You know how sometimes when you’re at the gym, there’s a guy next to you, sweating away, who just exudes the smell of a lasagna? I’m that guy. I can retain the smell of garlic and purge it through sweat like weeks after my last garlic consumption. It’s ridiculous. I also, sadly, have a bit of a love hate relationship with garlic. I LOVE eating it, and for years (this is how in touch with my body I am) I would eat raw garlic in hummus or in salsa or in a salad dressing and be totally perplexed by the horrible bloating and discomfort I would experience afterwards. I finally realized, again, after years of this, that I’m basically garlic-intolerant. So you lactoids and GFers out there, I feel your pain. I know this sounds weird and that garlic-intolerance isn’t a thing, but tell that to my belly when it chooses to imitate that of a 9-months preggo belly after a single bit of raw mince enters it. The weirdest part, though, is that it’s only raw garlic; roast it, boil it or sauté it and I’m in garlic heaven.
Happily, my garlic free pass also applies to fermentation. I can chomp down on a fermented clove and experience no ill effects, which makes me really, really happy. I don’t tend to eat these cloves raw, though. They aren’t as pungent as raw garlic, but they maintain their crisp texture, so if you ever wanted to freak out your friends by appearing to eat a bulb or two of raw garlic, fermented would be the way to go.
I let my garlic ferment for a good, long time, but if you are the impatient sort, you could always add a bit of whey to get it going fast. I don’t mind it slow, though. Even a pint lasts a long time in our garlic loving house.
PICKLED GARLIC
Yield 1 pint of pickled cloves
A few notes: Sometimes garlic turns green/teal/blue when it ferments. It’s totally fine to eat (and can make certain kids giggle with delight when they eat it). Sadly this batch stayed white, so I don’t get to show you those fun shades of organic green. It has to do with the age of the garlic and amino acids. More on blue garlic here.
Regular readers will note that I use about double the salt in this recipe that I do in many of my pickle recipes. There are a few reasons for this. The longer fermentation time is one, and the fact that I use these as a seasoning rather than a chomping pickle is another. If you feel that it’s too much for you, feel free to reduce the salt.
Organic garlic is greatly preferred here. Like ginger and hot peppers, I always buy (or grow) organic to avoid vegetables that have possibly been irradiated. If all the bugs, good and bad, are dead, fermentation will simply not occur.
Balking at peeling all that garlic (and yes, you’ll want to peel it rather than buying the pre-peeled cloves that are treated with all kinds of preservatives that could impede fermentation)? Try this fun method of peeling a whole bulb quick. It’s fun, it works, and you’ll even burn a few calories.
If this is your first time making fermented pickles, please check out my Pickle FAQ before getting started.
Ingredients
- 4 heads garlic, cloves peeled and separated
- 1 Tablespoon salt
- 1 cup room temperature, filtered water
How-To
- Stir salt into water until dissolved. Alternatively, you can heat the water for easier salt dissolution, but you’ll need to let it come back to room temperature before pouring it over your garlic.
- Put your peeled garlic cloves into a quart-sized jar, cover with your (room temperature brine).
- Make sure garlic is kept away from air, using either an airlock or gasket jar or a cheapo/free method, such as the jar method.
- Let your jar sit at room temperature for 4 weeks (they can go much, much longer) away from direct sunlight. You may want to check at the two week point to make sure brine hasn’t evaporated. Keeping your cloves submerged is essential! If the brine is low, add a touch more.
- I say this garlic is getting close to done when the smell of it changes from harsh, raw garlic to the alluring aroma of roasted garlic. After that, it’s acidity preference and you’re free to chomp dem cloves. If there’s any garlic pungency left, they aren’t done (at least to my preference).
- Make some alarmingly tasty hummus, salsa or pesto!
Becky says
I love garlic, but I am just not a fan of using raw garlic in anything but Caesar Salad – it can be a bit much. I’m doing this today!
I’ve noticed the garlic in some of my pickles – esp. my green bean pickles, turns blue green. Now I know why! Thanks.
Amanda says
Yes, garlic is wonderful! I think that’s why I fought the knowledge that my body didn’t like it for so long. Roasted and fermented are now my top ways to consume it, and that’s good enough for me! Happy fermenting!
Judy says
Hi Amanda, I made this last night can’t wait to try them. I have a problem though. This is my first attempt at LF Garlic (made Kimchi years ago in a crock with a rock on top). I am not sure how to store, I have the garlic and brine in a TOO big container, the garlic is completely submerged. Do I screw on the mason jar top, do I not cover? So confused. Thank you.
DonRad says
put on a lid and watch it. You should see bubbles emerging in a few days. Bacteria will be turning sugars in the garlic into lactic acid. Lactic acid is vinegar. If mold develops scoop it off and then store in a smaller container.
Amanda says
Lactic acid isn’t vinegar. Vinegar is made with different concentrations of acetic acid (which does form in small quantities in some stages of fermentation). I would personally not mess around with mold on a garlic ferment, although in general, I am mold tolerant.
gail metcalfe says
I fermented garlic for the first time last year. They turned out wonderful… I used a quart mason jar, filled it to the shoulder and covered with the brine. I let it ferment on the counter FOREVER… it took about 4 months to get to the mild tasty stage. I chomped down on one clove (they were big) each day for several months, and even sipped on the juice. I discovered the secret to keeping the cloves below the brine is to do them up as soon as they are cured while the cloves are still to heavy to want to dance on up to the surface.
Sandra Lester says
I’m making some today. Last year they turned out perfect. After a month of brining I drained them. Washed and sterilized the jar. The redid the brine with 1/2 the salt (boiled and cooled the new brine) after that I put them in the fridge and they lasted all winter. Still have some left and they are fine.
Amanda says
Hi Sandra,
So great to hear that! Just so you know, boiling the brine and sterilizing jars aren’t necessary for fermentation, so if you’re busy you can save yourself the time!
Cinnamin Herring says
Glad to know that I’m not alone with the garlic intolerance. I ignored the problem for a long also because of my love for garlic. Then, I could stand it no longer and realized that it was hurting my body to continue eating it. I have been fermenting vegetables for years, but had never tried garlic. It occurred to me out of the blue that I could probably tolerate fermented garlic because I can tolerate dairy products that are fermented or cultured well not being able to tolerate them otherwise. I tried a piece of fermented garlic that was in some pickles I bought. Everything was great! I was so excited… Not one single negative effect. So, whether they want to admit it or not, garlic intolerance is a thing… And fermenting it solves that problem.
zuzka ou says
Heat and low acidity is destroying most powerful (and most irritant) substance in garlic – allicin. So, garlic loses superpowers, but keep standard healing powers with other substances.
And garlic is also high in inulline content – it is prebiotic stuff and it may cause bloating. It is eaten by lactobacilli during fermentation, too.
I´m from strong, raw garlic loving country*, and we have a trick for better digestion of raw garlic – eat it without a inner sprout. I have not an idea why it is working, but it does.
DonRad says
This recipe does not involve heat or high acidity.
Pickle guy says
Take a pH reading. The pickles I make hit about 3.3 on the acidity scale just from lactobacilli.
rod says
It may be that the bacteria eat the allicin and digest it and turn it into aliin — which, as I recall, is the superpower part.
gail metcalfe says
oh I hope you are correct. i have read different times where you should smash the garlic a few mins before you eat it to allow the allicin to develop… always wondered if I was selling myself short by fermenting instead of using fresh. This year, my garlic developed a gel on the top couple of inches supposedly pectin from the skins — until I realized what it was, I was skeptical and actually dumped a couple bottles when that began to happen..
Alissa @ Connoisseurus Veg says
Hi Amanda! I was so excited to see this post because I also have trouble digesting raw garlic. I tried it out and after four weeks the liquid and garlic cloves have turned brownish. The garlic was very fresh, so I don’t think that has anything to do with it. Have you seen this before and do you know if this is normal? It smells great, so I’m really hoping it’s okay to eat. It not I’ll definitely try again. Thanks for posting this!
Amanda says
Hi Alissa,
Absolutely! After a month or so of fermentation, my cloves also start to brown. Totally fine to consume! You may find that they still have the pungent taste of fresh garlic, even after they’ve browned and smell very roasted. That’s okay, too. In fact it’s great for folks like us who may want that flavor in a salsa or hummus, but don’t want to suffer afterwards. Nice to know someone out there also has my weird affliction!!
Enjoy your garlic!
Amanda
Alissa @ Connoisseurus Veg says
So glad to hear it – I’ve been itching to use my cloves in some hummus! Thanks Again!
Denis Ellinger says
Great article-thanks for sharing. So after the four week fermentation can I can the garlic? I have LOTS and would like to can some for this winter-Thanks
Amanda says
Hi Denis,
Unfortunately, I am not a canner and I really can’t give you any guidance on canning stuff. You can ferment this garlic for months and months and months, so if you’re concerned with getting it through the winter, fermentation alone will do the trick. For information on canning, my friend, Marisa McClellan, has a wonderful (and famous) blog you should definitely check out: Food in Jars. Sorry I can’t help with the canning question. I’m very jealous of your garlic abundance!!
Amanda
Bob says
Leave as is in the fridge thru the winter, it will keep fine. Canning will kill the good bacteria of the ferment
Laura says
Please be careful with garlic and canning. Yes it can be pressure canned but not water-bath canned unless it is pickled, (usually in vinegar with 5% acid).
The rub with canning garlic is although lacto fermentation is a process that produces a tart pickled tasting product it may not be high enough in acidity to water-bath can it. The acid level must be 4.6 or lower to be water bath “cannable”.
The reason pickling garlic is tricky is because it is very common for garlic to have a lot of botulinum spores on it. These are not viable if kept in an aerobic atmosphere or acid or heated at high temps. They can survive perfectly in an anaerobic environment such as a canning jar heated at lower than 240º or under oil.
Good luck with the canning. It’s possible but needs to be done carefully. No one wants to make anyone else or themselves sick.
Here is a good recipe for pickled garlic.
county.wsu.edu/chelan-douglas/health/Documents/Pickled%20Garlic.pdf
and this one:
http://www.seriouseats.com/2011/11/how-to-pickle-garlic.html
Amanda says
I wouldn’t recommend canning ferments, unless you have an excellent pH meter and a lot of canning experience. They taste better fresh, are safer and more nutrient-rich when they aren’t canned.
Denis Ellinger says
Amanda,
Thanks for the tip-it looks like a great site.
God bless and thanks again!
Denis
rose says
I love to eat raw garlic,but my friend I should not do that,she said.it was not healthy,it causes disease. Garlic helps me in alot of ways for blood pressure. ???
Amanda says
Hi Rose,
I can’t reply scientifically about the health aspects of eating raw garlic, but from what I know, it is a healthy thing to do (maybe not for one’s breath, but garlic definitely has many, wonderful health benefits). I think if you like it and it makes you feel good, you’re fine. Personally, eating raw garlic makes me feel terrible, so I don’t do it. Of course, I’m not a medical professional, but to me, that’s always a good rule of thumb!
Happy chomping!
Bill T. says
Regarding irradiated garlic — wouldn’t simply adding some whey off the top of some yogurt do the trick? Any suggestions on how much?
Amanda says
Hi Bill,
Yes, you could use whey as a starter, but that’s not really my style. It adds bacteria (though beneficial) other than those that would naturally occur during vegetable fermentation and can make vegetables quite slimy. It does speed up fermentation, though, which some would see as an advantage.
If you’re into using whey for vegetable fermentation, most of the whey-fermented vegetables in Sally Fallon’s Nourishing Traditions seem to use about 4 T per quart.
Good luck!
The Gilded Sprout says
Hello, I fermented some garlic in this way and left it for a good couple of months. I have watched it turn from white to a dark green/blue colour which is facinating when you get over the fear of eating it!
The smell is deep and rich and it is a great product. Thank you for sharing this!
km says
Help! I just made your recipe and decided to be creative and add toasted sesame seeds without thinking….Will this ruin the fermenting process of the raw garlic???
Amanda says
Hi Km,
Definitely should not be a problem. There are two potential issues, but both are small. Seeds can be a bit oily, so sometimes the oils can rise to the surface and oxidize. That’s not a big deal and you can just skim the oil off once fermentation is over IF it even happens.
The other, more likely issue is that the seeds themselves will rise to the surface. You definitely don’t want that, because they will attract mold, especially in a longer ferment like this one. If the seeds look pretty well submerged, that’s great. Just keep an eye on them. If you see a lot of them floating on the surface, you’ll want to give your jar a stir or a shake every few days. Of course this all depends on your submersion method! If you used a weight or plastic bag this may not be an issue at all.
I hope that helps!
Cynthia says
My first experiments a few years ago turned me off do to the fruit flies and the “blooms”. I had tried both cabbage and then cucumbers in an old fashioned open crock with a plate, a weight and a cloth cover-wrap. Revisiting this with renewed enthusiasm as I cannot digest vegetables but have no problems with the lacto-fermented array in the fridge at the natural food store. I am eating so much of it that it is time I begin myself.
So, begin I have. First experiment is with garlic. I peeled enough to fill up to about 2″ from the top of a quart mason jar and the rest filled a pint 1/2 way. I am using glass weights and plastic lid with hole and airlock. They will have doing their thing for 2 weeks come tuesday.
When I open the cupboard the wonderful aroma of garlic comes on out. When I opened the lid to the jars though a different odor, more or rot, seems to be there along with the potent aroma of the garlic . They have not turned any colors. The liquid is quite cloudy. The edges around the inside of the rim area, though, seems to have tiny “crumbs” from the garlic that have floated on up and touched the oxygen which I believe is the culprit of the nasty stench apparent. There are also some spidery looking lines of light pink on the glass weights even though they are completely submerged in brine with a good 1″ of brine covering them.
So, my questions are:
If the nasty crumbs get in the with the garlic when I fish out some to taste, will I spoil the jar?
And will I get sick?
And do you have a clue what’s with the pink spidery lines on the glass weights?
Thanks so much for any guidance here.
Blessings,
Cynthia
Amanda says
Hi Cynthia,
I’m going to tell you to do a few things that I don’t normally tell people to do. First, pink mold (usually fusarium, from what I’ve read) can be fine, but there are also pathogenic forms of pink mold so unfortunately I would say that this batch needs to be ditched. It will be fine in the compost if you have that! The off smell is a good indicator that things are not right in there.
So a few questions: Is this garlic from a source you trust? And is it garlic that you peeled yourself? Pre-peeled garlic has preservatives on it and that can impact the fermentation process.
The other thing I’m going to recommend that I normally don’t is sterilization. I would boil the heck out of the jar that had the garlic in it and try again (and the lid and potentially anything else that came into contact with it. Only this time, start with a vegetable that is quicker to ferment. If you like radishes or beets, that’s where I would start. Chop them into relatively small pieces, make sure everything you’re using is very clean and make sure that you use enough salt. I think you just need to get a success under your belt and then you’ll be good to go!
I’m going to link you to a few things that might be helpful! If you haven’t read the Pickles guide, it’s a good place to start!
You can also try these how-tos for some helpful hints (feel free to substitute other types of radishes and beets than the ones featured):
Celia Smith says
I love fermented garlic, but I pulse the cloves in a mini-food processor before fermenting. The chopped garlic is so easy to use in recipes, and it does turn a beautiful blue-green when cut. I hate to heat the wonderful ferment, but justify that the process has preserved the garlic to make food prep easier when I use it in cooked dishes. Wonderful for salads.
Amanda says
That’s great, Celia! Smaller pieces also ferment more quickly, for those who are in a (relative) hurry!
Yogisecrets says
Hi, Do you know if fermenting garlic destroys the allicin? I’m wondering if fermented garlic can still be used as an antimicrobial? Thanks!
Amanda says
Hi! I’m sorry to say that I have no idea! Come back and fill us in if you find out!
Mike M. says
I was wondering what would happen if you fermented these in a fermentation jar and kept it outside for a month in the heat? Do you think you could reach a half-way black garlic effect? Could there be any safety concerns about fermenting in 90F+? I guess this would also be high maintenance about keeping the water seal constantly filled. Your thoughts would be appreciated.
Amanda says
Hi Mike,
I would actually not recommend doing that. Black garlic, from everything I’ve been able to find, is not actually fermented. It’s deliciousness is definitely sweet, and while there are exceptions, fermented foods tend to get more sour during fermentation rather than more sweet. Sugars are consumed and not developed. I’ve spoken to a black garlic producer about this and from what she was able to tell me, although they were calling their process fermentation, it was more like a very slow caramelization.
To answer your question more directly, it’s not inherently unsafe to ferment at 90 degrees. However, that temperature may be too hot for some strains of lactic acid bacteria. Normally I would tell you to try it and see, but in the case of garlic, I wouldn’t. Garlic is generally not a very vigorous fermenter. You won’t get tons of CO2 (bubbles) and therefore it can be challenging to see how fermented they are. If they fail to ferment in the high temperature, you’re really not going to want to taste to find out. C. botulinum does just fine in high temps, and if fermentation doesn’t initiate, you don’t have any protection against it. (Fermentation itself provides protection against botulism by inherently creating acid).
That’s my best info! I hope it helps!
Char says
after the fermentation period, do you refrigerate? thanks!
Jean says
I have been fermenting my garlic in a crock for about 3 weeks and it has developed a sweet taste. Is this normal?
Amanda says
Hi Jean,
Hmmmm, if you’re just using a salt brine and garlic, then I would say probably not normal, but I can’t be sure. What else do you see going on in there? Mold or yeast? Do you have access to pH strips? If so, you can test the brine. You want to look for a reading of 4.0 or below for optimal safety.
Jean says
Hi Amanda, I don’t see anything else in the brine but I rinsed off all the garlic, washed the crock and put the garlic back in. I then filled it with juice from some fermented dill pickles we had just made. It has been a few days and the brine still taste fine. Is this safe to reuse brine?
Sue says
Hi Amanda!
Thanks for this! So, I have been fermenting mine for about 3 weeks and some of the garlic floated to the top, though most are at the bottom. I tried one just now from the top, and it’s still quite harsh. Is this because it wasn’t fully submerged? Is it normal for some of the garlic to float?
Thanks,
Sue
Amanda says
Hi Sue,
Thanks! No, the floating shouldn’t impact things a whole lot (other than increasing the chance that you’ll have Kahm yeast or mold on the surface). I’ve made this recipe many times, and yes, there are times when the garlic harshness lasts for a good long while. I’m not sure why it’s longer sometimes than others. If you find you don’t like the flavor after you’re done waiting, consider using the brine for salad dressings and other kinds of seasoning. Otherwise, sadly, the best thing I can tell you is to wait. 🙁
Molly says
I have brined garlic both peeled and unpeeled. When I brine it unpeeled, I put the whole bulbs in the jar. The bulbs are easy to peel after the fermentation and I think they preserve better unpeeled. In the future, I will only preserve them unpeeled.
Marybeth says
Hi Amanda,
I have some fermenting garlic – now 4 weeks. I used less salt and put some celery seed in my brine. They are all submerged and in a Fido jar covered with a tea towel. The garlic, majority, are pink. Not blue, or green but pink. No mold. Hmm, should I throw them out?
Thanks.
Marybeth
Amanda says
Hi Marybeth,
I’m so sorry, but I would say yes. I can’t say that I know what is wrong with them, but lower salt + pink concerns me. As a rule, things in the pink/orange/red family are not desirable in ferments, although generally that rule applies to mold (which would form on the surface), not to the thing itself changing colors. It could be the result of excess yeast forming from the lower salt level, but I just don’t know, and I don’t think it’s worth the risk.
I’m sorry I can’t be of more help. Crossing my fingers for a perfect next batch for you!
Michelle says
My garlic has finished fermenting and it did turn blue (kept in a jar with aluminum lid) so that I’m okay with. My one concern is that there is a sediment layer at the bottom…that resembles SCOBY…and I’m not sure if this is normal? Haven’t read anything about it and I’m also not sure where the sediment could have came from!
Amanda says
Hi MIchelle,
Without seeing it, I can’t say, but sediment is absolutely normal in fermented pickles. I wrote a whole post about that white stuff in the brine and in the bottom. Hopefully this will look close enough to what you’ve got to make you feel good!
Chris D. Cush says
I bought two jars of pickles (dill & sweet). After the pickles had been eaten, I tried adding raw peeled garlic cloves to the pickle juice. After about 2 weeks in the fridge, the cloves started turning blue. As a precaution, I discarded them.
Any idea what went wrong?
Amanda says
Hi Chris,
Yes, that is not uncommon in either fermented or vinegar pickles (which it sounds like you were using). J. Kenji Lopez-Alt explained it better than I can here: http://www.seriouseats.com/2013/08/ask-the-food-lab-why-does-my-garlic-turn-green.html
Alex says
I got 7 bulbs of peeled organic garlic set up with an airlock and halved the salt because I went with the random pickle generator brine from your book. It’s going crazy! Bubbling really vigorously and has our apartment smelling like garlic breath. My concern is there is definitely some microbe action I’m not accustomed to happening. Somewhere between slime/kefir grains/ scoby thing that is hard to describe. I’m used to cloudy brines, but this is viscous. You can watch the bubbles get hung up or slowly move through the suspension. It’s also evenly distributed throughout. It’s only been 4 days… Have you seen this before? I didn’t chop the ends off the cloves and am wondering if an interloper was introduced…
Nessa says
Hi, my first batch of garlic turned yellow… I wish I could share a photo so I could get your opinion whether this is safe to eat. Also it tastes very strong.
Cas says
Hi
Thank you for a great article 🙂
I tried to ferment a batch of garlic but didn’t see any bubbles or in fact anything other than a colour change to brown.
When I eat them they are crispy and sharp to taste. Does this mean they are done? How do I know if the bad bacteria won the battle- would they be rotting and horrible to taste?
Thanks, Cas
Tina says
I put my garlic outside to ferment because the smell was getting to my roommate. I wrapped it in a germination mat so it wouldn’t freeze, but when I checked on it, it was quite warm. I’m afraid i got to warm. Did I ruin it? I used an airlock, lid, I’m assuming it got to warm to ferment, but would the garlic still be good for cooking?
Amanda says
I would check the pH with an inexpensive wine pH strip. It should read below 4.0. If it does, it’s safe to use, if it doesn’t, wait a week and test it again. If the pH has lowered, hang on to it and keep it fermenting until the pH hits 4.0. If it rises, that’s not good, and the batch should be discarded.
I hope that helps!
Lorrie says
I have 2 jars of garlic fermenting in an open container, covered with a towel. I was gone for a week and came back to fuzzy, white mold growing on the one jar because some of the garlic floated up above the brine. I removed it but am wondering if that entire jar is bad now? Thanks!
Amy says
New to fermenting with salt. Think I used to much salt in my garlic? Before I learned about the importance of weighing salt, I followed a recipe that called for 4 Tablespoons of sea salt to 1 quart jar of garlic cloves filled to the shoulder of the jar, then covered with water to the neck of the jar (old fashioned wide mouth mason jar). Since I used coarse celtic sea salt, I am wondering if my brine is too strong to create a ferment. Jar sat on counter for a little over 2 weeks, and then to fridge as recipe suggested. It has been in fridge for 3 months and garlic is still so hot and pungent. Any suggestions? Is it still safe to eat raw, cooked, both, neither? Can I strain it and try again with the correct brine solution? Hate to waste it. Grew the garlic myself from my grandfather’s 80 year-old cloves that he handed down to me in a brown paper bag on his 103rd birthday…”I just cannot do it anymore. Now it’s your turn.”
Laurella says
Hello Amanda,
The raw garlic thing isn’t so strange. I am finding it is common with individuals like me with IBS. Some can have garlic if it is fermented and other (me as of right now) can’t. I wanted to thank you for your posts. I found this one when searching for garlic free ferments. I just got a fermentation kit and all the recipes call for garlic. Besides you Gingery Carrot Pickles, do you have other ferments with out garlic? Do you know why so many ferments have garlic in them? Can I make those recipes and just leave out the garlic?
Thank you
Amanda says
Hi Laurella,
Thank you!
I don’t have IBS and I’ve never had any type of serious gut issue. I honestly think I’m intolerant to raw garlic!
Check out my pickles page. There are lots of recipes there and you can make any of them without garlic. It’s never an obligatory ingredient in a vegetable ferment. I personally like the flavor and I’m assuming that’s the reason so many recipes (in general, not just ferments) have garlic in them, but I can’t say for sure.
Thank you again for the kind words and I hope you enjoy pickling!
gail metcalfe says
I fermented all 40+ of my garlic heads last year; I am in a 1-bdrm apt and just was not successfully getting the garlic to dry well despite my best efforts to take them in and outdoors on my deck each day/night. they were not completely dry when I began to peel the cloves, but I think it worked out well this way, as they were still heavy enough that they did not float to the top of the brine. I left them on the counter and after about 3 months, they were quite mellow and could be used like pickles. Until the time I finished them, they did not make it to the refrigerator. Hope that was not a bad thing.
Amanda says
That sounds awesome! No problem to leave them at room temp if they taste good to you!
Epters says
Hi,
Thanks for all of your info. I’m pickling a jar of garlic (local and organic…bought it from the grower herself). It is bubbling *vigorously* as if I had opened a bottle of warm seltzer.
Is that a good thing?
Thanks…
Amanda says
That’s usually a very good thing (especially with garlic, I’d be happy about that!). The only thing I would say is to make sure that it’s not in direct sunlight or in a really hot spot.
Epters says
Wonderful! Thanks so much for the quick reply!
JB says
My friends’ fermented garlic turned an orange brown after about four weeks. He is concerned it is not safe. Any input? I have a pic but not sure how to post it here. Thanks for any help you can offer.
Amanda says
Hi Janice,
I don’t have any advice. If it were turquoise, I would tell you it’s fine! Brown/orange isn’t something I’m familiar with so I don’t want to weigh in either way.
Kate says
Hi,
I started a batch of fermented garlic and it just hit the 4 week mark. It had been doing great and was bubbling lots, but a few days ago (maybe a week) I noticed that the bubbling had mostly stopped and the brine turned kind of gelatinous. You can see small solid chunks throughout the brine. The smell and color still seem fine, there’s no mold, and I think it’s ok, but am unsure since this is my first long-term brine. Is this safe to eat?
Amanda says
Hi Kate,
I’m just wondering if you used a normal amount of salt in this ferment?
Robin says
Garlic is as good as ten mothers. Old Russian saying.
Romeo Dionne says
I made brined pickled garlic a year ago September. By December some of the jars had gone not only cloudy but the liquid was now a solid gel. When opened the contents smell exactly like those that did not gel. I also noticed that those jars whose contents I had eaten and had left on the counter also gelled just like the ones that I had not opened. I have not tried eating them as I don’t know what might have caused the brine to gel. Any suggestions?
Amanda says
That is a true mystery. tbh, that’s probably not something I would eat. I don’t know that it’s bad or unsafe, but I don’t know that it’s safe either. Maybe others will have different thoughts to offer here!