Given the amount of garlic we consume in our home, I've tried every possible trick in the book, from rattling the pods within two bowls, to shaking them in a jar. I've place a heavy knife on the garlic, a pod at a time, and smacked the blade with the heel of my hand to get the papery skin off. I still do that for small quantities of garlic, but it can get painful if you have too many pods to peel. The most effective way to peel garlic, I've found, is to just crush the clove lightly with a pestle or any heavy kitchen implement you have on hand. This helps the peel pop off easily and crushing the garlic can actually increase its positive health effects, according to scientists.