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I've never been sure about this. It doesn't impact the taste or texture, as far as I can tell.

I'm talking about those little crushing tools that you put a clove of garlic in, and squeeze it like pliers, and it presses the garlic through little holes.

Should you peel the clove before you do this? Why or why not?

temporary_user_name
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  • I don't use one, but when I've seen people use them, they tend to collect the papery bit inside ... if yours doesn't, then you're going to want to peel ... if it does, I have no idea if it's better or not. – Joe Feb 08 '13 at 01:01
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    ...and if you hate peeling garlic, put it in microwave for 8-10 seconds on full power before peeling - peeling becomes a breeze. – SF. Feb 08 '13 at 09:06
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    An easy way to peel garlic is to put a wide knife flat on top of it, and, being careful of the sharp edge, bang it with the heel of your hand. That separates the peel from the garlic, and the peel just pulls away. – Pete Becker Feb 08 '13 at 15:34

2 Answers2

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You don't have to peel garlic before using a garlic press, but doing so lets you press more garlic before you have to clean out the skins and so forth. If you only need to press a clove or two, there is not a lot of reason to peel first, since you will just have to clean the press out once.

SAJ14SAJ
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    Not only that, but a little bit of the pressed garlic will get caught in the crumpled-up skin and end up being thrown away. It won't be a huge amount each time, but it adds up: if you press ten cloves you might end up wasting the equivalent of one small clove or so. – MT_Head Feb 09 '13 at 21:08
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It depends on the press being used. Some garlic presses, are designed with more room to allow space for the peel.

Chris Fleming
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