You would think that after cooking for all of these years I would know about most of the kitchen gadgets that are out there by now. I’ve found that over the years you just have certain “go to” items in the kitchen, and many of those gadgets you bought on an impulse and thought you couldn’t live without end up pushed to the back of the drawer or cabinet and were only a passing fad.
So I hope, then, that my latest discovery becomes a good friend in the kitchen. With over 200 heads of garlic curing in our basement, I know that I will need a quick and easy way to use garlic this year.
With garlic I sometimes just find it a bother to peel and prep it for a recipe when I’m in a hurry. But, as an Italian, fresh garlic is a staple, and “garlic in a jar” or “garlic powder” or “garlic salt” just have no business being in my recipes!
Enter…my new garlic toy. I discovered a version of this gadget at our neighbors’ home when we were there for dinner. Not only does it slice the garlic in thin wafers for recipes, but it also stores the unused cloves for the future. Awesome!
You just take the top off, drop the garlic in, replace the top and start twisting it. The shaved garlic comes out the bottom:
And drops right into your recipe.
A plastic cap covers the bottom when not in use and the whole thing can go into the fridge until next time! I got this item on Amazon – I like the brand I ended up with -seems durable and the blades are sharp.
And one of our first uses was to add more garlic to those pickles from the last post!
Pickle Update: They are awesome, and were ready to eat in less than 2 weeks! I’ve since taken a jar of them out of the crock and put them in the fridge for convenience (and chilled pickles taste better.) They are flavorful and crunchy! And we’ve continued to add more cukes to the crock! So convenient!
Morning Star Meadows Farm 