Hello ThriftyPantry. Prepping garlic in bulk is a fantastic time-saver for your weekly cooking, and there are a couple of very reliable techniques you can use right on your kitchen bench depending on how you plan to use the cloves.
The most effective dry method for peeling a large batch at once is the two-bowl shake. First, place the whole heads of garlic on your cutting board and press down firmly with the heel of your hand to break them apart into individual cloves. Place all the unpeeled cloves into a large stainless steel bowl, invert another metal bowl of the exact same size over the top to create an enclosed dome, and hold the rims tightly together. Shake the bowls vigorously up and down for about 15 to 20 seconds. The hard impacts against the metal sides and the friction between the cloves will cleanly strip off the papery skins from almost all of them in one go.
If you want to keep the cloves completely intact and pristine without any bruising from shaking, the warm water soaking method is your best alternative. Break the heads down into individual cloves, trim the hard root ends with a small paring knife, and submerge them in a bowl of warm water for roughly ten minutes. The water loosens the inner membrane, allowing the skins to slide off effortlessly with just a light pinch between your fingers. Pat the peeled cloves completely dry with a clean kitchen towel before storing or cooking.
Lastly, if your meal prep calls for minced or crushed garlic, you can simply place several cloves under the flat side of a wide chef knife or a bench scraper and gently press down with your palm until you hear a light pop. The skin will release instantly.
Once peeled, you can store your whole dry cloves in an airtight glass container lined with a paper towel in the refrigerator for up to two to three weeks, or mince them in a food processor and freeze them in portioned ice cube trays. I hope this helps streamline your weekly prep.
