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Rider household have decided to save the koalas and whales (and impending debt-doom) by buying each other the ‘no-presents’ option for this year’s upcoming Shitty General Brelexmas.
But - life goes on, and we don’t have a garlic press so have decided that will be the one thing in a parcel under the tree from Santa.
NY Resolution being to make vast majority of econovegemeals from scratch, so many curries and much hummus on the cards. Needs to be hardy, not fancy. Think rigid steel 29er not Carbon roadie
So, up to £20 absolute max. WWSTWD?
A Garlic press takes longer to clean than use and serves a single use function. Ergo, a waste of time and money 🙂
Hope that helps!
Pestle and mortar actually a top suggestion. I wrecked our old one making paint in it 😬
Best pestle and mortar for twennyquids?
I've got an oxo gg and it takes seconds to clean, just goes in the washing bowl with everything else. My pestle and mortar takes for ever, its normally full of change, paper clips ect, ect. So it's got to be emptied then cleaned before and after use, and I've got to sort out all the junk that I've taken out of it in the first place 🙁
Hate cleaning garlic presses so got this Joseph Joseph steel rocker a few years ago...
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Joseph-Rocker-Garlic-Crusher-Silver/dp/B007P5UVWA/
Easy to use and easy to clean. Do a plastic version but i read they could break when putting your back into it in use
OXO Good Grips – very sturdy.
Is pish, rubber came away from metal early on, doesn't get out the drawer now.
I have a wee fine grater (think the ones you use for nutmeg) that I use for garlic, or I buy the stuff that comes out of a tube.
We've got a Joseph and Joseph too, but the Clean Press. Comes in two for cleaning.
https://www.josephjoseph.com/en-gb/clean-press
I just crush with back of a knife, never felt the need for a garlic crusher
Garlic? Bash it, slice it. Presses are pointless, unless that's really what you want for Christmas! 😀
My wife insists on using a garlic press, I hate washing the damn thing and it seems to leave a good bit of garlic unpressed. I much rather chopping it up with an knife.
Crush with a flat knife. No press and stupid cleaning required. Less waste too.
I've always just bashed (to help remove the "skin") and sliced too. Do you have a knife OP?
Bash it with a saucepan & save £20.
Yep I bash mine too.
We have one of them.
Most of the time I just chuck my garlic in a mini chopper with all the spices onions and a little olive oil
Sometimes I use the back of a knife (but with the qty of garlic I use in something's that gets boring fast. )
THe business! Washes the garlic smell off your hands as well.
microwave for 6-10secs, skin will fall off
I just crush with back of a knife, never felt the need for a garlic crusher
This. Slice with knife, few rock back and forths to finely chop then add few grains of salt to help with abrasion, only takes a few seconds to get a paste. More flavour as well as you extract more oil than putting through a garlic press.
One of the handiest kitchen gadgets I had - until it got superseded by a chopper thingy attachment on my food mixer - was a mezzaluna. There's something really rather satisfying in hacking up a big pile of herbs with one.
I’ve always just bashed (to help remove the “skin”) and sliced too. Do you have a knife OP?
Funneh! I do have a broad knife, and normally bash, squash and chop (see my recipes on STW) all gsrlic but Mrs Rider requested as she likes to sprinkle garlic on pizza, ready meals, hummus etc. Trying to retain a little independence for her as is losing the use of her shoulder-joints and chopping is not often possible, but even then without pain/risk of worsening. Should’ve shared before asking but didn't really want to go on about it. This became complicated very quickly! I could always chop some and seal in foil if I’m out for any length of time, but that sort of spoils the fun
There was an article on the 'best way to do garlic. Iirc, press for sweet and a little burn, chop for least sweet and most burn, and most flavour (keeping the oil, I think.). Pestle and mortar most sweet least burn (I think because you leave the most oil behind). Something like that.
If you give the garlic cloves a roll under the blade of a knife and chop the end off then put in in the press you can usually just tap out the stuff left behind.
Give a clove of garlic a light smack under a knife laid flat over the top to loosen the outer skin.
Peel off outer skin and cut off root.
Then a real smack under flat of knife to flatten the garlic then some salt to grip the garlic and attack with the pointy end of the knife dragged flat down across the garlic.
Should reduce it to a paste in no time. The salt grips the garlic and stops it moving about.
Don't press too hard to start with or you will fire bits of garlic round the kitchen.
Shouldn't take too long to master the technique. Best to get a small garlic board.
Roast the whole bulb then smoosh it out into a jar with oil for the instant garlic bread.
Cheese/ general grater for ease of spreading or crushed with whatever is at hand .
mezzaluna
I really should get rid of mine… probably not used it for 10 years. Or I should I use it this week… and perhaps rediscover what I’m missing out on?
Adding salt doesn't just help with the abrasion/grip, it reacts with an enzyme and breaks it down. Makes it taste nice too.
Trying to retain a little independence for her as is losing the use of her shoulder-joints and chopping is not often possible, but even then without pain/risk of worsening. Should’ve shared before asking but didn’t really want to go on about it. This became complicated very quickly! I could always chop some and seal in foil if I’m out for any length of time, but that sort of spoils the fun
In that case Oxo good grips stuff for all your kitchen tools - that's kind of the thing they were designed to help with, and they are really well made.
Bash with palm of hand, peel, smash with knife then chop if required.
I never use our garlic crusher, the wife does it’s a pain to clean so looking at one of the rockers for her to use
Ooops missed the shoulder issues.
Garlic Press, Terra Tu Garlic Peeler 304 Food Grade Stainless Steel Garlic Press Crusher Squeezer Easy to Wash https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07Q571KBT/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_4hb3DbA4ZRDEE
Drac that press looks really good, and possibly easy to use. Don’t know if it would beat the leverage of a long-handled press though. Will ask the boss (although her knowledge of theoretical physics is more ‘challenged’ than it is rusty, like my emotional intelligence 😉)
They’re supposed to be ok but not tried one.
something like this https://www.thelittlegarlicplate.co.uk/shop is very good. Produces a lovely paste, and is slightly nicer to look at
Petec, I was given one of those and have used it a couple of times, and am looking at this thread for ANYTHING better... fricken thing is not even dishwasher safe, and with lots of little barbs, a joy to wash.
PS: I do like the plastic sleeve, used to remove the skin.
oh!
I like it I have to say. I've put ours in the dishwasher loads, and just use the washing up brush on it if it's being washed.
To be honest though, as I seem to be eating quite a lot of garlic now I buy https://www.waitrose.com/ecom/products/waitrose-cook s'-ingredients-chopped-garlic/705411-100157-100158
it's no more expensive than buying fresh bulbs, and dead easy to use. Possibly not fitting in with saving the Koalas ethos from the OP, but at this time of year Garlic won't come from this country anyway (or if it does it won't be fresh)
@Petec.. fricken hell since when can you page some-one?
Destruction's say not diswasher safe but my main issues with it, is it's just rubbish ;D
TBF a garlic paste/pre-chopped garlic is probably better for the enviroment, as the cloves won't sprouted while waiting to be used & get binned..
i think it was one of those technological advances done with the new and improved forum last year
don't think it's ever been advertised mind
Why press garlic for making hummus? Just put the whole lot in a blender, including whole cloves.
People still chop garlic?
i think it was one of those technological advances done with the new and improved forum last year
don’t think it’s ever been advertised mind
No it’s only a few months ago, there’s a thread on it.
People still chop garlic?
Yup fresh is far better than preserved expensive jars.
No it’s only a few months ago, there’s a thread on it.
There's been several.
If you don't like it you can turn off the notifications in your account settings.
footflaps, yes, prisoners in China chop that for you, effectively slave labour.
Former prisoners say the pungent acids in the garlic can melt detainees’ fingernails, exposing stinging flesh. Those who can no longer use their hands bite off the garlic skins with their teeth.
https://www.ft.com/content/1416a056-833b-11e7-94e2-c5b903247afd
no waste in a garlic press: Press, press, press... when you've done the cloves you need, use a sharp knife to cut off the extruded side, and use the point of the knife to scrape out the pressed side (inside). It'll all come out connected, as it's joined by the fibres - which is why it didn't go through in the first place. All the garlic goes where you want it, except for the juice on the press, no more than would be on the chopping board and knife if you chopped/crushed it that way.
Get a stainless steel one with a removable press plate.
Garlic press? I’ve had several. Got rid of them all. I now use the side of the knife blade. Much easier to clean.
20 cloves with the side of the knife and chopping gets old fast. (About how many cloves went on last night's garlic bread (2 batons worth)
Fine if your just doibg a dish with a token clove in.
I love garlic so 4 or 5 is a normal amount to be added.
Those jars of garlic taste no where as sweet as good fresh garlic. Bitter and ungarliccy -and often salty too.
Mother-in-law gave me a 'garlic grinder' for Christmas. Looks suspiciously like the sort of thing we had several of knocking around the flat at Uni but does an amazing job, zero waste!
B.A.Nana
Member
microwave for 6-10secs, skin will fall off
Brilliant tip thanks. Added bonus: the warm garlic mashed down much more easily even with only a tiny amount of salt.