Muriel, our website creator and fellow garlic enthusiast, made a bunch of different garlic pickles, using several varieties of garlic and several different recipes. This inspired me and Henry to select a few garlics with a diverse range of flavours and strengths and try them in a couple of interesting recipes we had been given.
With all these garlic pickles to test we did the obvious thing and had a garlic pickle testing party. For each pickle we sliced several cloves and put them on a numbered plate. Each guest was given a sheet with the identity numbers and a space for comments and ranking. They were asked to comment on the flavour and strength and any other noticeable features of each pickle. Not surprisingly, there were some radically different perceptions of the hotness and palatability of the pickles. The comments are included with the recipes below.
Korean Pickled Garlic
For some people this was the favouite pickle at the testing and for others the garlic was overwhelmed by the soy flavour. Tim sent us this recipe which he found on the Vessey & Company website and used with great success. We made it with peeled garlic cloves and that worked well.
- 1 quart unpeeled garlic cloves
- 1 cup vinegar
- 4 cups soy sauce
- 2/3 cup sugar
Procedure:
- Place garlic in a jar. Add vinegar and enough water to cover garlic. The cloves must be fully covered, not floating on top.
- Close jar and let stand for one week, then drain.
- Boil the soy sauce and sugar for 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.
- Pour cooled soy mixture over garlic and seal jar.
The garlic will be ready to eat in 3 weeks. To eat, bite or cut the tips from the cloves, and suck out the meat. If the skins are tender, you can eat the whole thing. The younger the garlic, the more tender the skins.
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Korean Pickles - left
"The Garlic News" Pickles - right |
"The Garlic News" Pickled Garlic
This recipe was given by Audrey to garlic guru Paul Pospisil and he says it is the best he has come across. All the taste testers liked it. A nice, crisp pickle. It is an excellent vehicle for showcasing the different garlics. We made it without the optional spices. Baba Franchuk’s made an excellent, flavourful pickle with this recipe. Some of the milder garlics were considered a bit bland.
- 2 cups peeled garlic cloves
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 cup vinegar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon mustard seed
- 1 bay leaf or whole cloves or picling spices (optional)
Bring all ingredients to a boil in a pot. Cook one
minute. Put in covered jar and refrigerate 24 hours.
Pickled Garlic with Red Pepper
A mild pickle, very pretty. Those who prefer mild pickles loved it and those who were looking for a stronger, more garlicky flavour found it uninteresting.
- 1/2 lb peeled garlic cloves
- 1 large fresh sweet red bell pepper, seeded and slivered
- 2 cups white vinegar
- 2/3 cup white sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon mustard seed
- 1/2 tsp celery seed
Peel garlic. Leave small cloves whole. Cut large cloves in half. Combine with red pepper.
Measure vinegar and sugar into saucepan. If desired, place mustard seed and celery seed in cotton bag and put in saucepan. May also be left loose. Heat on medium-high, stirring frequently, until it boils. Simmer for about 5 minutes. Add garlic and red pepper. Return to boil and boil 3 more minutes. Discard spice bag. Fill hot, sterilized jars with red peppers and garlic to within 1 inch of top. Fill with hot brine to 1/4 inch of top. Seal.
Let stand several weeks before serving. If not sealed, keep in the fridge.
Tip - Why Garlic in Vinegar Turns Blue or Green
Sometimes garlic in vinegar turns blue/green. Changing the pH with vinegar brings about changes in the pigments in the cut garlic. Although undesirable, the changes in colour do not make the garlic unsafe to eat. It is reported that garlic which has been stored for four weeks above 23°C prior to processing does not change colour. |
