How do I chop garlic?!
How do I chop garlic?
My recipe calls for 3 whole fresh garlic cloves chopped.
Do I chop like an onion and peal if first?
Never used real garlic before....
Answers: some people just smash it and then cut it with a knife. I cut it like the way you mince an onion because I like small pieces. I slice it 3 times horizontally then 4 or 5 times vertically then I slice it....it makes a dice but very small. The smaller or more you mash it the stronger the taste, the larger the less, it depends on what you are making. Peel it first, you can cut the root end and peel it or some people smash it to break the peel. Source(s):
LOVE GARLIC use it every chance I get and don't have garlic breath either LOL place the clove on a cutting board, take a large butcher knife, place the flat side on top of the clove, then hit it hard with your hand, all the peel will come off and then you are left with only the cloves, those you then mince finely. I think they call it a knife Cut the ends off, rub off the flakey outer skin, then cover it with a broad bladed knife and whack it to crush it (that bit's optional actually). Then just cut it up into little squashed bits. It is easiest to take the whole garlic and break off the three cloves you will be using. Peal them down to the cream colored flesh. Then using a knife slice and then chop to the desired size. If you are mincing, smash first then chop until fine mince is obtained.
note: the garlic cloves make up the garlic bulb. I made a bad mistake one time and used a whole bulb when the recipe called for one clove 8( Real garlic comes garlic bud which has smaller sections known as cloves. Break 3 of these off the "mother bud". They have a papery looking "skin" on them . Peel this off each ( they will then be smooth to the touch)
On Cutting board --- chopped fine.
Secret: Buy the bottle of chopped fresh garlic at your grocer's . You will usually find it in the produce section.
Once opened it stores in refrig for several months. Take the cloves, cut the top & bottom off, crush it flat with the side of the knife, take skin off (loose by now), then slice and chop the flatened cloves. The easiest way to peel it is to lay the flat part of a big knife on the close and smash it down with the palm of your hand. Make sure you keep your fingers off the blade! The meat of the garlic will come right out, and then it's just a few chops to the consistency you want. Chop off the ends of a clove at a time.
Just peel off the outer layers of hard skin.
This inner meat should be white and hard.
Place on a bread plank and using the broad side of a thick knife, press hard on the cleaned clove.
It should squash under pressure.
Now smear the knife over it to spread out the crushed clove.
Do this with every clove and add the whole lot to your recipe Slice off the ends
Slice off the ends of a clove of unpeeled garlic.
Squash the garlic clove
Place the garlic clove on a chopping board, cover with a large knife then firmly hit once with your closed hand (make sure you've thoroughly squashed the garlic clove, if not give it another hit!)
Peel off the skin
Peel the skin off the squashed garlic clove. If you have squashed it properly the skin will come away easily.
Finely slice
Finely slice the peeled garlic and it will fall away into tiny pieces.
LOOK ΑΤ ΤHIS LINK IT HAS PHOTO"S!!!! All the above answers were good, so I'm not going to elaborate. I just had a tip for you. If you decide to use fresh garlic all the time, I would purchase a garlic press. You can buy one in the dollar store, or at Walmart. I use garlic all the time and the press gets used daily. You just peel the garlic and the press minces it for you. If you place the cloves on your cutting board and place the flat side of a big knife against them, then hit the flat part firmly with your hand, it will sort of crush the clove and you can easily separate the peel from the clove. Then you can chop the cloves finely. If you add a pinch of salt to the crushed cloves, you can chop them more easily because the salt will help the garlic not stick as much to the knife. Good luck, and good choice to use fresh ingredients! I like to substitute pressed garlic for chopped garlic, because it is easier to squeeze a garlic clove in a garlic press than to chop it with a knife. You can usually find a garlic press in your local grocery store.
There are many varieties of garlic. For example, elephant garlic has a hard outer skin that you need to remove. Other varieties have several dry layers that you don't want in your food.