How to Soak Garlic in Water for Sauce

Garlic, high in antioxidants, is commonly used in natural health remedies.

Highly pungent garlic adds intense flavor to pasta sauces, meats, vegetables and just about anything you cook with it. In particular, garlic is often added to sauces, especially in Italian cooking for a major flavor kick. Handling garlic can be quite time consuming, however, especially when you have to peel the skin off the individual cloves. Those peels can be quite stubborn and tough remove. Soaking them in water will make the garlic easier to peel and quickly add to your favorite sauce.

Things You'll Need

• Small Bowl
• Garlic cloves (any amount)
• Saute pan
• Olive oil

Instructions

1. Submerge garlic cloves in a small bowl full of water.

2. Allow the garlic cloves to soak for about 30 minutes.

3. Drain the water from the garlic and peel the skins off.

4. Chop or slice the garlic into fine pieces.

5. Saute the garlic in a thin layer of oil in a saucepan over medium heat.

6. Stir in prepared sauce into a pan to heat and mix in with the garlic or follow a recipe you may have for a specific sauce.

Tips & Warnings

• Keep in mind that soaking the garlic in water before cooking may take away some of its natural oils, and you may need to compensate with more oil in your recipe.

References

• FYI Living; Garlic Health Benefits Galore:4 Reasons to Eat a Garlic A Day; Erica Giovinazzo; May 2011
• O Chef: The Onerous Task of Peeling Garlic
• Tarla Dalal: Fresh Garlic Chutney
• Garlic Central: Garlic Tomato Sauce Recipe

Resources

• Garlic Central: All About Garlic