Tips for Peeling, Chopping, and Mincing Garlic

To peel garlic quickly, place a large and wide knife (such as a chef's knife) over the garlic clove and hit it hard, but not too hard. The garlic should crack a bit, making it easy to remove the peel. If you're going to crush the garlic, hit it harder to smash the garlic, then remove the peel and continue mincing the crushed garlic.

Don't you hate it when the garlic sticks to the knife as you mince or chop? Try sprinkling a garlic clove with just a dash of salt before mincing. The salt absorbs a little of the liquid, so won't be as sticky.

Use a garlic press to mash or crush garlic, or put the cloves of garlic in a small food storage bag and pound with a meat mallet to mash or crush. The flat side of a chef's knife is another easy way to crush a clove of garlic.