Lacto-Fermented Garlic Recipe
Once you tasted aged, fermented garlic, you’ll understand why people patiently wait 2+ months for it to cure. It is also worth delicately removing each garlic sheath without cutting off the root or damaging the flesh to retain health benefits. Have a jar of these going at all times and feel free to use a larger Airlock Fermenter for all you garlic lovers out there.
Equipment
- 3/4 L Airlock Fermenter
Ingredients
- 500 mL non-chlorinated, filtered or distilled water
- 10 grams non-iodized sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds optional
- 8-12 bulbs domestic garlic not from China
Instructions
- Make 500 mL of 2% brine; let cool. (There may be leftovers.)
- Carefully, separate the garlic cloves from the stem. It's best to strip excess papery layers that encase the head before wedging your fingers between the stem and cloves to pry apart. Fill the jar to the brim with cloves to estimate garlic. Once peeled, this amount of cloves should roughly fill the Airlock Fermenter to the shoulder, leaving enough space for brine to cover the cloves.
- Peel the garlic cloves. Start at the root end, using your finger nails or a knife. Do not cut the garlic end while doing this. Leave the clove intact to preserve alliin. Discard any cloves with brown or black spoilage spots like the ones below.
- Fill the Airlock Fermenter to the shoulder (widest part of jar before it narrows) with peeled garlic cloves; lay a flat glass weight overtop to submerged the cloves. Pour brine to the neck of the jar.
- Latch the lid; fill the large airlock, and ferment at 18-22ºC for 1 month away from direct sunlight. Afterward, transfer to the fridge for 1-2 more months to finish curing. Swap the mini airlock for the large airlock if vertical space is an issue, i.e. a fridge.
- When left in an Airlock Fermenter with the airlock inserted, fermented garlic will keep for years in cold storage. Insert the plug once the jar is opened.
Notes
Garlic cloves may turn bluish-green. It isn’t a sign of spoilage; these cloves are still safe and delicious to eat. The colour change happens when compounds in some varieties of garlic cloves react with acids in the brine created through fermentation. This more commonly happens when garlic is cut, which is one reason why being careful when peeling is important.