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How to Mince Garlic?- Garlic is one of the essential ingredients for a delicious meal. With a wholesome flavour, garlic proves to be an excellent seasoning for various dishes as well. Garlic also features a long list of health benefits, and learning how to mince garlic efficiently and accurately is an important skill to learn.
Learning about the proper way to mince and chop garlic pays off with various dishes and meals. With good mincing techniques, cutting garlic will be much easier and quicker. Knowing and learning about the fundamentals of chopping garlic is usually a quick process.
With this article and a little bit of practice, you will know how to mince garlic accurately, quickly, and efficiently, and you will be able to add flavorful minced garlic with your favourite recipes.
Also, check out our recipe for chicken florentine.
How to Mince Garlic – 4 Step Process
Knife-minced garlic results in delicate and discrete pieces, but it often results in dry minced garlic. With accuracy and efficiency, knife-minced garlic is quick and makes the perfect addition to any savoury recipe. Follow the simple steps to learn how to mince garlic using a knife.
Step 1- Separating individual cloves of garlic from the bulb
For mincing your garlic, the first step is to prepare the garlic cloves to get them ready for the mincing process. It would be best if you start by using your palm to firmly press down on the bulb, and the individual cloves separate from each other as a result of the pressure.
The garlic features a loose outer skin with a brittle and papery texture, which can you can peel off easily to reach the cloves. The best way to make the most out of the garlic is to ensure that the little cloves hidden inside the peel are well used. Most recipes mention the number of cloves and bulbs required to prepare the dish for your benefit.
Step 2- Peeling the cloves of the garlic
The cloves have tight and transparent skin surrounding them, removed before using it for cooking purposes. Peeling the garlic cloves is a quick and straightforward process, and you can follow either of the two methods given below for the most accurate results.
You can cut off the hard stem end of the garlic clove through the part which is attached to the bulb. Next, you can squeeze the clove out of its skin with steady pressure.
You can also put the side of the knife blade on top of the garlic clove and press firmly to release the skin as an alternative method. Next, you can peel the skin using your fingers while ensuring you do not smash the garlic clove, which might cause it to mix with the waste.
Step 3- Slicing the garlic clove lengthwise entirely
For the best results, you should ensure that your garlic slices are as thin as possible. It would be best if you opted for a sharp and stable knife, but you should take care to avoid hurting yourself with the minuteness of minced garlic.
The best way to avoid cutting yourself while slicing the entire garlic clove lengthwise is to employ your fingertips to hold the clove and bend in your knuckles as they press into the cutting board. This method ensures that the knife’s side blade is placed against your knuckles while creating a gap between your fingertips and the clove.
It would be helpful to hold the knife against the chopping board and employed a rocking motion to slice the garlic clove lengthwise for better control and accuracy. The rocking motion is a quicker and more efficient process of cutting the clove than standard up-and-down motions.
Step 4- Slicing the garlic clove crosswise
After slicing the garlic clove lengthwise, turn it ninety degrees and start mincing it once more. It would be advisable to cut the slices thinly for a fine mince. With the same rocking motion, you should cut through the clove crosswise to obtain the final results.
After the clove or garlic is entirely chopped, you should be left with finely diced pieces of garlic. The more you mince the garlic clove, the finer the dice will appear. The distance between each cut, both lengthwise and crosswise, determines each piece of minced garlic’s size.
You can also cut and run your knife through the minced garlic to obtain even finer dice or eliminate any large pieces. This process also aids in getting a uniform mince size for your garlic clove.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1 What are some other methods I can use to mince garlic?
There are various ways through which you can mince garlic accurately without using a knife.
Before using any of the following methods, it would be best to peel and prepare the garlic cloves as usual. You should ensure that you separate the required number of cloves from the garlic bulb and discard the bulb after use. Finally, it would be best to peel the garlic by squeezing the clove out of the skin or crushing it using a knife.
- Mincing garlic with a fork-
A fork works well when you want to mince garlic without using a knife. The best way is to use the tines of the division and arm strength to mince the cloves.
First, you should make sure that the garlic clove is lying flat on the chopping board. With a sturdy metal fork, press the tines into the garlic clove firmly. You will have to push the garlic down hard through the gaps of the fork’s tines for the best results.
Next, you can turn the fork and repeat the same procedure for the clove in the other direction. It would help if you kept repeating the process till you obtain the desired result. Finally, separate the stem nub of the garlic, and you will be ready with your mince.
- Using a garlic press-
A garlic press is becoming an increasingly popular tool, with its handy and convenient properties. As the name suggests, the device allows you to press garlic cloves into a crushed paste. With a simple working procedure, you can follow these steps to use a garlic press-
First, you should place the garlic cloves inside the inner metal container of the press.
Next, you should squeeze the handle tightly and firmly. This process will result in the garlic being pressed and forced through the holes present on the other side of the device.
Finally, you should scrape out the scraps and mix them in with the paste that came out of the press to make the most out of the garlic. As an alternative, you can also use a mortar or pestle for the same functions.
- Using a Microplane-
A Microplane is a small grater that works on the same principles and operations as a fine cheese grater. You can use the device to slice the garlic clove into razor-thin slices quickly and efficiently.
It would help if you rubbed the garlic clove against the blade over a utensil or a bowl for using a Microplane correctly. The bowl will hold the thin and wet slices that will fall out of the Microplane.
Q2 Is the garlic usable when a green root is forming?
You can use the garlic as long as the fleshy part feels firm and looks white. But it would be best if you cut off and removed the green root while slicing the garlic cloves as it has a bitter aftertaste.
Q3 How can I measure minced garlic?
Various recipes use teaspoons as a measurement unit for minced garlic, while many specify the number of cloves you will require. Generally, one garlic clove will give you about three-fourths teaspoon minced garlic.
Q4 What are the alternatives to fresh garlic?
If you cannot get your hands on fresh garlic, you can use other alternatives. For example, you can utilize garlic powder, garlic flakes, granulated garlic or garlic juice.
Q5 What is the quickest way to peel a garlic bulb?
First and foremost, you should pound the garlic bulb and separate the cloves according to your requirements. Next, you should collect all the cloves in a jar and close the lid. It would be best if you shook the jar vigorously for about twenty seconds. The shaking method will allow the cloves to slide out of their peels, and you can pick out the peeled garlic cloves and start mincing.
Q6 How should I choose the best garlic for myself?
It would be best if you opted for garlic which looks firm, plump, with a dry outer skin. The garlic should preferably be stored in a dry aired section of the grocery or produce department.
Conclusion
Learning how to mince garlic using the proper technique is a valuable skill. With various applications, you will be able to mince garlic efficiently, accurately and quickly using the appropriate knife techniques and blade motions.
Garlic is an excellent addition to a variety of dishes. With various beneficial health properties and a savoury flavour, it is one of the most commonly available vegetables on the market.
