The Trick For Roasting Garlic Bulbs Without Aluminum Foil

Roasting transforms garlic from a naturally sharp and pungent allium into a mellow and deliciously sweet aromatic that almost no one can resist. The best part is that the roasting process is quite straightforward and effortless since most of it is completely hands-off. And if you don't have aluminum foil on hand to roast your tasty white bulbs, there's no need to worry because there's a simple workaround — using a muffin tin.

As we've tried almost every way to roast garlic, using this type of bakeware is quite beneficial. Unlike aluminum foil which creates more waste after every use, roasting on a muffin tin means less waste. This environmentally-friendly approach to cooking makes your kitchen practices a bit more sustainable. Additionally, there's a cost reduction on your part since you don't need to keep buying a new roll of foil to cook your alliums whenever you run out.

As we've already mentioned, roasting garlic is an easy process as is, but using a muffin tin simplifies the task even further. Instead of spending time wrapping each bulb one by one in aluminum foil, you can simply place them on the muffin slots and they're ready to cook. This is especially ideal for batch cooking or meal prep where you're roasting several bulbs in one sitting. Of course, you'll need to do a bit of cleaning afterward, but it'll be worth it.

Roasting garlic using a muffin tin follows similar steps as when using aluminum foil like in our simple oven-roasted garlic recipe. Begin by preheating the oven and then prepare the garlic bulbs by removing the loose outer skins and chopping off about a 1/4 inch from the top end. The goal is to expose the cloves to encourage more browning during cooking. 

Once ready, position each bulb in its own cup on the muffin tin with the cut side facing up, drizzle olive oil on the cut surface, and sprinkle salt and pepper to taste. The oil will help keep the cloves succulent and add a unique subtle flavor while also encouraging caramelization. Now cover the muffin tin containing the bulbs with another one of the same size. If you don't own a second muffin tin, you can improvise using an inverted baking sheet as a cover. 

Then pop this set up in the oven and proceed to cook the garlic as usual. Check the progress a few minutes before the timer goes off to ensure there's no burning. Once the bulbs turn soft and acquire a beautiful golden brown hue, they're done. Remove from the oven and serve to be eaten as is or wait to cool then squeeze out the cloves and add them to your favorite garlic-based sauces, stews, soups, or even mashed potatoes.