Simple and delicious, fermented garlic is the best, easy way to preserve fresh garlic. It’s packed with wonderful probiotics and makes a fantastic addition to so many recipes!
I love buying groceries in bulk, but sometimes it can get a little out of hand! Recently I got a great deal on a 5 pound bag of garlic from Azure Standard and I needed an easy way to preserve it. (You can read why I love getting groceries from Azure Standard.)
Making fermented garlic was so easy, and it turned out fantastic! I’ll be buying lots more huge bags of garlic in the future so I can make it again and again.
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
Easy ferment – No complicated tools or steps in this recipe!
Packed with nutrition – Fermented garlic is full of all of the nutrition in garlic plus additional probiotics and enzymes.
Delicious flavor – Garlic that has been fermented has a slightly milder taste that’s perfect to add to so many dishes.
Simple ingredients – All you need is garlic, salt, a little starter, and water!
No-fail recipe – Ferments can sometime be tricky to get right, but this I’ve gone to extra lengths to make sure this recipe turns out perfectly every time.
How to Serve
Fermented garlic has a milder flavor than fresh garlic, so some people enjoy eating it plain. However, I prefer using it anytime I would usually use raw garlic.
It’s delicious in vegetables, meat, potatoes, soaked quinoa, salad dressing and anywhere else you would typically enjoy garlic.
To avoid destroying the probiotics and enzymes, add it to foods after they have been cooked.
How to Store
You can store fermented garlic in the fridge for up to a year. As it sits in the fridge, it will continue to slowly ferment and the flavors will keep developing.
What’s the Easiest Way to Peel Garlic?
When peeling garlic for fermenting, you need to be careful not to damage the garlic. This is the easiest method I’ve found for peeling garlic without crushing or smashing it.
Step 1: First, separate the garlic cloves from the bulbs. Then place them in a bowl filled with water and let them soak for 20-30 minutes.
Step 2: After the garlic has soaked, use a sharp knife to chop off the root end.
Step 3: Then peel the garlic clove with your fingers. The skin should easily slide off for the most part.
Tips for Success
Discard any damaged cloves – Bad bacteria can be harbored in damaged garlic cloves, so it’s best not to try to ferment them. Otherwise you risk throwing off the bacteria balance and ruining your entire jar of fermented garlic. However, if a bulb of garlic has just a few bad cloves, simply remove them and use the rest of the bulb.
Use starter – Many people ferment garlic without a starter, but using it will kickstart the fermentation process and lower the risk of mold and other bad bacteria developing.
Be patient – Garlic needs to ferment for 3 weeks minimum, and it can ferment for up to a couple of months.
FAQs
No, freezing fermented garlic destroys many of the probiotics and enzymes.
Yes! Lacto-fermentation is one of the safest ways to preserve garlic. There is no risk of botulism due to the lactic acid created when fermenting garlic using this method.
The fermentation process can create an enzyme reaction that turns garlic shades of blue-green. However, the garlic is still safe to eat as long as it tastes, smells, and looks good otherwise.
Violet’s Tips for Serving
Fermented garlic is delicious crushed and mixed into vegetables like green beans or potatoes. You can even use it in homemade salad dressing to add a probiotic boost!
Tools You May Need
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Ingredients
Step-By-Step Instructions
Step 1: First place the peeled garlic cloves in a quart mason jar, making sure to leave 2-3 inches of space at the top.
Step 2: Then pour the sauerkraut juice (or whatever type of starter you’re using) over top of the garlic.
Step 3: In another container, dissolve the salt in 1/3 cup of hot water. Once the salt has dissolved, add the cold water to the jar to cool it down.
You want to make sure the saltwater is about room temperature before pouring it over the garlic or it could kill all of the good bacteria.
Step 4: Next pour the water into the jar with the garlic, covering all of the garlic and leaving about an inch of space at the top.
Step 5: Then place a fermentation weight on top of the garlic and screw on the lid. Put the jar in a dark location between 65 and 70 degrees.
If it’s much warmer than 70 degrees, you can wrap the jar in a damp towel to keep it cooler.
Burp the jar daily to release the pressure caused by the fermentation process.
Step 6: Ferment the garlic for 3-8 weeks, depending on your taste preference. The longer it ferments, the milder the flavor will become.
Once you’re happy with it, place the jar in the fridge. As it sits in the fridge, the flavors will continue to slowly develop even more.
If you try this recipe, let me know in the comments! Tag me on Instagram @violet_rightathome
More Fermented Recipes
Fermented Cranberries in Honey
Fermented Garlic
Ingredients
- 5 large garlic bulbs cracked and peeled
- 3 cups of water divided
- 2 tablespoons sauerkraut juice
- 4 teaspoons salt
Instructions
- Place the peeled garlic cloves in a quart mason jar, leaving 2-3 inches of space at the top.
- Pour the sauerkraut juice over the garlic.
- In another jar, dissolve the salt in 1/3 cup of hot water. Once the salt has dissolved, add the rest of the water cold to the jar to cool it down.
- Pour the saltwater into the jar with the garlic, covering all of the garlic and leaving about an inch of space at the top.
- Place a fermentation weight on top of the garlic and screw on the lid.
- Put the jar in a dark location between 65 and 70 degrees. Burp the jar once a day to release pressure caused by fermentation.
- Ferment the garlic for 3-8 weeks, depending on your taste preference. The longer it ferments, the milder the flavor will become.
- Once it's done fermenting, store in the fridge.
Notes
Easiest method to peel garlic:
- Separate the garlic cloves from the bulbs. Then place them in a bowl filled with water and let them soak for 20-30 minutes.
- Use a sharp knife to chop off the root end.
- Peel the garlic clove with your fingers. The skin should easily slide off for the most part.
Other Notes:
- To avoid introducing bad bacteria, make sure your garlic is fresh and undamaged.
- If the temperature in your home is much warmer than 70 degrees, you can wrap the jar in a damp towel to keep it cooler while it's fermenting.
Nutrition
If you love fermented garlic, please make sure to come back and leave a comment and a 5 star rating. I’d love to hear how it turned out for you!
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I love making fermented garlic! If you have any questions on this recipe, let me know in the comments. I’d love to help out!
This is so neat!! Thanks
You’re welcome!