GARLIC--PREPARE PLENTY AHEAD OF NEED

I used plenty of garlic in my kitchen and I want to have them available ready to use in cooking or on salads. I don’t like to chop them by individual cloves any time garlic is needed.

I prefer to spend about 20 minutes every five or six months and have chopped garlic on hand.

I buy about five heads and prepare the entire batch in one sitting. I have a fist-sized smooth river rock I use to crush each head with a few good bangs, separating the cloves. Next I whack each clove with the stone with enough force to squash it, thus make peeling the husk easy.

While doing this, I have two little bowls on my work surface, one with water to dip my fingers in when they get too sticky from the garlic juice (this juice is water soluble). In the second bowl I accumulate the peeled garlic cloves. This process takes about 15 minutes. The rest is easy.

I add the garlic into the bowl of the food processor and let the blade crush the garlic for a few second. Then scrape down the side of the bowl and repeat processing the garlic one or two more times, pulsing the processor.

I cut about 5x5 inch squares of a plastic wrap and on each square I place 3 to 4 tablespoons crushed garlic. I wrap each tightly, and place them in a tight-fitting container ready for the freezer. I keep one small container of crushed garlic in another small container for everyday use. I try to remember to replenish from the freezer container whenever the garlic gets low in the refrigerator.