Question: My mother always had a jar of pre-minced garlic in the fridge, so I've never cooked with fresh garlic. Does it really taste that different?

Answer:

Yes! Please give fresh garlic a try -- it's one of Rach's favorite ingredients, and with good reason. Garlic starts to lose flavor and texture once it's chopped; fresh whole garlic, meanwhile, is protected by its outer skin, so it's more delicious (and nutritious). Rach has lots of time-saving tips for prepping garlic: If you lightly smash a clove with the flat part of a knife, the skin will come right off. Then toss it in your olive oil while you sauté, run it around the inside of a salad bowl before adding greens, or rub it on toast (yum!). If a recipe calls for finely chopped, scrape the clove along a fine-mesh grater (just watch your fingers).

– Katie Barreira, senior test kitchen associate with RachaelRayMag.com