Skip The Mess Of Grating Garlic With This Freezing Hack

Garlic-loving cinephiles won't soon forget the iconic scene in "Goodfellas" when Paulie meticulously slices garlic with a razor blade. The garlic was sliced "so thin that it used to liquify in the pan with just a little oil," a voiceover Ray Liotta waxes. "It's a very good system." Indeed — but, on busy weeknights, most home cooks don't have the time for razor-shaving their cloves. Still, that doesn't mean foodies should have to sacrifice dimensional flavor to get dinner on the table. Simply peel a big batch of garlic cloves, then pop 'em in a resealable container, and stick 'em in the freezer for later use.

Forget mincing. Skip the mess and grab a microplane or a zester. Both of these tools are equipped with ultra-sharp blades and an ergonomic handle for easy grating and manipulation. The finest blade section on a box grater will also work, but is less ideal, as more of that fine garlic and juice can get lost. Just rub those bulbs one at a time back and forth over the sharp blades (no need to thaw). By grating those frozen garlic bulbs directly into a small dish, there's no mincing mess to clean up, and all of the garlic juice ends up in your recipes rather than smeared on the countertop or cutting board, eliminating food waste and expediting your hands-on prep work. Plus, that delicate minced garlic will quickly dissolve with just a little oil (here's lookin' at you, Paulie).

By keeping a bulk batch of peeled, frozen garlic on hand, ready-to-go at a moment's notice, home cooks can minimize prep when mealtime strikes. Although word to the wise: Due to its maximal surface area, grated garlic tends to oxidize fairly quickly, so take care not to grate those frozen bulbs until you're ready to cook with them.

Freezing also helps extend that tender garlic's shelf life. Stored in an airtight container in the freezer, that peeled frozen garlic boasts a shelf life of several months up to a full year. But keep in mind that after six months, its texture will start to deteriorate. Be sure to label your container with a marker and masking tape so you can keep an eye on how long it's been in the freezer. Pro tip: This peel, freeze, and grate hack works for fresh ginger knobs, too.

Grated garlic can be used in any place where a smooth, melt-in-your-mouth texture counts. Ina Garten swears by it. Use grated garlic to whip up a knockout garlic compound butter for savory sauteed spinach or homemade garlic bread. Or, you could add a pinch of grated garlic to make an umami-bomb bechamel sauce for lasagna or dinner-party-worthy shrimp Alfredo. You could even use grated garlic to whip up some fluffy garlic mashed potatoes (Julia Child used to mash 30 whole cloves into her taters, but maybe you prefer a subtler touch).