Tool Time: Garlic Peeler Tube

When I was staying at the beach, the house we rented had a perfectly adequate kitchen.  I think it's hard to cook in a "foreign" kitchen.  No matter how well stocked and supplied the kitchen may be, there will always be certain tools you want but don't have.  Rummaging though the drawers in search of wooden spoons one day, I found a silicon tube.  At first I wasn't sure what it was, but then it dawned on me: It was a garlic peeler!  And I had to give it a try.

The tube is a very silly, very simple tool.  You put your garlic clove(s) in it, press down and roll the tube, then tip it up.  Immaculate, peeled garlic should come tumbling out.

I threw a single clove in and gave it a whirl.  My first attempt was a failure.  The clove was still hidden inside its peel, though a few layers had fallen off.  I decided to add more pressure.  This time it was a success.  Though my garlic clove was a little based up, it was peeled and ready to be used.

The garlic peeler is easy to clean.  You can wash it off or stick it in the dishwasher.  Some pieces of the garlic peel tend to stick to the tube (thanks to static electricity or something!), but a trip through the dishwasher solves any cleanliness issues.

Overall, I'd say this is a pretty decent little tool.  It sells for $9 at Williams-Sonoma, which means you can probably find it cheaper elsewhere.  If you're looking for a stocking stuffer for a cook/garlic-lover, this is it!  Not bad.