Up until about a year ago, I had never really eaten pickled garlic more than one clove at a time. That’s because the only time I ever ate it pickled was when it was added to a jar of something else, like pickled cucumbers, green beans or okra. I loved the taste of the garlic, but I never thought much about pickling it all by itself. As it turns out, I didn’t know what I was missing!
pickled garlic from 2010 (click on any image to enlarge)
For the last few years I have been growing more and more garlic here at Happy Acres. I have been harvesting 15 to 20 pounds of garlic every year, and looking for ways to preserve all that bounty. Dehydrating it is one great way to make it last, and you can read how I do it in this article.
Dehydrated Garlic (click on any image to enlarge)
Last year I pickled garlic using a recipe from another blogger who has since made her blog private. Her recipe calls for some sugar in addition to vinegar, and is processed in a boiling water bath so it keeps for a longer period of time. It made for some delicious pickled garlic. This year I wanted to try a different recipe that skipped the BWB and wasn’t as sweet. After some investigating, I settled on a recipe for refrigerator pickled garlic I found in Mother Earth News.
This easy to make pickled garlic may not taste exactly like fresh garlic, but it has a great mellow flavor that every garlic lover should consider trying. Some of the heat is retained, but the pickling process does tame it a lot. And the garlic stays crunchy. And it’s yummy!
peeling garlic for pickling
Since this recipe calls for a lot of peeled garlic, you can speed up the process by using a garlic peeler. Alternately, you can dip the cloves into boiling water briefly, which helps loosen the skins.
ingredients for pickled garlic
While researching food safety information about preserving garlic, I found a link to a UC Davis publication called Garlic: Safe Methods to Store, Preserve and Enjoy. It makes for quick and informative reading, and assured me I could safely keep garlic pickled in vinegar or wine for up to 4 months in the refrigerator. It also has the warning to discard both the garlic and liquid if any mold or yeast growth develops, and to NEVER store the pickled garlic at room temperature.
Easy Refrigerator Pickled Garlic
Easy Refrigerator Pickled Garlic
Print This Recipeadapted from a Mother Earth News recipe
peeled whole cloves of garlic
1 cup white wine vinegar (with at least 5% acidity)
1 Tbsp kosher salt
1. Peel garlic cloves. Drop in a clean, sterilized jar that has a tight fitting lid.
2. Mix vinegar and salt, pour over garlic. If more liquid is needed, use the same ratio of vinegar to salt.
3. Screw lid on jar, place in refrigerator.
4. Let sit for at least a week before tasting to let flavors mellow.
5. Garlic can be stored in the refrigerator for a couple of months.
Such a simple recipe, but I bet it gives delicious results! Now I need to grow even more garlic so I can do some pickling of them as well. 😀
I’ve only eaten the garlic I’ve pickled with my cukes. I don’t think I have enough to pickle though.
It must be refrigerator pickling week because I posted about refrigerator pickled cukes today! 🙂
I really need to try this. I think I said that last year!
Great recipe Dave! It’s incredible how much garlic you grow and are able to use. We are lucky to get through 5 or so pounds in a year!
I like the idea very much but how do you use it once its pickled?
It would be nice on an appetizer or antipasto tray. I just pop it in my mouth and eat it!
I made some of this garlic a month ago, and some of the cloves are turning green. liquid is still clear. What’s happening?
It’s a result of enzymatic reaction to the sulfur compounds in the garlic. Here’s a bulletin from Penn State Extension Service that explains it: Why Does My Garlic Turn Blue?. The garlic is still okay to eat.
Quick, easy and great evening snack. I added small carrot pieces to some (not those baby carrots) and hot pepper. GREAT
Just FYI, the link to the recipe “from Lyn over at Woodbridge” is a private blog that requires both a wordpress account and specific permission to access, so most readers will have the same experience I did, which is that I could not see the recipe.
Thanks for the info! I will update the post.
The link “refrigerator pickled garlic” from Mother Earth News also doesn’t work.
Thanks Bob – I updated the link to the Mother Earth News recipe.
Thanks.