_train — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 08:27:58 -0800

I tried it in a small Tupperware thing with a lid. It worked on one of the 3 cloves. It probably would have worked on all 3 but my arm got tired.

By: any major dude

any major dude — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 08:39:42 -0800

I suspect askmefi will be inundated today with questions on how to get rid of garlic breath

By: Dr. Eigenvariable

Dr. Eigenvariable — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 08:48:15 -0800

This sounds very similar to the airhose and a coffee can peeling technique, which is how garlic is peeled industrially these days. Speaking of which, why not just buy jars of pre-peeled garlic?

By: straight

straight — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 08:49:09 -0800

How are the bowls not dirty? They're covered in garlic juice and garlic skins. There's absolutely no way I'm putting those back in the cupboard as clean bowls. Of course you don't put them back in the cupboard. Those bowls aren't dirty, they're seasoned. You use them later to toss the green salad.

By: metaxa

metaxa — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 08:49:49 -0800

Everyone is getting all uppity about the usage of 'Dickens'. The man said 'Wa-lah' at the end, FFS. 'Wa-lah'. Voila.

By: garlic

garlic — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 08:49:59 -0800

woah.

By: Slack-a-gogo

Slack-a-gogo — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 08:53:15 -0800

In the past few days I've watched live videos of Naked Raygun and the Foo Fighters, a Velvet Underground doc, and a ton of surfing clips, and yet the video I'm most excited about is of a guy peeling garlic. The younger me would have never guessed this day would come. I'm going to go watch it again.

By: Sys Rq

Sys Rq — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 08:53:47 -0800

So, like, this is great and all, but how often do you need a whole thing of garlic? You can just bash a single clove with the side of a big knife, and the skin comes right off. Everyone knows that. It takes a second.

By: Big_B

Big_B — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 09:02:53 -0800

If you only need a single clove you are doing it wrong.

By: chemoboy

chemoboy — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 09:04:09 -0800

You can just bash a single clove with the side of a big knife, and the skin comes right off. Everyone knows that. It takes a second. You must not have an awesome beard.

By: Stonestock Relentless

Stonestock Relentless — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 09:04:55 -0800

This works way better than my method that involves a rubber tube, six dice, an ironing board, a wheelchair, 40 feet of rope, an open window, and one of those small electric fans like you always see pointed at the driver on a city bus.

By: Sys Rq

Sys Rq — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 09:05:21 -0800

Yeah, but there aren't ten cloves per bulb. Bashing is still faster, and you don't muck up two bowls in the process.

By: Sys Rq

Sys Rq — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 09:06:16 -0800

(Er, that was a response to Big_B.)

By: Splunge

Splunge — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 09:09:32 -0800

qxntpqbbbqxl: "Just tried it and it did work, but I had to shake really violently for about 30 seconds." And then you put the garlic in the bowls?

By: Surfurrus

Surfurrus — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 09:11:47 -0800

You people are *funny*. I'm off to shake it up ... this better work.

By: MrFish

MrFish — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 09:20:53 -0800

Brings to mind the enjoyable Les Blank garlic documentary, Garlic is as Good as Ten Mothers (trailer here)

By: Decani

Decani — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 09:45:01 -0800

If you only need a single clove you are doing it wrong. posted by Big_B at 5:02 PM on September 29 This. I can't remember the last time I only used a single clove, even though I mostly cook for myself. Garlic is the breath of life. Kiss me, you fools.

By: Twicketface

Twicketface — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 09:47:57 -0800

I have a friend who told me that when he was starting to learn how to cook he decided to make chicken with 40 cloves of garlic. Except, being a novice cook, he thought that a "clove" was the same thing as a "bulb". He said that nobody could eat it. I did that once. With mashed potatoes instead of chicken. And didn't cook the garlic. It...didn't end well.

By: not_on_display

not_on_display — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 09:49:04 -0800

WHAT THE FUCK?!?! No, no, no, it cannot be this simple. Even if I try this and it works, I will not believe it.

By: Mr. Bad Example

Mr. Bad Example — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 09:50:25 -0800

Hey! I can peel this garlic in Ten. Seconds. Flat. Me too, but first I have to chill the garlic a bit so its temperature is a little lower than the ambient one. In fact, it needs to be about 20% cooler.

By: shakespeherian

shakespeherian — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 10:11:29 -0800

Speaking of which, why not just buy jars of pre-peeled garlic? Fresh garlic is yummier.

By: zombieflanders

zombieflanders — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 10:11:37 -0800

Sounds lots easier than the method I use, involving a rubber tube, sold for the purpose. I got so sick of dealing with garlic peeling and chopping, I quit using fresh garlic. The first sentence I was O_o, but then I was ಠ_ಠ.

By: I am the Walrus

I am the Walrus — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 10:13:53 -0800

sardonyx: "Nope. That wouldn't count as clean around here. Garlic juice is sticky." The juice really doesn't come out until you smash the cloves though. The peeled cloves have some stickiness, but not a lot.

By: magstheaxe

magstheaxe — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 10:46:32 -0800

Boy I wish vimeo wasn't blocked at work. Trying to deduce the video's contents from the comment thread has been like that story about three blind men and the elephant. Speaking of which, why not just buy jars of pre-peeled garlic? posted by Dr. Eigenvariable at 11:48 AM on September 29 Aaaaaand the terrorists have won.

By: aramaic

aramaic — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 11:03:41 -0800

Do not buy jars of peeled garlic, they're crap. Buy flash-frozen bags of peeled garlic. They're great. No nasty oils & crud mucking things up. Just individual cloves of garlic, in mass quantities, tidily peeled. Changed my goddamn life. (note: it is easy to change my <insert curse> life.)

By: Surfurrus

Surfurrus — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 11:09:28 -0800

Freeze your own bags of garlic?? (BTW, freeze fresh ginger, too, it is very easy to grate frozen!)

By: modernnomad

modernnomad — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 11:16:39 -0800

nice trick. i'm also amused how foodie hipsters, bears, and biker gangs are slowly morphing into one indistinguishable fashion sense.

By: Mizu

Mizu — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 11:17:21 -0800

But why does this work??

By: tr33hggr

tr33hggr — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 11:22:20 -0800

(BTW, freeze fresh ginger, too, it is very easy to grate frozen!) This is awesome. I've been using tons of fresh ginger AND garlic lately as we move into fall, and this is all just full of awesome. My kitchen just became much more fun!

By: Mister_A

Mister_A — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 11:26:18 -0800

Tried this with 7 discount canteloupes; did not work.

By: aramaic

aramaic — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 11:29:38 -0800

Tried this with 7 discount canteloupes; did not work. ...and now you've probably got Listeria. Discount fruit is minefield dude. A minefield.

By: darksasami

darksasami — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 11:46:53 -0800

I choose to operate under the assumption that you attempted this by singing "7 ... discount ... canteloupes!" and falling down a flight of stairs.

By: damo

damo — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 11:55:55 -0800

I just did this. I recommend using a sturdy pyrex-style glass bowl with a fitted lid. This way you don't get the same acoustics but OH MY GOD RIGHT IN FRONT OF MY EYES THE MIRACLES HAPPEN.

By: mr_crash_davis

mr_crash_davis — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 12:04:01 -0800

This is why this will be my next kitchen appliance purchase.

By: SemiSophos

SemiSophos — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 12:06:12 -0800

Did not work exactly as advertised.

By: odinsdream

odinsdream — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 12:13:17 -0800

Did not work exactly as advertised. See, it looks like you should have remembered to keep the lid on in Step 3. I love this thread.

By: Elsa

Elsa — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 12:41:14 -0800

Those bowls aren't dirty, they're seasoned. You use them later to toss the green salad. Yeah, this is what I was thinking: use the bowls to toss the salad or the pasta-with-sauce-and-cheese or to beat eggs for the frittata or to coat the cubed sweet potatoes in seasoned flour --- or whatever other savory thing I'd be doing for another course in the same meal. This will be a handy technique for evenings when I know I'll be using at least one big bowl anyway. And on other nights... You could use a cocktail shaker Holy cats, we even HAVE a spare shaker that we daren't keep in the bar. (Though it claims to be "stainless steel," it rusted around the edge the very first time we used it. It's too crappy to give to Goodwill and I'm too cheap and boardline-hoarding to throw it out.) I might just label it with a painted garlic clove and use it just for this.

By: tr33hggr

tr33hggr — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 13:10:17 -0800

Elsa, sell that shit on Etsy once you have it painted up. Cash money.

By: Pruitt-Igoe

Pruitt-Igoe — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 13:12:12 -0800

The ladies down at the Korean restaurant next door need to know about this. I've seen them peel maybe 1000 cloves by hand at a time (like a half-full laundry basket's worth). It takes forever and probably permanently stinks up their hands.

By: Curious Artificer

Curious Artificer — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 13:18:03 -0800

But does it work with hard-boiled eggs?!?

By: Zerowensboring

Zerowensboring — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 13:26:18 -0800

Tiny ceramic ramekins also work

By: Secret Life of Gravy

Secret Life of Gravy — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 13:36:30 -0800

Hmmmmm cream of Garlic soup.

By: obscurator

obscurator — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 13:45:49 -0800

Perhaps he learned this tecnique while traveling in Molvania.

By: mrbill

mrbill — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 13:51:44 -0800

Except, being a novice cook, he thought that a "clove" was the same thing as a "bulb". I did the exact same thing when my not-yet-wife suggested that I put some garlic in my ramen one night as we were talking online. Just one, though - not forty. She still laughed her ass off when she found out and told the story to people for years. I thought it was pretty intense, and actually ate it.

By: Nattie

Nattie — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 14:12:41 -0800

I'ma try this tonight except I'm going to scream real loud while shaking the bowls

By: bad grammar

bad grammar — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 14:15:47 -0800

This was not convincing in the least. I regularly peel garlic for cooking and I find the most effective peeling method is the rather scary expedient of whacking the cloves with the flat of a Chinese cleaver. It all depends on how fresh the garlic is and how much the skin sticks to the cloves. When I saw the guy bring out the two bowls, I thought that putting the garlic in one bowl and pressing the other bowl down on top of the cloves (in normal stacking position) might be a credible way to do it, but using heavier, glass or pottery, bowls.

By: DoctorFedora

DoctorFedora — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 14:24:54 -0800

It's important to note that when he smashes the head with his hand he's not just separating the cloves but also cracking the skins open, making the shaking more effective.

By: BlueHorse

BlueHorse — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 14:27:39 -0800

Goofyy: Am I the only one that gets sick if I'm around cooking garlic on an empty stomach? Especially bad if browning it in oil. I love garlic, but you aren't the only one that can't stand the smell on an empty stomach. Oddly enough, if onions are put in at the same time, it doesn't bother me. ...dirty bowls... Ick! Yes, the bowls are dirty. I don't know which is worse though--putting them back in the cupboard as is, rinsing, or USING A NASTY DISGUSTING SPONGE to clean them. At least the garlic has mild antiseptic properties, unlike the putrid sponge. People, please! Use white dishcloths and bleach during washing.* Thank you. *This cleanliness tip brought to you by BlueHorse.

By: motty

motty — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 15:21:12 -0800

Ok, fine, I'll try it again, and this time I'll punch the garlic out first as the bearded man advises.

By: backseatpilot

backseatpilot — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 15:22:53 -0800

Well, in the interests of SCIENCE!, I have returned home and made the garlic margarita. If you're playing along at home, here's the recipe: -Remove the skin of two garlic cloves using your cocktail shaker and the method above. (I had to rinse mine out afterwards to get the skin out, but it still smelled of garlic.) -Muddle one of the garlic cloves with a pinch of salt in the bottom of the shaker. Try to not to get the pieces so small that they fall through your strainer. -Standard margarita preparation from here on out - 3 parts tequila, 2 parts lime juice, 1 part triple sec. Shake with ice. -Rub the rim of your glass with the second garlic clove and plop it in the drink as a garnish. I wouldn't advise eating it afterwards. The taste... it's not too bad, actually. There's a sort of silkiness as you drink, and then you get the sharp garlic tang on the exhale. It's more subtle than I expected. I might try it with pickled garlic next time, or maybe make garlic-infused vodka.

By: theora55

theora55 — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 15:27:22 -0800

Once I've dumped out the papery skins, if the bowls look clean, they might, or might not, get a quick rinse. It's okay, you don't have to come over for dinner. I do put the sponges in the dishwasher when I run it. I don't know what I expected the video to be, but it wasn't at all what I expected. I enjoyed it immensely.

By: Mitheral

Mitheral — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 15:34:28 -0800

This sounds very similar to the airhose and a coffee can peeling technique, which is how garlic is peeled industrially these days. Speaking of which, why not just buy jars of pre-peeled garlic? I grow my own garlic. Which I guess is just stepping the question back one level but it is way cheaper than buying it and I can get hard neck which is sometimes unavailable locally. At least at any kind of reasonable price. There is no way I'm paying $10/lb for garlic I don't care how fancy it is. Also: I can't wait to try fresh garlic in ramen. Yum.

By: Orb

Orb — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 16:04:36 -0800

Thank you for posting this! I had a pile of garlic cloves sitting on the counter waiting to be peeled for dinner tonight. I was putting off peeling them, because I hate doing it. I tried glass bowls first, which worked but was terrifying (heavy and I'm a puny weakling). Then I tossed the rest in a plastic tub with a lid and shook like crazy ... and it worked perfectly! My cats are now completely freaking out. I didn't even use metal! It barely made any sound at all! Silly cats.

By: pemberkins

pemberkins — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 16:11:32 -0800

This seemed like an excellent excuse to make garlic bread tonight, so I tried it. It only worked on half the cloves, but I also failed to mash them with my hand before shaking. And I was shaking then in a little plastic tupperware container instead of a big ol' glass bowl. I guess I will just have to make more garlic bread to try again! Suffering for science, I tell you. Suffering for science.

By: anthill

anthill — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 16:27:28 -0800

OK, I'm frankly amazed that nobody has mentioned the microwave trick for peeling garlic. It's not A BONGA BOONK BOONK fun, and your garlic will be mildly steamed, but no other method is as neat.

By: 5_13_23_42_69_666

5_13_23_42_69_666 — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 16:39:41 -0800

I watched this while drinking last night, and decided that I would try it today. now I'm too hungover to bother, so I'm glad that a bunch of you guys have done so and reported back. (though, maybe garlic is some sort of magical hangover cure and I don't know about, and I should try anyway?)

By: stavrosthewonderchicken

stavrosthewonderchicken — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 16:39:43 -0800

I am going to become the new Garlic Messiah here in Korea with that trick. I'm not sure there was an old Garlic Messiah, but still.

By: Splunge

Splunge — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 17:06:27 -0800

As for ginger, as Alton Brown has spake: Truly fresh ginger has a very thin skin that can be eaten. If the skin is a darker brown and thick, it is easily peeled by scraping with a spoon. I use the spoon thing all the time. It scrapes of the skin without removing too much of the actual root. And you don't have to be careful. I wouldn't use two metal bowls. That would be a fragrant percussion instrument. But not a peeler.

By: Splunge

Splunge — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 17:20:15 -0800

5_13_23_42_69_666: "I watched this while drinking last night, and decided that I would try it today. now I'm too hungover to bother, so I'm glad that a bunch of you guys have done so and reported back. (though, maybe garlic is some sort of magical hangover cure and I don't know about, and I should try anyway?)" It actually works very well in a Bloody Mary. YMMV.

By: mrzarquon

mrzarquon — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 17:29:50 -0800

I just did this tonight. This is life changing.

By: mrzarquon

mrzarquon — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 17:43:15 -0800

> Well, in the interests of SCIENCE!, I have returned home and made the garlic margarita. If you're playing along at home, here's the recipe: You are really missing out for the potential use here. In a boston shaker / pint glass, split open 2 cloves as mentioned, rinse out the paper, muddle with salt, add vodka and bloody mary fixings. Roast other piece (or retrieve pre roasted garlic) and use as garnish, with pickled asparagus and banana pepper.

By: Splunge

Splunge — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 17:58:38 -0800

And please, pretty please, don't use pre-peeled garlic unless... there's no unless. Check the bulbs for green sprouts. Squeeze them. If they have any give at all they are old. Get the fresh stuff and live long, my garlicky friends.

By: 5_13_23_42_69_666

5_13_23_42_69_666 — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 18:03:41 -0800

It actually works very well in a Bloody Mary that does sound good, (but of course, I'm canadian, so it would have to be a ceasar) However, I am feeling better now, and I think that at this point it would no longer cound as a cure, and would actually just be starting drinking again. I'll have to remember it for next time though.

By: fake

fake — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 18:06:29 -0800

I couldn't make this work with the fairly dry garlic I have on hand.

By: lazaruslong

lazaruslong — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 18:07:13 -0800

Heh, funny to hear all the 40 cloves of garlic chicken horror stories. I made that for the first time from The Clueless Gourmet (Amaze yourself! Astound your friends! Cook a meal!) and as I recall it clarified that particular point. Great starter cookbook for culinary noobs like I was.

By: choppyes

choppyes — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 18:26:44 -0800

Am I only the person who doesn't keep two massive identical mixing bowls handy for shaking the dickens out of something?

By: Elsa

Elsa — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 18:35:18 -0800

Am I only the person who doesn't keep two massive identical mixing bowls handy for shaking the dickens out of something? I can't pretend that I always knew that's why I was keeping them around... but when you phrase it like that, well, I should have known.

By: krinklyfig

krinklyfig — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 19:49:22 -0800

And am I the only one who can smell garlic while watching that? I can smell garlic by reading this thread. I can practically taste it now. Will need to roast some when I get home.

By: Mister Moofoo

Mister Moofoo — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 20:04:01 -0800

Tried this just now. Question: Most of the cloves were sprouty and softish (I didn't really care), but one, and just one, was dry and hard as a stone. Why would that be?

By: islander

islander — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 20:14:23 -0800

It's not often that I need to have an entire head of garlic peeled in 10 seconds so I dug out the old stainless steel martini shaker, popped in half a dozen cloves then gave it a good shake. The results were fairly impressive in that only a couple of cloves retained some of their skins, which were easily removed by hand. Finding the martini shaker took way longer than 10 seconds though and now it has to be washed. I think I'll stick to the old whack 'em with the flat side of a knife technique for now.

By: axiom

axiom — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 20:20:38 -0800

That's a neat trick, but it definitely seems like there's a knee point K (somewhere around 5 or 6?) where if you need fewer than K cloves, you're better off with the knife-whack method, since you're using the knife anyway so you have to clean it no matter what.

By: Splunge

Splunge — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 21:02:11 -0800

Mister Moofoo: "Tried this just now. Question: Most of the cloves were sprouty and softish (I didn't really care), but one, and just one, was dry and hard as a stone. Why would that be?" It was different! Shun it!

By: maudlin

maudlin — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 21:03:52 -0800

I just went downstairs and surveyed my garlic, rejecting the tight and sticky purple bulb and choosing the somewhat flaky white one. I couldn't smack the bulb with enough force to separate the cloves, but it did come apart easily in my hands -- peeling three cloves instantly without any effort on my part. So I put the bowls away, put the peeled cloves in the fridge to add to breakfast, and grabbed a few strawberries, which actually tasted quite nice with a hint of garlic. Strawberry-garlic Margarita, anyone?

By: Splunge

Splunge — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 21:10:27 -0800

choppyes: "Am I only the person who doesn't keep two massive identical mixing bowls handy for shaking the dickens out of something?" So far, my friend, so far. But tomorrow is another day. Oh yes. There are bowls to buy and garlic to beat senseless. We are few now. But our numbers will swell, slowly, slowly. Until one day. ONE DAY, the sound of garlic being beaten like a read headed step child between two giant metal bowls will RING OUT!. And the world will know us. The world will know and FEAR US! The bangers of garlic. The people who no longer use garlic powder, when fresh will do! Because fresh is better. Fresh is better. Then we will find the users of pre-peeled garlic. Chopped garlic in jars with crappy oil. And we will put them up against the wall. And with our garlicky breath hot in their ear we will ask... Was it really worth it, dude? I mean... duh.

By: Splunge

Splunge — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 21:17:05 -0800

Sorry about that. It was the sulfenic acid and a little allicin talking.

By: Sys Rq

Sys Rq — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 21:59:27 -0800

How is little Allicin, by the way?

By: thinkpiece

thinkpiece — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 07:45:27 -0800

What would really be impressive is shaking the dickens out of the garlic, and then discovering chopped onions in the bowl.

By: The corpse in the library

The corpse in the library — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 18:25:04 -0800

There's more than one way to skin a cat but this is not one of them.

By: device55

device55 — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 22:21:40 -0800

I choose to operate under the assumption that you attempted this by singing "7 ... discount ... canteloupes!" and falling down a flight of stairs. Oh Metafilter. I love you because you remind me of the things I forgot to remember.

By: cider

cider — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 07:36:12 -0800

Except, being a novice cook, he thought that a "clove" was the same thing as a "bulb". My cousin was making some sort of casserole, and the recipe called for a cup of beef bouillon. She put in a cup of the powdered stuff, rather than making the broth first. You can imagine how that tasted...

By: The Whelk

The Whelk — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 09:30:56 -0800

This is literally going to change my life, thank you food wizard.

By: chara

chara — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 15:51:19 -0800

I tried this using two plastic rubbermaid containers. Worked like a charm. I think I freaked my roommate out a bit because I was so excited.

By: stavrosthewonderchicken

stavrosthewonderchicken — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 16:17:01 -0800

I am disappoint. Didn't work at all well with two steel bowls nearly identical to the ones used in the video, and garlic that was definitely old and dry enough that it should have. I guess Korean garlic is HARDCORE.

By: Staples

Staples — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 17:36:28 -0800

Fuck out of town garlic. If it's not local, you are not living. I'm not a 1 mile diet guy or anything, but just try a clove of organic garlic, especially if it's local. It's like a whole new world. Waay better flavor and you use less. Garlic in oil jarred is fine, just check the label to make sure it's not from China. Chinese garlic is just not half as good.

By: stavrosthewonderchicken

stavrosthewonderchicken — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 17:57:31 -0800

Fuck out of town garlic. If it's not local, you are not living. I'm not sure if that's directed at me, but I live in Korea, and can damn near see where the garlic I use is grown if I lean out my window.

By: baejoseph

baejoseph — Sun, 02 Oct 2011 08:59:39 -0800

@stavrosthewonderchicken as a fellow resident in Korea, I'm sorry to hear the trick doesn't work with the garlics here. I was kinda looking forward to teaching this trick to mum, who (like most Koreans) use a lot of garlic in her cookings.

By: DoctorFedora

DoctorFedora — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 00:06:49 -0800

Mr. T. Wonderchicken, I would recommend giving your garlic a bit of a pre-treatment by taking the whole head, putting it right-side-up on your counter, and just putting your palm on it and pressing around, cracking the skin. That made my Chinese-grown garlic (though I'm in Japan) work a charm with this trick.

By: Splunge

Splunge — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 16:27:31 -0800

Staples: "Fuck out of town garlic. If it's not local, you are not living. I'm not a 1 mile diet guy or anything, but just try a clove of organic garlic, especially if it's local. It's like a whole new world. Waay better flavor and you use less. Garlic in oil jarred is fine, just check the label to make sure it's not from China. Chinese garlic is just not half as good." Epony(we still do this?)sterical.

By: cmoj

cmoj — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 17:11:38 -0800

Report: Regular american white garlic. Not old but not straight from the ground either. It did nothing whatsoever and I failed to live Ad hominem's fantasy.

By: everichon

everichon — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 16:10:47 -0800

Smallish, white garlic purchased at Seven Oaks Farm: Totally worked as in the video.

By: mr_crash_davis

mr_crash_davis — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 09:06:36 -0800

I made pumpkin chili the other night, and this trick worked exactly as shown, even though I used plastic bowls instead of metal.

By: Elysum

Elysum — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 05:44:18 -0800

It just got easier to make 44-clove Garlic Soup a.k.a. a 44-clove ticket to a happier place! I can confirm this is delicious, so very, very delicious!

By: Secret Life of Gravy

Secret Life of Gravy — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 06:14:42 -0800

Oh how funny, Elysum, I was just looking through my recipe collection to plan out next week's menu and I found that recipe. It reminded me of this thread and I was coming here to see if anyone had posted that recipe yet. MmmmmmGarlic and cream.