Peel the whole cloves, trimming just a sliver off each to remove the root ends, and place them in a small oven-safe dish. (They don’t need to be spaced out at all. You just need enough room to cover them in oil.)

(As a side note on peeling garlic, I watched various people online put several cloves into a canning jar and shake them up for a bit, which had the magic effect of separating the skin from the cloves. I did this and had decent success with it, although some were still a bit stubborn. It definitely saved time, though.)

Pour olive oil into the dish to just cover the cloves.

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees and roast the cloves for one to one and one-half hours, checking after the first hour.

The cloves are done when they’re a light, nutty brown and are completely soft.

Let the garlic cool completely, and then you can use both the cloves and the oil in recipes where a concentrated garlic flavor would be desireable.

Or, you can eat it spread onto crusty bread and sprinkled with some of your favorite seasonings. Just strain the cloves from the garlic and spread them with a knife.

Store the cloves and oil in the refrigerator.