Interesting tip!

p.s. I just wish the video had been called, "How to Peel a Head of Garlic in FEWER Than 10 Seconds."

whoa, i'm going to try this. i wonder if it's just stainless steel bowls or if i can use my glass ones?

this is hilariously, stupidly easy. thanks for the tip!

this makes me so happy. maybe i will have to start a little garlic band.

I don't know leepert... 10 seconds is "time"... wouldn't it be "less time"??? ...just sayin'.

That seriously works?? Must try it!

That guy is hilarious. :)

I might actually make 44-clove garlic soup. Peeling all the cloves was the only thing stopping me. (pps: fewer in number, less in degree)

Oh my goodness... I think I will start peeling whole heads of garlic just for the excuse to do this! My bf will definitely give me more grief for being EVEN louder!

Whaaaaaaaa? No way! Now I want to go try that just for fun!

I had to watch with the sound off (work) but that is GREAT!

Oh wow....I am so going to try this.

good news for my garlic-loving boyfriend!

But... I don't even...how....what?!

Awesome. I love this guy.

Hmmmm...I wonder if this would work in a big mason jar.

I've seen this before but never tried it. It's so perfect when you need a LOT of garlic rather than just a couple cloves.

September 28. I don't want to forget this day. I'll see you in hell, garlic skins!

Yeah, who is that guy? I'd watch his show.

Foo - I can't watch videos at the office - pretty please someone tell me how the trick works! Thanks!

Woaaaaaaaa!!!!! Does he have a show yet????

I saw Rachael Ray do this on her show years and years ago--probably in 2004 or something. Surprised no one else has seen this.

RE: Less vs Few debate: from Oxford Dictionaries.com

"Use fewer if you’re referring to people or things in the plural (e.g. houses, newspapers, dogs, students, children). ...

Less is also used with numbers when they are on their own and with expressions of measurement or time, e.g.:

Their marriage lasted less than two years.
Heath Square is less than four miles away from Dublin city centre."

http://oxforddictionaries.com/

Looks like less is the correct usuage in this case.

@leepert Actually time is an exception to the less vs. fewer rule. Even though it is typically a count noun it is customary to use the word less when discussing amounts of time.

Smash the whole clove with the heel of your hand, put everything into a bowl (stainless steel was used), place another bowl on top (so it makes a dome) and SHAKE. That's it.

Thank you whatyousay.

What?!! mind blowing. Does this really work? My Korean mother buys a huge box of garlic every fall for her batch of kimchee and our family has to sit around for DAYS! peeling garlic.

Hehehe! This guy peels garlic with some serious panache! Love it. Now, does anyone know, do I have to buy two giant stainless steel bowls just so I can try this? I imagine it would work in a large, lidded pot too, yes?

Oh man that is awesome!

:( I don't have 2 bowls that will fit together like that though.

I guess it's an excuse to buy some :)

Darn

I thought this might be the jar trick- similar idea!

If you're doing this on a smaller scale you can use a clean old peanut butter jar instead of the two bowls.

Could the stainless steel have to do with neutralizing the smell on the bowls? I know that's supposedly a way to get it off your hands- rub them on some stainless steel (not sure if this works - personally I like the smell on my hands so I don't bother.) So I'm guessing any strong container would work.

Howwww does this work?! And whyyyy did my Italian grandmamas not teach me this trick?! I'm upset! (PS: Does this only work on super dry garlic? I've been storing it in the fridge.. is that a don't?)

No. Way.

Does it work? Does it really work?

I too have seen this technique many times before. But it's such a good tip that it bears repeating.

This is awesome! That guy is great too!

Fewer seconds.
Less time.

I just WTFOL'd. How... why... and why hasn't anyone... AAH!

I can't believe you guys are correcting grammar at a time like this. Our world has just been forever changed.

I want to love this so much, but I have a feeling it's a late April Fools Day joke to get us all to try it and curse at it not working.

Yes! Perfect excuse to make a huge batch of spaghetti sauce tonight.

Bahaha I laughed out loud at @Jodi Anderson and @mimee25's comments. :) Love it.

Mind blown. Off to buy two matching bowls...

PS, has anyone tested this successfully at home yet?

Man I wish I'd have known about this before peeling three heads of garlic the other day preparing to freeze the suckers.

I do this a lot, but if you use smaller bowls it takes slightly longer.

Also, you can use the one large bowl and a slightly smaller one, just make sure you get all the garlic inside the smaller bowl and you have a good grip on it.

@Sarah Marie - I've always been told to only store garlic-in-olive-oil in the fridge, and to store whole garlic on the counter. I go through it too fast for it to matter. Why did you start putting it in the fridge?

I do this a lot, but if you use smaller bowls it takes slightly longer.

Also, you can use the one large bowl and a slightly smaller one, just make sure you get all the garlic inside the smaller bowl and you have a good grip on it.

@Sarah Marie - I've always been told to only store garlic-in-olive-oil in the fridge, and to store whole garlic on the counter. I go through it too fast for it to matter. Why did you start putting it in the fridge?

Also, you can smash ginger in the same garlic clove manner if you cut it into 1 inch pieces first - no more trying really hard to get it in tiny pieces!

@Jodi Anderson - Ha! Love it

With all the non-grammar commentators above - this is revolutionary.

MAGIC!!!

that is the most fantastic thing i have ever seen!

where was he when i was a teenager, forced to peel garlic by the pound by my korean mom?

Just wish bowls were transparent and we could see what is going on in there.

Maybe 10 (fun, noisy) seconds (more like 30) but then you have to wash the bowls.

Wow this totally works. I had half a (small) head of garlic and tried this in a 14 oz jar. It took more than 10 seconds but it was faster than peeling it all.

Now to figure out what to make with this garlic haha. Maybe a white garlic pizza.

Not that it is life or death, but I am a bit of a grammar freak. It is definitely less seconds, not fewer, as someone pointed out time and measurement do not fit the usual rule of plurals etc. Let this be an end to this so we can all get on with peeling our garlic in 10 seconds. Or less.

Learning a simple, yet revolutionary, new trick for avoiding one of life's little hassles is even better when done with correct grammar. Thanks for the tips, everyone. :-)

I woke up, opened my computer, saw this article and I just had to see for myself right away.

So in my pajamas, I took one head of garlic, separated the cloves (I'm not strong enough to smash it) then put everything in a big Ball jar (I don't have two same sized bowls).

OMG! IT DOES WORK!!!

I am crying now... :')

Wow. I'm so trying this tomorrow for my pasta lunch. And here I thought I was sooo clever by using the crushing-with-the-knife trick -- which only seems to work on larger cloves, btw. I usually don't bother peeling the smaller ones, too much of a hassle.

@Kris0218: I had to laugh at @Jodi Anderson and @mimee25's comments, too. :)

As for the grammar police: http://languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu/nll/?p=2819

I tried this last night and...nothing about it worked for me! Boo.

Yes, this does work. Been doing it for years now. Only exception, I use a large, Tupperware-style container. Works like a charm every time! You can use glass containers with plastic lids, plastic bowl/containers. Just need something to cause friction when you shake it. Good luck!

@MelCrawf, I'm pretty sure washing two bowls is less effort than individually peeling every clove of a head or more of garlic.

Also, likely you can use the bowls for other prep tasks in the same recipe. Just give them a quick rinse.

I am guessing he uses metal bowls because they won't break if one happens to go flying. :)

Tess09, thank you for the upenn link--awesome.

Gasp! I can start buying cloves of garlic again instead of the kind that's already crushed in a jar with olive oil. This is monumental!

klt14 - this is just my thought!
can't believe it was so easy and we learn of this NOW.

Oh, Jodi Anderson, I don't know you, but I want to. Your comment made me snort.

It works! IT WORKS!!! I definitely smashed open (with glee) four heads of garlic last night and then shook to my hearts content. I think my family is a little bit frightened..

@hmjames: I moved from Philly to Orlando about five years ago and everything seems to mold and mildew if left on the countertops any length of time. All manner of things that should never go into the fridge have been sent to its chilly interior for safe keeping. Garlic was one. In olive oil is a good tip though.. I may start that!

I wish I had seen this earlier, I just spent part of my morning peeling garlic to roast-Gah!

gotta try this at home. my mom will be very 'proud' of me.

MUST try this. Wonder if it will work with my prep bowls from Ikea? And I will join the commenters who are excited to use this method to peel garlic for kimchi. :)

At school we called this the "garlic bongo". Very noisy, but highly effective!

Tried it! Put the garlic in a 25-ounce Gladware with lid - only one clove emerged unpeeled. I will use this technique from now on!

I would like to thank the grammar fiends for correcting me!

I'm totally growing a beard like that.

Oh, wait... I'm a girl. Drat.

Still awesome.

It will not work with organic garlic. They are too sticky.

Botulilsm, anyone? I won't sleep tonight with all this frantic disrobing of garlic to be stored in oil in the fridge... don't do it! Commercially prepared garlic in oil has been treated first to prevent the growth of botulism. Per Wiki, it can be safely stored in wine or vinegar in the fridge. Otherwise, dry and at room temp.

FANTASTIC Tip! Thanks!

Bahahaha...I wonder how many hours I could have saved by learning this years ago. Don't I feel like a moron.

Gah. This... didn't work. Sort of. :(

Used two plastic bowls (the material isn't the issue, right? RIGHT?) but one was smaller than the other. Maybe too small? Is the trick using big ones for the cloves to have room to shake it, shake it?

Anyway, I did notice that the looser skins did come off, and the inner ones that were really stuck to the cloves got oilier the more I shook the bowls so they got progressively easier to peel. (I'm thinking the idea behind this method is that it releases the garlic's natural oils so the skins come loose easily.) But they still didn't come off the whole way through. Maybe I should've shaken them a bit longer?

All in all it was a great experiment. I will try again making changes. Mos def more fun than crushing/peeling each clove one by one. PLUS I get to exercise my arms! :P

@hyzen You're welcome! I love those guys.

They've been doing this on Iron Chef for years. Know how to seed a pomegranite in 30 seconds? Cut in half width-wise, hold it over a large bowl, seed site down in the palm of your hand and smack it all over with a large spoon. (CAUTION: If you get too enthusiastic, you'll have pomegranite juice everywhere.)

Okay I just tried it, and boy was it satisfying.

Wait. That sounded dirty.

I didn't have two non-glass bowls the same size, so I just used a tupperware with plenty of head room for them to shake around, and it worked like a charm!

Not only can I have an entire head of nekkid little garlic cloves, but I can have a new reason for being obnoxiously loud in the kitchen? Cannot wait to try this.

I want to watch him on TV. He's exactly what all the food shows are missing - brutal honesty from someone who looks like he actually eats food. More, more!

Fewer is for discrete units, less is for continuous units. Less time, fewer minutes. So how much time did it take me to follow the links to get the information that could have been contained in one sentence..?

I almost didnt believe it at first. But it does work. And its so much fun. You can shake the patootii out of the garlic heads and have a mini belly dancing workout of your own - at the same time!!!

I'm going to try this in a larger saucepan with a lid--plenty of room, keeps everything inside...it should work, right?

I must try this immediately. I wish I had those sweet bowls!

THANK YOU rcpatten! Do NOT store garlic in olive oil people. The anaerobic bacteria (ie botulism) from the ground will grow like mad in oil and you will be very very sick!

I'm not telling the husband, just going to do this in front of him some day and blow his mind. Fantastic new tip for me and MMD!

SHUT UP!!! That is awesome. Just in time for some mega "freezer cooking" I'll be doing to make chili and spaghetti sauce which both require a lot of garlic (at least in my world they do).

That was 15 seconds from smashing it to finish.

I like that he "shakes the dickens out of it"! I just wanna go hang out in his kitchen with him. Great tip.

and unicorns fly...

Leepert is incorrect. "Fewer" and "less than" are used for "count nouns" and "mass nouns," respectively.

For example, please make more or less coffee, because the volume isn't normally counted. But if you brought ten mugs and we only needed five, you might bring fewer next time. Or brew fewer cups. But you wouldn't brew less cups or make fewer coffee.

The exceptions (I think English has more exceptions to its rules than any other language!) are time, money, and distance. You have don't have fewer time any more than you have fewer money, or fewer far to travel. The argument can be made that because the time is measured in a "count noun" rather than a "mass noun" that you should use fewer.

I agree that nouns can be "verbed" (see, I just did it!) and language is by definition a mode that evolves to meet its need. So say fewer than ten seconds if you like. You'll be understood, which, at the end of the day, is the object, n'est pas?

PS I wonder if you need a giant bowl or a head can have the dickens shaken out of it in smaller bowl? must try....

awesome! doesn't matter if you knew this already -- todd's approach was engaging. i would love to see more videos like this for saving time in the kitchen! :)

Amazing!

Holy cow! I'm definitely going to try this!

I'd try it right now, but it's 4:00 in the morning, and I'd scare my 2 cats and maybe even wake the upstairs neighbor.

I wonder if it'd work in my plastic salad spinner ... shaking it, I mean... but also, hmm, what would happen if someone SPUN the garlic in the spinner, the way you normally do with lettuce and other greens? Would the spinning cause the cloves to peel?

Must try this or a variation! ...

I believe if you store garlic in the fridge it will think it is winter and when it comes out and stays on the counter it will try to bloom. This is why you want to buy your garlic dry and room temperature at your grocery store. We have wonderful grocery stores here that ALL store the garlic in the refrigerated area of the veg section. =( Garlic lasts about a week at home here before it starts growing new shoots.

PS thank you for the tip about using a peanut butter jar.
Also, I have found a super garlic grater called The Garlic Twist. For a couple of cloves it minces them beautifully.

Too cool! And the way he talks! ahahah!

Hahahaaaaa.... I LOVE this guy. Awesome (albeit hilarious) tip :-)

Thanks for sharing!

Meg

Wow this really worked! Amazing!

@engineerchic & hrhprincessfiona

Hey hey now, there are those of us who LOVE to eat but unfortunately our bodies don't show it; doesn't mean I couldn't share a thing or two about some good grub. Don't judge a book by its cover. :-)

i've been amazing my friends and family with my magical garlic peeling powers ever since i read this.

thanks for making me feel like i am special =P

I tried it and it does work! Awesome. I used stainless steel mixing bowls. One bowl was larger than the other but it did not make a difference. Still worked just fine. Now to go cook something with a whole head of garlic :)

Thanks for this amazing post. I tried this using 2 cloves in a glass jar with lid. They came out perfectly peeled. This is my favorite post on TheKitchn.

This is AWESOME! I just learned that I can grow my own garlic just by picking up a decent head at the grocery store. The peeling part was reportedly a bit of a bitch so I avoided it. Guess what I'll be planting this week?!?! Woohoo!

Whoa, that was awesome! I'm so trying that next time. Thanks for the tip.

Leepert, my thought exactly. I love the tip; I just wish they'd said, "FEWER than 10 seconds". (If you can count it, it's fewer. You can count seconds. :-)

I first saw this video on facebook a few months ago, and yes, I have tried it. But I didn't have two metal bowls like that. My mixing bowls are vintage pyrex. So I put the cloves into a martini shaker, and shook them up that way. It totally works! So I decided to devote that shaker for garlic only, so my cocktails won't taste too garlicky. ;) I wrote "Garlic" in pretty cursive on the shaker with a Sharpie, and I use it for nothing but. It's a great tip!

Judging by the number of comments, this may be one of the most - if not the most - popular video on AT!

Whoa!!!! Like!1!!!!111!

That is a truly a "Taa Daa" moment. Thank you for sharing. Sending Happy Weekend Wishes! .xo

I could only find some plastic bowls that came close to fitting. It worked Ok but will look for better bowls. It is wonderful as I am making garlic tinctures and it takes a lot of garlic and peeling is NOT fun. So glad to have this technique .

I just found this web site tonight because I was looking for an easy way to peel garlic. --- I got sick this past weekend, so my doctor told me to eat lots of garlic and onions because they kill viruses.

I WOULD LOVE TO GIVE A DEFINITIVE EXPLANATION OF HOW TO DECIDE WHETHER TO USE "LESS" OR "FEWER," SO HERE GOES!

It's true that if you are actually counting the seconds or hours or minutes or miles, you should use "fewer." So, if Mary finished the race in 4 hours and Cindy finished in 3 hours, you could conceivably say that Cindy finished the race in fewer hours than Mary. However, when referring to how long it takes to do something, you are usually referring to a continuum. Cindy finished the race in less time than Mary. If Cindy finished the race in 3 hours, 10 minutes and 15 seconds, then you should say that Cindy finished the race in less than 4 hours.

So, if you have peeled an entire head of garlic in 9-1/2 seconds, you have peeled it in LESS THAN 10 SECONDS!