Garlic

Garlic, famous (or infamous) for its pungent flavor, is an indispensable ingredient in many world cuisines. One bulblike head can contain up to 2 dozen individually wrapped cloves.

How to Choose Garlic
Select heads that are hard, firm, and tight (no broken skin) and that haven’t sprouted. If you are buying prepeeled garlic, look for cloves that are firm and uniform in color, with no discoloration.
How to Store Garlic
Stored in a dark, cool place where air can circulate around it, garlic will keep for up to 2 months.

How to Prepare Garlic
Remove the outer, papery layer of skin and pull off individual cloves. If they’re tight and can’t easily be pulled free, use the ball of your hand to press and roll the head against your cutting board to loosen the cloves. To remove the skin of an individual one, crush the clove lightly and swiftly with the side of a broad knife, use a paring knife to cut each end off, and then peel away the skin. When sautéing garlic, do so briefly and over low heat under close monitoring; burned garlic is bitter.

—Jenny Rosenstrach
Real Simple Garlic Recipes:
See all Garlic recipes »
How To: Peel and Slice Garlic
Garlic is the flavor cornerstone of so many dishes, but preparing it can be messy and time-consuming. Try the simple tricks in this video.