Tools for Garlic

Here is an overview of some handy kitchen tools: garlic roaster, peeler, press and the very popular Microplane grater.

Do you find garlic fussy to work with? I know I do! All those little bits of peel to take off and then chop, chop, chop and your hands end up smelling funny. Sometimes you can find frozen chopped garlic, but many times this doesn't have good flavor and can be expensive. The solution for me has been to find the right tools.

A garlic roaster can be a handy addition to the kitchen. Some of these you use in the oven, but you can also find small counter top units that allow you to roast about three cloves of garlic in less then an hour, all without over heating your kitchen. Roasting garlic mellows and sweetens it to spreadable perfection. You can even use roasted garlic in this aioli recipe for a different tasting sauce.

I saw a silicone garlic peeler advertised for the first time on French television several years back. It is really quite clever. You put the garlic inside and twist it a bit. The silicon holds on to the peel, but not the garlic, effectively stripping it.

Once you have it peeled, what you need is a high quality garlic press. All you do is put the peeled garlic in and squeeze a bit. Then you're ready to make your aioli sauce or whatever else is on the menu. Crushing garlic is a good way to bring out the full power of its flavors. Be sure to buy a high quality press that is easy to clean and ergonomically designed to require little hand pressure.

The Microplane Grater and Zester is one tool I see food bloggers and home cooks rave about over and over again. It does a positively dreamy job of grating garlic and is very easy to clean afterwards.

Now that you are equipped for dealing with garlic, why not try a recipe that will really put your tools to work. This garlic soup recipe calls for peeling three heads worth of garlic cloves. When you are done, wipe your hands on a stainless steel soap and rid yourself of the lingering odor.

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