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Garlic is an indispensable component of a large number of recipes. Because of its health benefits, its presence in food is more than desirable. Do you need to press garlic, but are in a place where there is no press at hand, or perhaps you don’t have the space or water to grate garlic on a grater? There is one more effective way to grate garlic that can make the job easier in a pinch. You will need only two things: a grater and a sturdy plastic bag… and garlic, of course.
Grating garlic without the tedious cleaning of a grater or press? It can be done!
Cleaning a clogged garlic press is a tedious job. Picking out bits of garlic from lots of tiny holes with a toothpick or another narrow sharp object is hardly a favorite pastime. Likewise, washing a used grater after preparing garlic is not comparable to a simple rinse under running water. So occasionally we can make the job easier by using a plastic bag.
How it’s done:
- take a grater and slip a heavier-gauge plastic bag over it,
- grate the garlic over the bag on the side with the fine grater (the one used, for example, for grating lemon zest),
- then simply remove the bag and transfer the garlic from it wherever needed.
Then just rinse the grater under water; it’s practically clean.
Disadvantages of this method? Only perhaps the environmental side of things
Sure, it’s better to avoid and not use plastic bags. However, you can use a clean bag that you’ve already used several times; you can even reuse it after using it for grating garlic — just remember that garlic is quite aromatic and the bag will probably not get rid of its distinctive smell. Of course it’s better and more eco-friendly to use a garlic press or grate garlic directly on a grater and then wash it thoroughly. This method of grating garlic isn’t intended for everyday use, but there are situations when knowing this trick can come in handy and be useful.
