Why Is My Homegrown Garlic Harder to Peel Than Store-Bought?

From my experience, the fresher the garlic, the tougher it is to peel. As garlic ages, the skin becomes drier and the cloves shrink, making peeling easier. Store-bought garlic usually isn’t very fresh. I also recommend using garlic varieties with larger cloves since they’re easier to work with. And if you're using a garlic press, try not peeling it first; I’ve found that it works great when you press unpeeled garlic! Check out this press I use; it has spikes that help with that!