Photo by Martin Walls | SXC.

To remove the skin more quickly, simply remove the cloves from the bulb and soak them in water for a few minutes.

Then, cut off the root end, or smash it with the flat of your knife. The skin should slide off much more easily.

Now, you’re ready to crush the cloves. Just use the flat part of a large knife.

If loud smashing is more your style, lay your soaked garlic cloves on a cutting board. Place another cutting board on top and crush away.

Feel free to use a hammer on plastic cutting boards. Like hitting a golf ball, it’s very cathartic.

Try Garlic Valley Farms’ garlic juice spray. It’s amazing: You can spray fresh garlic flavor onto anything (burgers, eggs, salads, vegetables—you name it).

The flavor is in the juice, not the clove. Each bottle contains the juice of 150 cloves (1000 sprays). It‘s gluten-free and kosher. Get some.