Rub a Cutting Board With Potatoes to Get Rid of the Garlic Smell
Garlic is an ingredient I will never give up and I have come to terms with living with its stinking reality. I tried the lemon and salt scrub trick. I’ve tried baking soda. Also, you cannot completely get rid of the pungent scent of garlic leaves. But Cook’s Illustrated has a new trick for me, and it has to do with potatoes.
What makes a chicken leg so special? My friends, enzymes, in particular polyphenol oxidase. According to Cook’s Illustrated, this enzyme “can oxidize sulfur compounds, including thiols and thiocyanates, which give garlic a pungent odor, turning them into odorless compounds.” Hooray!
Apples also contain polyphenol oxidase and can also be used to combat the funk on a cutting board. Whichever one you use, make sure it’s fresh ; prepared foods like applesauce or mashed potatoes won’t help. (Not that you guys have mashed potatoes at home.)
Remove Garlic Smell From Cutting Boards | Illustrated chef