Two Tricks To Prevent Garlic From Sticking To The Knife
There's nothing quite like the smell of garlic sizzling in a pan of oil at dinner time. Although it only makes up a small portion of a recipe, garlic alone is enough to rouse appetites from miles away. Quite frankly, everything tastes better with garlic. It can add a buttery, umami-like flavor to your dishes and is used across cultures worldwide thanks to its taste and medicinal properties. High in essential vitamins and nutrients, Healthline claims garlic can reduce blood pressure, improve cholesterol levels, lower the risk of heart disease, improve cognition, and even boost athletic performance.
There's just one downfall when it comes to the mighty garlic clove, though — its sticky nature. In addition to the sugar content, garlic has a chemical compound called diallyl trisulfide that gives it a sticky reputation (via The Fork Bite). When preparing a meal that requires a lot of chopped garlic, it can be frustrating when the vegetable sticks to your knife and fingers, creating a sticky mess. However, there are a couple of easy hacks you can do to prevent this.
Salt and oil keep garlic from sticking to the knife
Next time you're preparing a meal that calls for garlic, reach for some common household ingredients to avoid a sticky situation. Take a dime-sized amount of olive oil and carefully apply it along the edge of your knife, per Shelf Cooking. Consider wearing rubber gloves or using a basting brush or paper towel while spreading the oil to avoid any injuries. If you're short on olive oil, you can also use cooking spray instead. The goal is to create a semi-slippery knife edge that's still easy to control while preventing the garlic from sticking.
Conversely, you can add salt to the cutting board while mincing garlic. Besides preventing the vegetable from sticking to your knife and fingers, the salt can also help extract the oils from the garlic to add a more robust flavor to your dish (via Life Hacker). And if neither of these options works, you can just use jarred minced garlic in your meals. Don't worry, we won't tell!