How do you crush garlic? This is a quick tutorial on how to crush garlic for recipes or before you start mincing.
You want to learn how to crush the garlic. It’s something we do every day around here. We use garlic in many recipes that we don’t know how to count. This method is different from mincing. How do you do it? This article will explain the terminology and show you how to use it in your kitchen.
What is crushed garlic?
Some confusion exists around crushed garlic terminology. It could be because the garlic press, also called a garlic crusher or a garlic mill, produces minced garlic. This is how terminology can be used in recipes.
- In some recipes, crushed garlic is just as good as smashed. The garlic cloves are usually left whole and then discarded. This allows for subtle garlic flavours to be infused.
- Crushed garlic can be used in other recipes as well. These recipes include garlic as an ingredient and require that you mince it exactly as you would mince garlic. A garlic crusher may be mentioned in the recipe.
The bottom line: This terminology doesn’t have a standard and can vary from country to country. Look at the recipe you are looking at and try to guess if it meant “smashed” (or “minced”) or both.
How to crush garlic
Although it may seem obvious, we do not recommend using a garlic grinder. It’s also known as a garlic press, but it is not the best tool. You can get a strong flavour from the finer shreds. It can also be difficult to clean and use. A chef’s knife is the best tool to crush the garlic. Here’s how it is done:
- Cut off the ends of the garlic clove. This will make peeling the garlic clove easier once it has been mashed.
- Smash the clove with a knife blade or in a jar. Lay the knife blade flat on the garlic. Carefully smash the blade with your fist or heel. To smash the garlic, you can use the bottom of a jar of beans or a can of beans.
- Take out the paper. Use your fingers and pull the paper away from the clove.
- Depending on the recipe, you can mince the garlic or use the whole crushed clove (see the definitions).
Ingredients
- 1 garlic clove
Instructions
- Cut off the ends of the garlic clove.
- Place the knife blade on top of your garlic. Take care of the blade’s sharp edge and gently smash it using your fist or heel. To smash the garlic, you can use the bottom of a jar of beans or a can of beans.
- Remove the garlic paper with your fingers. You can chop the garlic or use the whole crushed clove for whatever recipe you have.
Finely chop garlic and then sprinkle with some salt. You can squash the garlic with the flat side of the blade. Use a paddle motion to move the pieces around the pile. Once you have a fine paste, scrape the garlic and crush it again.