Stephs Cheers and Jeers was provided the samples mentioned in this post in return for an unbiased review.
I love garlic and a friend of mine recently taught me how to make fermented garlic which I must say is SO easy to make. I am hoping to start making more fermented products but today I am going to teach you all how to make fermented garlic.
I recently fermented garlic in both salt brine and honey and I really preferred the honey method however both are tasty!
Ball recently added a whole line of amber jars which I think are perfect for this recipe because they block up to 99% of UV rays which protects your food against food damaging UV rays and even extends its shelf life. These jars are also STUNNING and I think they be great as a decoration or for gifting homemade products. The first thing I thought too was that they would make beautiful centerpieces or vases for a wedding. These are PERFECT for fermenting garlic because the amber color helps protect the garlic while it ferments.
There is tons of information all over the internet about the health benefits of fermented garlic, however, I started making it because the flavor is AMAZING! It has all of the tasty goodness of raw garlic but it has more of a buttery texture and no bitter aftertaste that sometimes raw garlic has.
Step 1:
You want to start by peeling your garlic, I used 2 heads per jar, I sometimes chop the garlic and sometimes I leave them whole, many other recipes on the internet will tell you to leave the root end, however, I cut the part off because I think the final product has more of a buttery texture when you cut that part off.
Step 2:
Rinse jar, place peeled garlic in jars and add either brine or honey.
For Brine: Mix 2 tablespoons of salt to about 1 quart of water, you want to complete submerge the garlic but leave enough space because the mixture will bubble. Most people suggest using Himalayan salt or sea salt, however, I did not have any on hand.
For Honey: Pour raw honey into the jar so that it JUST covers the garlic, you want to leave space because the mixture will bubble.
You want to make sure that the garlic stays submerged, you can purchase fermentation weights however I opted to use a smaller mason jar.
If the garlic does not stay submerged at all time then bad bacteria can grow which will result in mold which will ruin the batch. If you open the jar and see mold or the garlic turns brown, mushy and has a bad smell throw the entire batch away and restart.
It’s important to regularly open the jar slightly to release gases however you don’t want to mess with it too much or else you run the risk of ruining the batch.
Step 3:
Place the jar in a safe place away from direct sunlight for 3-4 weeks before moving into the refrigerator. I save the brine and the honey because the brine can be used in homemade dressings and the honey is GREAT for sore throats.
One thing I really love about Ball’s website is the fact that they have TONS of information about canning and recipes. These new amber jars are GORGEOUS and I can’t wait to can and fermented more products with them.
You can purchase Ball products at Walmart, Target, Big Lots, Ace Hardware, Kroger and more.