How to Peel Garlic in Seconds with a Drill! (DIY garlic peeling machine)

By now it should come as no surprise that WE LOVE GARLIC. It’s easy to grow, it’s easy to prepare, and it’s easy to preserve. But if only there was an easier way to peel it...
Well, now there is! In this video, I show you how to build a drill-powered machine to peel the garlic for you.
Along the way, we also explore some basic physics, leverage, linkages, and a slider crank mechanism.
Related videos:
How to Make Garlic Powder (from fresh garlic)
• How to Make Garlic Pow...
How to Make EASY Garlic Salt (using fresh garlic)
• How to Make EASY Garli...
Planting 1500 Garlic Cloves in our new Flipped-Sod Raised Beds
• Planting 1500 Garlic C...
Plant Hardiness Zones, Annual Rainfall, and Other Important Information
• Plant Hardiness Zones,...
Instant Raised Garden Beds by Flipping Sod: Expanding our Garlic Patch
• Instant Raised Garden ...
No Dig Garlic: Planting, Harvesting, and Drying Garlic Using the Ruth Stout Method
• No-Dig Garlic: Plantin...
Spring Garden Update: Hugelkultur, Ruth Stout, and Garlic Sprouts!
• Spring Garden Update: ...
GGC - 71 - Planting Garlic in a Modified Ruth Stout Permaculture Garden
• GGC - 71 - Planting Ga...

[@silviamartins3502]

I don’t know how good a farmer you are but I know you are an excellent teacher, a terrific inventor and engineer, great at computer graphics, very, very good screen writer, sounds like a professional narrator and your videos are very well done. All this with wits, depth and a subdue sense of humor. Great practical philosopher all and all. I am glad you chose to be real and share with us all that. Thanks a lot!

[@BackToReality]

This is about the best compliment I could ever hope for. Thank you so much for your comment. You've made my day :)

[@scottreese5492]

Amen to that , if I was good at wording I'd have said the very same thing. That was awesome, I make alot of tools sometimes just to use once for specific job.... but I believe I'm gonna make one of these cause wife and I been eating alot of garlic for health benefits. And peeling is awful. Thanks, and Jesus bless you.

[@drillerdev4624]

Ok. As a garlic peeler, this was an absurd (yet fun) overcomplication. BUT! This video was also the best class in applied physics that I've ever received

[@BackToReality]

Lol, I'll take it! :)

[@overlandventures5924]

Your production quality and story telling are outstanding!.. And we love your content. Thanks for the hard work and entertainment/tips.

[@BackToReality]

Thanks so much. I really appreciate that!

[@samieileen]

Could not agree more. Now I’m looking for your video on how to make garlic powder....

[@GalenCurrah]

And your English language, with enunciates, has a vocabulary, and carefully avoids gonnas-wannas slop from south of the border.

[@jackboltsvolts8986]

@itsasin1969 - Show us how you peel garlic and how smart you are... (also, to all the ones who gave thumbs up)

[@TheMangz1611]

and his voice... omg.. i guess i am in love...

[@kellylarson3565]

My neighbor grows 2.5 acres of garlic he uses a washing machine without the water to peel them another washing to wash them.

[@vivekkhavnekar]

Excellant!!washing m/c idea!!!!!

[@EnlightenedSavage]

old washing machine can be 50$. cheap and reliable. good tip

[@Mermaidjm]

Wow thanks for the info. Wouldn't it be damaging for the washing machine though? Please let me know.

[@dystopiagear6999]

@@Mermaidjm I wouldn't use a brand new washer, nor would I use the one we already have for laundry. But as said above, you can get a used one for very little cost. It won't even have to be hooked up to plumbing. I suspect a clothes dryer would work about the same way and you could disconnect the heating mechanism, just run the motor to tumble the garlic and knock all the peels loose. Perhaps if you left the fan in the dryer running, it would blow all the little peels out through the vent hose for you?

[@dystopiagear6999]

Since most of us don't have 2.5 acres of garlic to deal with, look around for videos about making your own small tumbler with a small motor, a bucket and a homemade stand. Usually people use them to polish rocks or put a stone-washed finished on metal parts, but it should work about the same as a washer for peeling garlic.

[@crazzie7]

Omg! 😮 We have a GENIUS on our hands!! This is fantastic!! ❤️❤️ I love all your tinkering projects!!!

[@davejalenderki]

With 30+ years of industrial maintenance experience behind me I really enjoy seeing videos of ingenuity. It is so easy these days to just purchase whatever you may need without even leaving your home. I like to see people that have an issue and then take the initiative to form and fabricate a solution. This video is a perfect example of that. Thank you for the video. It is informative as well as entertaining.

[@BackToReality]

Thank you so much for this comment. I really appreciate your kind words (especially coming from someone with so much experience), and am glad you enjoyed it!

[@demetriusprovidence5582]

no one asked

[@davejalenderki]

You people are funny...

[@Mothana808]

Dam brother, you just enlightend me about how human species developed based on the lazyness of men, this is some deep thought to think about

[@slappy8941]

Not so much laziness, but the desire to get more return from investment. If you can feed your family with less work, then you can invest that extra time in solving other problems, like heating your house with less energy, etc. If you had ever done physical work to survive, you might understand this.

[@jeanvanrooyen6004]

Amazing it is when you take a snapshot of the world 400 years ago and realise that Africa was unable to even invent the wheel in all the time it had... something Europe did more than 5000 years prior. you should praise the lord that there were people on this planet that evolved due to "the laziness of men". On a side note... imagine where Africa would be if we just let it be.... It would be a zoo my friend, a ZOO

[@Mothana808]

@@slappy8941 give a task with alot of routine to both man and a woman since god created woman that can handle routine fucked work the girl will do it even if it hard they are more determined, but a man will say fuck this i need to make this easier for me

[@tissuepaper9962]

@@SimonWoodburyForget Give a lazy man a hard job, and he will find a way to make it an easy one.

[@robertkrug6824]

necessity is the mother of invention , laziness is the father.

[@hollyslaughter5505]

Good to see you guys back again. What a fantastic time saving invention! I’ll pass this idea onto a handy friend.

[@jeshurunfarm]

Since I am try to get garlic to grow, i have the utmost respect for y'all. Regards from Africa 🇿🇦

[@UncleDutchFarms]

That is probably one of the coolest things I have ever seen. Love it! Someone could probably build it bigger to hold a half gallon jar and peel a whole bunch at once.

[@joeseatat]

Holy smokes! A whole bulb of garlic! That's amazing! I love your method of teaching. It's kind of like a kid's show for adults.

[@eldritchjoe7642]

Love the experimental nature and sound method of a lot of your videos and the way you explain it in a way that is not overly complicated and can be extrapolated from. And it certainly gives them a unique niche in my homesteading stream that makes your channel stand out. My family also loves garlic! And we'll definitely be making one of these.

[@fffan147]

A channel that delivers information fast and doesnt upload twice a day! you got a sub out of me!

[@jameskniskern2261]

We plant several hundred 800+ garlic plants each year. I'm going to have to build one of these things. Thanks for doing the video and sharing the idea.

[@philplasterer1547]

So easy to watch and listen. OUTSTANDING JOB!!!!! And thank you..... THANK YOU FOR SHARING YOUR WISDOM,

[@sheristewart3940]

Oooh! Yeah! Necessity is the mother of invention. That drill-crank mechanism has given me an idea for something else in the kitchen I need a gadget to reduce the enormous time and effort I consume when I 'prep' these. I'll post my own video if and when it works as efficiently as this garlic shaker works.

[@tmorgan7939]

Obviously this thing was crazy from the get go but your ability to describe what was going on in such a peaceful informative tone made me think that Mr Rogers and Bill Nye had a child. I listened to the whole thing even though I could care less how I could peel 20 cloves of garlic at one time with a drill ! All I gotta say is that you must have been a handful when you were a kid and the weather was too bad to go out !

[@DB-lk5tt]

Great delivery and format. Great voice talent (why is it that Canadians and Brits make the best KZbinrs). Auto magic sub!

[@azbaroj]

A very good class of a Mechanical engineering 👏.

[@lockergr]

The amount of effort at this took to create is astounding. I am extremely impressed. You are a man of many talents!

[@davesims3471]

Love your ingenuity! Handy little gadget for those of us that truly love garlic!

[@leeler2410]

Total respect to your commitment and ambition

[@carlacowling1789]

"and voila", you have the basics of the internal combustion engine! New subscriber 12/2019 and I freaking love your over-thunk videos! As a longtime over-thinker myself, I see kindred spirits in you and Paula. The obvious joy you both take in the moments of discovery (that just lead to more questions) is so much fun to watch. Thank you for sharing!

[@rainydaylady6596]

I love it! Add some duct tape on there somewhere and you could be the next Red Green! Lol. It's a wonderful invention and will help you peel lots of garlic from now on. Good to get a video from you. I miss seeing Paula and you on a more regular basis, but you always make great videos.

[@learningaswegocitygonecoun6805]

Thank you for spending several hours in the workshop 😂. I am sharing this video with my garlic loving family. 💗

[@rbpe3thatsme841]

That was absolutely ridiculous and I loved it. I’m going to Ramp it up. Thanks

[@boboscurse4130]

We just processed our garlic harvest. My thumbnails are killing me. Now I found this video. I'm definitely making this for next season!

[@krm4348]

The mechanics is good. To improve the function, Introduce a nylon or steel net inside the jar to make surface rough instead of smooth glass. It should peel faster than you expect.

[@Gkuljian]

What a crackup- This is a lot like what I was doing with a motor and a controller before the controller died. I have a round disc instead of a crank arm (because I have discs laying around). And a linear bearing. I haven't quite got the container figured out. I want it removable so it can be washed. It's great to see that you've proven the distance it takes to accomplish this. I'm still going to finish it whenever an affordable dc controller shows up on ebay.

[@bigsuperpower]

Love it , DIY looks so easy on the tube, but far from reality. Then too do all this video works is another challenge, have to all share the love to you guys for thanking the time and effort

[@AlaskaBrandy]

I love how to can turn any problem into a great video. I feel like you are the Bill Nye of homesteading! Lol I would have just outsourced the shaking to my son. Pretty nifty.

[@ronwalsh]

Wow, I can't think of a better word than wow. I am building one of these for sure. Thanks for posting.

[@tatymschneider6681]

Love it! Glad to see you back on youtube. And I'm looking forward to spring and the start of planting season.

[@FUUNNIIEEE]

This is absolutely genius.

[@paraelwares]

Brilliant. It's even brilliant the extra seconds at the end, so to be able to watch the thumbnails of other videos without rushing or loosing them. :D Thanks.

[@libbyjensen1858]

Finally, another video from Back To Reality! It's been a terribly long winter here in Minnesota, this video is a day brightener! Can't wait for more of your insight and humor this gardening season!

[@secondyaya]

So creative! You should patent it and sell it!

[@LiveYourLifeWithJoy]

This. That would save time in a restaurant, for example

[@golden.333]

I would buy it, seriously consider making one.

[@786swe]

There are ekextric garlic peeler/presser combo unit for restaurant use.

[@benth162]

We use multiple heads of garlic a week and I do just what you showed at the beginning of the video. It's not always fun but when you want flavor garlic is the only way to go.

[@laurieanne9712]

Love the inquisitive problem solving ethic! Fabulous idea.

[@theblueoverseer4774]

I love your channel, didn't even realize this was you at first. I have trouble growing garlic where i live (so far) and spent 4 hours peeling about 5 heads of softneck the other day, super tiny bulbs with cloves that didn't even weigh a gram. I never thought about making a piston/mason jar shaker tin, and you're going to save me a lot of time on the 3/4 of a bag of garlic I got left. P.S. Spice world can stick their company where the sun don't shine.

[@delwynv]

Wow what an awesome video I learnt a lot more than just peeling garlic, instant subscriber! Really appreciate the work you put into the production of your video.

[@rajeev3275]

You are one heck of a story teller. You can make engineering sound like Snowwhite and the 7 dwarfs. Amazing!!!

[@larrylund2682]

I really enjoy the way you think. You could go PRO on an inventors gig.

[@inthenow8249]

This is another really creative solution, equal to (or perhaps greater than) your potato storage saga. But I got to tell you, it's a darn good thing you decided to use your powers for good. 🤦‍♀️🤣

[@konradgola9132]

You must have a lot of free time to think up things like this but the result is just great and I love it

[@markp4967]

omg, I LOVED your video! and your narration, top notch. what a welcomed breath of fresh air

[@2GFactFinder]

Brilliant demo - Thanks for your time.

[@f.n.schlub2269]

I know a boutique restaurant in my town that could benefit from an industrial variation on your gadget. Go ahead. Make it. People will buy it.

[@dystopiagear6999]

@dolofonos point-of-purchase impulse sales at craft fairs, flea markets, farmers' markets etc can be very lucrative, though. Folks may *think* about ordering one online, but when they see it right in front of them and you give them a quick demo, they're more likely to actually *buy* one. Worth a try if you sell other stuff that way.

[@davethedestroyer9727]

It is amazing how crafty you are! I ESPECIALLY liked your home-made lawn trimming catcher idea, I know you'll come up with many more brilliant inventions judging by this video!

[@MrNhojstrebor]

Nice invention. I would buy one if I saw it in a store.

[@wipeoutxl21]

place all garlic in pots taped down, put in back of pickup, drive 5 minutes down a bumpy dirt road.....peeled garlic

[@murphy13295]

I was just thinking the same thing . Going to give it a try . ( the truck , not mum )

[@sheristewart3940]

@David L Secure your pots in the boot, or wherever you would put a suitcase, then drive over a few speed bumbs.

[@dakotadarling8760]

wipeoutxl Ya’ll are too funny!!! But works for me as I’m all thumbs trying to build something.

[@dakotadarling8760]

lordjaashin 🤦‍♀️😂

[@GenIus-zm3qf]

not all people have trucks

[@johnclamshellsp1969]

OUTSTANDING Sir. Winter time and stuck indoors has done well. BTW, that DIY garlic powder is outstanding as well, amazing on steaks and chicken. Thank you.

[@MeliponiculturaenCostaRica]

OMG, I wouldn't even imagine how easy the conversion of movement was Even though I had ever seen it on other videos, I will definitely build one if my first planting of tropical garlic in Costa Rica works. They are usually grown over 1400m, but I am at 700 right now

[@SomeRoomtoGrow]

This video is so rad, I love it. Very well done.

[@gregoshaughnessy3674]

I like it. if you're the kind of cook who prepares ingredients in bulk, such as garlic paste, the few hours in the workshop shrink to insignificance compared to the time saved in the kitchen.

[@debbiegallett1125]

That was so fun to watch. I can't wait for your snow to melt so you can get back out in the garden.

[@romkoh]

Thoroughly enjoyed the lesson and technical lesson. You have just won yourself a subscriber. Cheers

[@perletz]

This video was so much fun to watch - not that I will ever make this as I find it relaxing to peel garlic the old fashioned way - but - really appreciate your fine work!

[@abhiiitm]

I liked your way of solving problem. 1000 likes

[@jasongondola9687]

I love it , I love it , I love it , I love it , I love it , I love it !!! Keep up the good work on the channel.

[@hummingbirdhillhomespun5421]

I found your channel in December and quickly watched every video you published since you bought your land (and some of the travel videos as well...I am saving them for spring rainy times). I just love your ideas, your production values, and your experimental mindset. I was so excited to see a new video today! I'm using cardboard and hay this year to help combat weeds and grow things. Your work is one of the things which inspired me to start my own channel. Now I just have to get better at this video thing! ;)

[@laurieanne9712]

Take care with that cardboard. I, too, tried it in my earlier gardening years & found that it drew snakes.

[@hummingbirdhillhomespun5421]

@@laurieanne9712 I will keep an eye out. I love snakes and we have none which are deadly, so I will try and make sure I don't step on them. I am using hay mulch on a super weedy hill, and have found a few snakes in there already. They were super sleepy, so weren't quite sure what was up when I moved them over to a tree stump so the chickens didn't try to get them! Weeds may well be the death of me.

[@KarenShanley]

Love your videos-- learning tons. You guys do a great job.

[@AnthonyVimalC]

Man.. U r awesome... Detailing is superb

[@bigdog4173]

Very good video,well presented and narrated,fully explained. Thank you

[@tiffanyvang1085]

You made a popular topic very interesting.

[@SuperPradeep86]

You should be qualified for the Nobel prize.

[@gabbigeter7725]

This is brilliant, I could see during this to make butter and such. Thank you. Great video.

[@phalaircarter9264]

Exactly fresh ! You completely inspired me

[@super_steven_1776]

im so excited for the new video!

[@hpldm1937]

You are top notch. This is really brilliant.

[@mccitstudent]

Very clever. Excellent narration.

[@christinecharles2679]

Brilliant ! Thanks for sharing this creation and explaining it so clearly.

[@jefftaylor5370]

Thanks for sharing this. I think the reciprocating saw approach would work if you placed the jar vertically. In that configuration, the cloves hit the bottom of the jar, are tossed up, then hit the bottom of the jar again. Over and over. You might face some weight issues in that design, but for smaller batches it could work. It’s a simpler design than the drill design and might be easier for some people.

[@Abzarad]

You are a very resourceful guy/team. I am sure you are going to come up with a game-changing idea in farming soon!

[@marzansazid6627]

Life changing brother, life changing.

[@infinitx1330]

That was a nice story and a clever idea

[@paulsmart5199]

Another genius eureka moment... love it

[@TangentJim]

Fantastic Video -- you took us from the shaking pot,to amazing results.Your articulation was perfect. I watch a lot of youtube videos. You are the best video creator I've seen. Three thumbs up .

[@BackToReality]

Wow, thank you so much!

[@TangentJim]

@@BackToReality I'm like the umpire -- " I call them like I see them "

[@PistonShack]

Thanks for sharing! Great little home made machine. I wanna try this way!

[@pathopkins4882]

Now, all that needs to be done, is paint the wood dark blue and add your logo!😂. Loved it!!

Very ingenious. Now you need an automatic filler and emptier and you can do tons of garlic.

[@ThingsGalore]

LMAO! Yasss! This is the video I didn’t know I needed in my life...

[@enyaw1948]

It's nice to have nothing else to do, by the way very creative !

[@ykky5765]

That was fun to watch! Thanks from Australia

[@althovio]

That was profoundly entertaining! and, educational!

[@womenswellness1577]

Awesome, thanks for sharing - true inventor at best

[@unechaine1]

Excellent bricolage super efficace, bravo !

[@dymondwillow2]

100K! wow. Congrats.

[@prabalmitra9532]

While I loved it because of the physics part my friend prefers to shake the garlic in a bottle. As the preparation before and the dismantling after the operation is too much. Leave aside looking for an extra place to keep it. BUT I JUST LOVED IT 👏👏👏👏

[@robotech1990]

ooooh my mouth is watering from thinking in garlic mayonaise , pesto and dark bread!!!!!!

[@chelseahartweg2938]

Gah I love your videos so much! I love the style of how you explain things. Keep on being awesome!

[@valeriejones5458]

I love your explanations in your videos. Really a great job.

[@artytomparis]

:) always informative Even when it's crazy complex potato storage.

[@HappyGnoux]

that was fun to watch and super interesting^^ thank you for this great idea! i love powdered garlic and pickled garlic too! so this is a great invention for me!^^

[@عبدالباسطعبدالصمد-ع3د]

You make things look easy and iiii love it

[@DoctorLifestyle1010]

Perfect flow.. i love it. learned so much

[@BackToReality]

I’m so glad you liked it!

[@JC-bj6pe]

That's science. Good job!!!!!👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

[@guinness77100]

A man's most at home making cool gadgets like this. Just ad beer. (Great vid BTW!!!)

[@blockycore9701]

OMG,amazing quality and besides gardening stories ideas and recipies,you even do a bit of bricolaje(house managment?),and by the way,next Canadian spring(here in northern Italy si allready spring,but it began 1 month ago),could you plant some strawberries is one of the Hugulkultur beds(PLS i love strawberries) and i think that you could buy some fruit tree saplingws for trhe clearing with the apple trees,it will be an amazing little orchad. PS:My english is not native so escuze me for any gramar mistakes!!

[@kathleenzimmerman8227]

You're an ABsoLUTE GENIUS!!! I LOVE this!!! :-D