Pickled garlic: A winter pantry essential

Usually, garlic cloves are added to homemade preserves, but for a few seasons now, I’ve been making jars filled with just this vegetable. In winter, when I pull out another jar from the pantry, I congratulate myself. In this version, garlic tastes delicious, and the method is really simple.

Pickled garlic is a healthy and tasty addition to many dishes. Thanks to pickling, the garlic becomes more delicate and easier to digest, and its flavour blends perfectly with salads, sandwiches, or meat dishes.

The choice of garlic is important: use fresh, undamaged garlic for the best taste and texture. Storage also matters: store the jars in a cool, dark place after pasteurisation. Pickled garlic tastes best after a few weeks when the flavours have melded. Most importantly, you can experiment with this recipe! You can add other spices to the brine, such as allspice, cloves, or chilli, to enrich the garlic flavour.

Ingredients for Sister Anastazja’s pickled garlic

It’s best to pickle garlic when making other preserves. That way, adjusting the number of cloves to specific jars is easier.

Ingredients:

• Garlic (a few heads, peeled),
• Vinegar (about 475 millilitres),
• Water (about 475 millilitres),
• Sugar (4 tablespoons),
• Salt (2 tablespoons),
• Bay leaves (a few pieces),
• Peppercorns (a few pieces),
• Mustard seeds (1 teaspoon).

Preparation:

1. Preparing the garlic: peel the garlic cloves and wash them thoroughly.
2. Preparing the brine: in a pot, mix water, vinegar, sugar, salt, bay leaves, pepper, and mustard seeds. Bring to a boil.
3. Pickling the garlic: place the garlic in sterilised jars. Pour the hot brine over them, ensuring all cloves are completely submerged. Seal the jars tightly.
4. Pasteurisation: place the jars in a large pot, fill them with water to three-quarters of their height, and pasteurise them for about 10 minutes.

Pickled garlic recipe is an excellent way to prepare this aromatic vegetable for the winter months. Pickled garlic is healthy and perfect as an addition to many dishes. This recipe combines simplicity with exceptional flavour, and preparing jars of garlic is a great way to preserve its freshness and flavour qualities all year round.