1 or more heads of garlic ( I use one medium-large head of garlic for what would be one stick of butter )
knife
aluminum foil
- Heat the oven to 400°F: Set a rack in the middle position.
- Peel (most of) the paper off the garlic: Use your fingers to peel away all the loose, papery, outer layers around the head of garlic. Leave the head itself intact with all the cloves connected.
- Trim the top off the head of garlic: Trim about 1/4 inch off the top of the head of garlic to expose the tops of the garlic cloves. ( as in my photo above )
- Wrap in foil and bake: Wrap the garlic aluminum foil and roast in the oven for 50 minutes to 1 hour. ( I bake mine for an hour )
- Begin checking the garlic: After 40 minutes, begin checking the garlic. The garlic is done when a center clove is completely soft when pierced with a paring knife. Even once soft, you can continue roasting until deeply golden for a more caramelized flavor ( I like it when more deep golden! ) — check the garlic every 10 minutes. Exact roasting time will depend on the size of your garlic, the variety, and its age.
- Use or store the garlic: Let the garlic cool in its aluminium wrap, then open and serve. Press on the bottom of a clove to push it out of its paper. ( Just squeeze it out as you would squeeze a cream out of its tube. 🙂 ) Roasted garlic can also be refrigerated for up to 2 weeks or frozen for up to 3 months.