How to Make Fermented Garlic
This fermented garlic method is extremely simple, nutritious, and amazingly tasty. It can be applied to any vegetable you wish to ferment. It could not be any easier!
Equipment
- 1 large bowl
- 1 small to medium bowl
- 1 cutting board.
- 1 solid knife.
- 1 large 2 cup measuring cup
- 1 spoon
- 1 clean glass jar with a lid - (Big enough to house your garlic cloves, with an inch of air space at the top.)
Ingredients
Spice Mix
- 3 or more sprigs fresh or dried dill fresh is best, but dried still works well too
- ¼ tsp whole peppercorns
- ¼ tsp whole mustard seed
Brine
- 2 cups warm, unchlorinated water
- 1 tble sea salt
Instructions
- Gather up all your beautiful garlic bulbs.
- Break the cloves apart and remove any that are soft or appear to have issues.
- Peel all the garlic cloves, placing them in a clean bowl for later. Note: I find pinching the bottom growing portion of the garlic to be the easiest way to get the peel to come away from the inner clove.
- Get your clean glass jar and add your spices to the bottom
- Cut off the growing end of the garlic, where the roots would grow from. Place the cut garlic into the jar. Continue until all the garlic is trimmed and your jar is full.
- Make brine
- Mix the brine with a spoon till all the sea salt is dissolved. Then pour the brine mixture into your jar, covering all the garlic cloves; leave a 1- to 1.5-inch air space at the top for the gasses to escape and to keep it from bubbling over and making a mess.
- Place the jar on a plate or bowl to catch any bubbles that may overflow, then find a nice, warm, clean spot that is out of direct sunlight. This will be a good place to keep your garlic jar while it ferments over the next 5 days or so.
- You can cover the top of the jar with cheesecloth and an elastic band to secure it, or just lightly place your lid on top of the jar to allow the gasses to escape.
Notes
You can use this brine and spice mix for any vegetable you wish to ferment. It works great!
Some people also cover the jar and lid with a clean tea towel. To block out the light and keep it warm. (It just depends on if you can find a shady, clean, warm spot or not.)
Every day, turn and lightly jiggle the jar around, this allows the air bubbles and gasses to escape.
Leave the garlic for up to 5 days to ferment, and when the flavor and texture have matured to your liking, put the jar in the fridge. The cooler temperatures of the fridge slow down the fermentation process.
The brine will start to lightly foam and bubble. Evidence that the beneficial bacteria are starting to work their magic. The color of the brine will also change, from clear to a light golden color.
If a soft or slightly spoiled clove gets in there, sometimes a kind of scum will form on top. Just skim it off. It is a form of yeast; it is not bad for you.
As long as the cloves are below the brine they will last for a very long time. Especially if you are storing them in the fridge after they have fermented to the texture and flavor of your liking.