Make Garlic Juice

Many people tout the health benefits of garlic juice. Some claim that garlic serves as an effective antibiotic that helps your immune system ward off colds, and many believe that the antioxidants in garlic can help prevent cell damage and expel toxins. Other claims include the idea that garlic can lower cholesterol, stimulate a healthy appetite, and reduce the severity of asthma. While many of these claims do not have enough scientific research to officially support them, garlic juice does appear to have a link to improved health.

Ingredients

• 1 head of garlic

Servings

• 1/4 to 1/3 cup (60 to 83 ml) juice

Steps

Peeling the Garlic

1. Pick the cloves from your head or bulb of garlic. The number of cloves your head has will vary depending on the size and variety of garlic, but a medium-sized head will usually produce around 10 cloves.
2. Lay one clove on top of a cutting board or counter. The flat side, which was closest to the "heart" or center of the head, should face down, and the curved side should face up.
3. Place the broad, flat side of a large chef's knife directly over the clove. Keep the clove of garlic in between the center of the blade and the handle, with the handle slightly closer than the center of the blade. The sharp cutting edge should face outward.
4. Hold the handle of the knife with one hand and quickly strike the flat side of the blade with your other. Don't be afraid of striking the clove too hard. You should strike with enough force to smash the clove, removing the skin in the process. Be careful to avoid cutting yourself on the knife, however.
5. Repeat the smashing procedure with the remaining cloves of garlic. Strike the garlic cloves with the flat side of your knife until each one is peeled.

Using a Food Processor

1. Place the peeled garlic cloves into a food processor. A chopper or blender will also work, but a food processor may be easiest to work with for this amount of garlic.
2. Puree the cloves using a medium to high speed. Continue to puree them until you are left with a thick, creamy liquid. You should see few, if any, distinct "chunks" of garlic.

Using a Garlic Press

1. Place one clove of garlic into a garlic press. If you have a large enough press, you might be able to fit multiple cloves in at once. The force it takes to crush more cloves will be greater than the strength you will need to crush a single clove, however.
2. Hold the press over a glass bowl. Use a bowl with a large enough opening to catch the garlic that falls out of the press.
3. Using both hands, press the handles of the garlic together. Bring the handles together as firmly and tightly as possible. You should be left with garlic "mush" inside the bowl.
4. Repeat the pressing procedure for the remaining cloves of garlic. If you sense yourself getting tired, you may want to consider taking a break. Otherwise, you could end up with garlic mush that is not as well-pressed as it should be.

Straining the Juice

1. Transfer the garlic puree or mush into a strainer. Use a strainer with small to medium-sized gaps. Fine gaps will allow you to separate as much of the solid from the liquid as possible, but they may make the process go slower. Medium gaps offer a nice balance between speed and quality.
2. Position the strainer over a bowl. The bowl should have a wide enough opening to catch any liquid that falls from the strainer. If possible, select a bowl that the strainer can rest on in order to free up both hands.
3. Press down on the garlic with a rubber spatula. You should see juice running through the strainer and into the bowl. Keep pressing until you are unable to produce any more juice.
4. Discard the pulp or save it for future recipes. Garlic pulp can be used to flavor stews, soups, stir-frys, and a number of other recipes.
5. Position a coffee filter over a glass bowl. The filter should be secured with a rubber band so that it rests loosely over the bowl, but will not fall inside. Running the juice through a coffee filter will create an even purer product. You can also use your coffee maker, but be aware of the fact that garlic has a potent odor that may linger even after you clean your machine. As a result, any coffee you prepare in the machine afterward may have a hint of garlic flavor.
6. Slowly pour the garlic juice through the coffee filter. If you pour too quickly, you may spill some. Continue pouring until all of the juice is strained into the bowl.
7. Store the juice in the refrigerator until you are ready to use it. Keep it in a glass bowl to prevent the odor from contaminating other foods, as well as to prevent any other flavors from contaminating the garlic juice.

Tips

• If you prefer a more robust flavor, try roasting the garlic head in the oven. Use a low heat and bake it until it feels soft and turns brown.
• Garlic juice has a strong flavor and can be difficult to drink on its own, so you may want to dilute it with water or combine it with juice from other fruits and vegetables.

Things You'll Need

• Chef's knife
• Cutting board
• Food processor or blender
• Garlic press
• Mesh strainer
• Rubber spatula
• Coffee filter
• Glass bowls

Related Articles

• Use Garlic As a Hair Loss Remedy
• Make Garlic Garden Spray
• Roast Garlic
• Make Lemon Juice

Sources and Citations

• The Kitchn: How to Peel Garlic Quickly and Easily
• Juicer Select: Garlic Juice
• Steady Health: Garlic Juice Benefits

See also

• Make a Zinger Juice
• Make Guava Juice
• Make Juice Recipes
• Make Noni Juice
• Perform a Juice Fast
• Juice Wheatgrass
• Make Fruit Juice Gelatin Bites
• Make Passion Fruit Juice
• Make Lemon Juice
• Make Cabbage Juice

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