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Here's How You Should Actually Be Peeling Garlic

We put four popular tricks to the test!

Andrew Richard / BuzzFeed

Sometimes, you find a "hack" online and it's amazing! And sometimes, not so much...

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So we decided to test some out and see which actually do work! This time, we're looking for the best hack to peel garlic.

Because garlic tastes amazing, but it's the WORST to have to peel and work with. It's sticky, it's smelly, and it's an annoying step in food prep. After trying out four popular hacks, here's what we found out...

Watch the full video here:

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BuzzFeed

The method: Microwave an entire bulb of garlic for 20 seconds to make it easier to peel. Don't forget to let it cool before handling!

The results:

BuzzFeed
BuzzFeed
BuzzFeed

PROS: It didn’t create any extra mess (unlike some of the other hacks), and the microwaved garlic was slightly easier to peel. But only slightly!

CONS: It wasn't that much easier. And it also steamed/cooked the garlic a little bit, which might not be ideal for your recipe.

Did it work? It wasn't awful, but it also didn't really make much of a difference.

BuzzFeed
BuzzFeed

The method: Soak garlic cloves in hot water for 5-10 minutes to make them easier to peel. Whisk the cloves after soaking to also help loosen the skins.

The results:

BuzzFeed
BuzzFeed
BuzzFeed

PROS: You can work on other meal prep while you wait for the garlic to soak. And because of the water, you also don't have to deal with sticky fingers after handling garlic (arguably one of the most annoying parts of the process).

CONS: The peeling process was a little faster, but also definitely more annoying. Working with the skin was actually more difficult because they were wet and flimsy. We tried soaking the garlic for 10 minutes, but maybe they could have still used more time than that. And compared to the other hacks, this one was already the most time-consuming as is.

Did it work? This hack got rid of one annoying element of peeling garlic, but created a whole other one. It didn't make the process much easier.

BuzzFeed
BuzzFeed

The method: Shake a bulb of garlic between two bowls for 20 seconds to peel the whole thing.

This one's pretty popular on the internet, so we had to try it out. I was hopeful, but also pretty skeptical...

Here's what happened after 20 seconds of shaking the garlic:

BuzzFeed

The cloves separated, but they weren't peeled yet. This was definitely going to take more time (or maybe just more hulk-like strength and aggression issues).

I cannot emphasize enough how loud this was! It was so obnoxiously loud that I had to leave the kitchen to keep shaking this longer without driving the rest of the team crazy.

And after... SO many more seconds:

BuzzFeed

It worked... eventually. I didn't bother counting how much longer this took me, but it was a lot longer than 20 seconds. It probably just depends on how much force you use and how mad you are that day. It's good anger management, at the very least.

PROS: This was the only hack that peeled most of the cloves on its own, which was pretty cool. I've got to give it that... That's all I can give it though.

CONS: This was still BY FAR the most annoying hack of the day. It was very loud, took a lot of physical effort, and took much more time than the internet claims it does.

Did it work? If you don't mind a lot of noise, have some aggression you need to work out, or have freakish strength, this might be the hack for you. For us, it didn't feel worth the effort. Sorry, internet.

BuzzFeed
BuzzFeed

The method: Press down with the flat edge of your knife to crush the whole bulb of garlic, then crush the individual cloves.

This one's pretty tried and true and is popular with a lot of chefs.

The results:

BuzzFeed
BuzzFeed
BuzzFeed

PROS: This one worked really well! As soon as I tried it, I thought, "Oh, wait! This is amazing. The rest of these hacks are officially literal garbage." The peels came off very easily from the crushed cloves with no extra fuss. And the process is pretty fast once you get the hang of it.

CONS: Knives are scary. That's pretty much it. You've just got to be careful with this one so you don't hurt yourself. And if you need the cloves to stay intact for your recipe, this obviously isn't the right hack for you.

Did it work? This one is tried and true for a reason! It really works well and is a pretty easy process. This was by far the best hack of the day and the only one that I would continue using.

BuzzFeed

So, what did we find out?

Sometimes the best way to do something isn't a flashy "hack" you find online, it's the tried and true tricks that have been around for years. The crushing method was our favorite, but sometimes it'll just come down to your personal preference.

That being said, we're always up for trying and learning some new tricks! Have a cooking hack you love? Or one you'd like us to try next? Share it with us in the comments!

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