How to Crush Garlic

At times, while cooking, you may run out of garlic paste when you need it, or a recipe you are using requires crushed garlic, instead. In such cases, you need to know how to crush a garlic clove. Given here are two methods to help you with the same.

Learning to crush garlic cloves with a garlic press is simple, but doing the same without one, requires some practice. However, it is not very difficult.

The first thing that you have to do is clean a clove of garlic and place it on a chopping board. It's better to use a plastic board, instead of a wooden one, because the latter will absorb the flavor of the garlic.

Next, place the flat end of a chopping knife on the clove and press it hard, using your palm. This will release the skin of the clove, easily. If the skin does not come off, then you may not have pressed it hard enough. Hence, repeat this process again, pressing the clove harder this time.

• After you remove the peel, start mincing the clove with the sharp edge of the knife. Do not worry about the size of the pieces, continue to chop it.

• Once you are done, sprinkle some salt on the chopped pieces, as it will absorb the excess moisture from the garlic. This will make it easier for you to crush it. Again, using the flat side of the chopping knife, gently press the garlic and make a paste out of it.
• You can now use this for any of your recipes.

Once you have mastered the above method, using a press for this purpose will be much simpler.

For this, you will need to:

• First, purchase a garlic press from any store.
• Take a clove of garlic, and either peel it using the above method or your hands.
• Next, place the clove inside the garlic press and squeeze it until the garlic is pushed out from the opening.

This process is very easy and takes very little time to perform. You may wonder why garlic needs to be crushed when it can simply be sliced and used while cooking, as this will require lesser time and effort.

The thing is, mincing or crushing garlic is better than slicing it, because by doing so, the cloves release more juice and oil. The more the oil and juice that is released, the stronger the flavor of the dish in which it is used.

Garlic also has several health benefits such as, containing anti-bacterial properties, lowering blood pressure, protecting the heart, aiding blood thinning, reducing cholesterol, and even regulating fat cells in the body to aid weight loss.

Now that you know how garlic cloves can be crushed, the next time you run out of garlic paste, you do not have to worry. All you have to do is follow these steps.