Pickled garlic is so delicious and very simple to make. Pickling the garlic mellows out the harshness and makes it so tasty you can eat it straight out of the jar. The recipe below consists of a simple brine, some herbs, and garlic. It is designed to be canned using the hot water bath canning method. However, you could use the same recipe and instead make a refrigerator pickle.
Pickled Rosemary Garlic
Recipe adapted from Ball Blue Book Guide to Preserving
Ingredients:
7 Large Heads of Garlic, peeled
1 1/2 Cups Vinegar
1 1/2 Cups Water
1 1/2 Tbsp. Pickling Salt
1 Tbsp. Fresh Rosemary
Peel the garlic, cutting out any discolored parts of the clove.
Combine vinegar, water, salt, in a medium saucepan. Gently bruise the rosemary to release the oils and add to the saucepan. Bring the brine to a boil, allowing the rosemary to infuse the brine while you prepare your hot water bath, jars, and lids. Fill prepared jars with garlic, leaving 1/2″ head space. Once your jars are filled, strain the rosemary from the brine and pour hot brine over the garlic cloves. I added a pinch of red pepper flakes to a few jars, but feel free to omit them.
Wipe the jar rims and apply lids and rings. At this point you can place the jars in the refrigerator or process the jars for 10 minutes, once the water begins to boil.
When the time is up, turn off the heat and leave jars in pot until cool enough to handle. Remove the rings and test the seals. Any unsealed jars should go directly into the refrigerator.
I recommend waiting at least a week or two before opening your first jar. This allows sufficient time for the harshness to dissipate. This will store for up to one year in a cool dark place.
Some other great variations:
Curry Ginger
– add 1/2 tsp grated ginger, 1 tsp curry powder, and 1/2 tsp tumeric to the brine.
Mediterranean
-add 1/2 tsp. each of dried basil, dried rosemary, dried parsley, and dried oregano to the brine.
Enjoy!
Red Kitchen Adventures 