Garlic Press

For years I prepared garlic using a chopping board and a sharp knife, first slicing thinly in one direction, then the other. After making pieces as small as possible, I squashed them on a saucer, with the bowl of a tablespoon. In theory, this brings the juices out. In practice, it spattered bits of garlic all over the work surface. I found the whole process so time-consuming and annoying that I tended to buy ready-chopped dried garlic instead.
...a simple tool called a garlic press.

* Description *

A garlic press has a similar construction to old-fashioned nutcrackers - two handles, joined by a hinge, with a place near the hinge to put the garlic clove, and a metal pusher which forces it through a fine grid, to produce beautifully crushed garlic. The handles, which are usually about 15cm long, provide the necessary leverage.

* Using a garlic ... more

For years I prepared garlic using a chopping board and a sharp knife, first slicing thinly in one direction, then the other. After making pieces as small as possible, I squashed them on a saucer, with the bowl of a tablespoon. In theory, this brings the juices out. In practice, it spattered bits of garlic all over the work surface. I found the whole process so time-consuming and annoying that I tended to buy ready-chopped dried garlic instead.

But the taste of dried garlic simply doesn't compare to that of fresh. Besides, it's a lot more expensive. I became more and more aware of the various health benefits of fresh garlic, and decided that there had to be a better way of dealing with the cloves. So I was delighted to learn about a simple tool called a garlic press.

* Description *

A garlic press has a similar construction to old-fashioned nutcrackers - two handles, joined by a hinge, with a place near the hinge to put the garlic clove, and a metal pusher which forces it through a fine grid, to produce beautifully crushed garlic. The handles, which are usually about 15cm long, provide the necessary leverage.

* Using a garlic press *

This is so much easier than the cutting/squashing method! I take however many cloves I want from a bulb of garlic, and using a sharp knife cut off the very top, and the bottom. I remove any loose skin, then gently peel away the thin covering. I usually do this by the sink, since garlic fumes can be potent! I don't find them nearly as bad as onion fumes, but I do like to wash my hands after doing this.

If the cloves are large, I cut them into two or four pieces, then put one piece at a time in the garlic compartment of the press. I hold it over a pan or bowl, and gently press the handles together. The garlic slowly streams out, reminding me a little of a child's playdough 'spaghetti maker'!

I then use my sharp knife to slice against the edge of the press, so that the crushed garlic falls into my container. If I have other cloves (or pieces of clove) I repeat the process as many times as necessary. At the end there is usually a fair amount of gunk left in the press - I usually try and gather it into a ball with the knife, then press again to extract some more. After that I usually toss whatever remains into the pot, since it's pretty well crushed by this time, even if it refuses to go through the holes.

* Cleaning *

I find it's best to give at least an initial clean immediately. Garlic does get stuck in the small holes, and can be very difficult to remove if it dries. I find it's easiest to drop it in water and use a scrubbing brush to loosen the worst of it; if I'm in a hurry I then leave it in the water until later.

* Garlic bread *

One of the easiest ways to use garlic is in garlic bread - something which tends to be pricey to buy, but very inexpensive (and delicious!) to make at home.

The ingredients are:
• one long french loaf (known as french stick in some parts of the country) or a couple of long baguettes
• softened butter, or margarine of choice (we use Olivio) - enough to spread generously
• at least two large cloves of garlic, more if you want, and a garlic press

Method:
• Put the softened butter or margarine in a small bowl. Crush the garlic cloves with the press, catching the resultant crushed garlic in the bowl of butter. Mix them together with a knife.
• Cut the loaf however you like - for quick garlic bread, we simply slice right along, parallel to the long edge of the loaf. Alternatively you can slice it. Spread the garlic butter over all cut surfaces.
• Put the loaf back together, and wrap in foil (if it's one long loaf, it has to be cut into two shorter pieces first!) then put in the oven for about ten minutes, at around 180C - however the temperature is variable, and depends on what else you happen to have in the oven. Check that it doesn't get too crispy, but the garlic butter should be thoroughly melted into the bread.
• Serve with any pasta dish, or pizza, or indeed any other meal!

* Different types of garlic press, price and availability *

Although the basic design is much the same for any simple garlic press, there do seem to be two main types available: those which are completely of metal, each piece apparently made in one mould, and those which comprise two or three parts, often including a tough plastic covering to the grid, which is clearly fitted to the handle rather than being part of it. The latter look rather smarter, with some colour on the plastic, and tend to cost about £10 from places like John Lewis. The simpler ones tend to be about half that price, and can often be found in the housewares section of a supermarket.

* Which type to use *

My garlic press is one of the simple kind. I've had it now for about ten years, and it still works perfectly. It's not particularly attractive, and it has a distinct odour of garlic, but it's reliable and strong, and I wouldn't be without it.

However when buying a garlic press for a relative, I was tempted by the colour and general appearance of one of the pricier sorts. It certainly looked nice, and she was pleased to recieve it, having - up that point - used the chopping and squeezing method I described above.

Unfortunately, it only lasted about six months. At that point, the grid section apparently became loose, due to having been pushed hard so many times. Putting it back wasn't a problem, but thereafter it was almost impossible to use again. Each attempt at crushing garlic led to the grid moving out, and no garlic getting through.

So my five-star recommendation of a garlic press is based on the less expensive, all-in-one type.

 

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