No-Fail Fermented Garlic (with Sauerkraut Juice)

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With its mild, tangy flavor, fermented garlic is an easy and delicious way to preserve fresh garlic. It‘s packed with wonderful probiotics and makes a fantastic addition to countless recipes!

Top view of fermented garlic in a glass jar.

Quick Look at the Recipe

🍽️ Flavor: Tangy and savory (milder than fresh garlic)
⏱️ Prep Time: 15 minutes
🫙 Fermentation Time: 3-8 weeks
👥 Yield: 1 quart
🥣 Main Ingredients: Garlic, sauerkraut juice, salt
📋 Method: Lacto-Fermentation
📖 Dietary Info: Gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, vegan
👩‍🍳 Tip: Sauerkraut juice kickstarts the fermentation process and helps prevent bad bacteria from growing.

Woman smiling while standing in a sunny room.

If You Thought Regular Garlic Was Good…

As a busy mom who prioritizes ancestral foods, I do almost everything in bulk – grocery shopping, snack prep, freezer meals, you name it.

I love ordering 5-pound bags of garlic from Azure Standard, and fermenting it is one of my favorite ways to preserve it. (You can read my honest thoughts on Azure Standard.)

The process is simple, and it transforms raw garlic by adding probiotics and creating a mellow, tangy flavor while softening its sharp bite. This is one of those fermented staples you’ll always want to keep in your fridge!

Ingredients

Garlic cloves – Peeled. When fermenting produce, buying organic is especially important since pesticides can interfere with the fermentation process.
Salt – Sea salt or Himalayan.
Sauerkraut juice – As a starter. If you don’t have any, you can use another type of starter such as whey or plain water kefir.
Water – Use clean water without any chemicals. Quality well water is my favorite, but if that’s not an option, you can use filtered water. If there is any chemical residue such as chlorine, this can stop the fermentation process.

Tools Needed

Fermentation weight (If you don’t have one, you can find something else to keep the garlic cloves below the brine such as a stone in a plastic bag or a small glass jar.)
Quart mason jar

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.

Pouring sauerkraut juice over garlic cloves in a jar.

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 the good bacteria.

Pouring saltwater over garlic cloves in a jar.

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.

Fermentation weight on top of garlic cloves in a jar.

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.

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’re looking for more fermented recipes, check out my fermented peppers and homemade sauerkraut!

Tips for Success

Discard any damaged cloves – Damaged garlic cloves can harbor unwanted bacteria, so they’re not ideal for fermentation. Using them may disrupt the microbial balance and potentially spoil the entire batch of fermented garlic. However, if only a few cloves in a bulb are affected, you can simply remove those and use the remaining good cloves.

Keep it cool – Garlic ferments best 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 cool.

Be patient – Garlic needs to ferment for 3 weeks minimum, and it can ferment for up to a couple of months.

For more tips on successful fermentation, check out my complete guide to fermenting!

What’s the Easiest Way to Peel Garlic?

When peeling garlic for fermenting, you need to be careful not to damage the garlic. After testing various methods, this is the easiest way I’ve found to peel garlic without crushing or smashing it.

Garlic cloves soaking in a bowl of water.

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.

Violet’s Tips for Serving

I love using fermented garlic in place of raw garlic. It’s delicious in vegetables, meat, potatoes, soaked quinoa, salad dressings, and just about anywhere you’d normally use garlic.
To preserve its probiotics and enzymes, add it to foods after cooking.

FAQs

How long does fermented garlic last?

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.

Can I freeze fermented garlic?

No, freezing fermented garlic destroys many of the probiotics and enzymes.

Is it safe to lacto ferment garlic?

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.

Why did my fermented garlic turn a blue-green color?

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.

If you try this recipe, snap a photo and tag me on Instagram @violet_rightathome