How to Mince a Clove

Heads of garlic are comprised of many cloves.

Garlic grows as a bulb and is comprised of many sections, known as cloves. Originating in central Asia and known historically for its medicinal value, garlic is often used in cooking. In fact, it is now a kitchen staple. Because of its pungent flavor and aroma, garlic is best used cooked. Prior to cooking, garlic can be prepared a number of different ways, including mincing, or cutting it up into fine pieces.

Things You'll Need

• Chef's knife or fork

Instructions

1. Remove the cloves. Grasp the head of garlic and peel away the papery outer layer. Remove as many individual cloves as you need by grabbing them and pulling them away from the central core.

2. Remove the skin. Each clove is covered with a thin skin that must be removed before mincing. To remove it, lay the clove on the countertop, lay the flat side of a chef's knife on top of the clove, and strike it firmly with the palm of your hand. The clove will crush slightly and the skin will easily be removed with your fingers. There are also special kitchen gadgets designed specifically to remove garlic cloves. If you have one of these, simply insert the garlic clove into the device and roll it. The skinned clove will roll out the other then. You can also simply peel the skin away with your fingers.

3. Mince the clove. Use a sharp knife to cut the clove into small pieces. Periodically wipe larger pieces of garlic from the side of the knife if necessary. Continue chopping until all the pieces of garlic are small and relatively uniform in size. If you do not have a knife handy, you can also use the back of a fork to mince your garlic. The garlic is now ready to be used in your favorite recipes.

References

• Plant Cultures: Garlic History
• The Kitchn: How to Mince Garlic- the Video
• The Kitchn: Mincing Garlic, the Quick and Easy Shortcut