Fermented Garlic
Here at Gutsy, we love any trick that helps us save time in the kitchen, and we love garlic. For this ferment, you simply need to bulk buy loads of garlic, peel the bulbs, and chuck them into a jar - so simple, and there you have fermented garlic to hand, ready to introduce to any meal.
Enjoy fermented garlic in dips, salad dressings, or as a marinade. Just substitute garlic with fermented garlic in any recipe, especially when a recipe calls for raw garlic to get the full benefits.
INGREDIENTS
20 bulbs organic garlic
1tbs sea salt
1litre filtered water
METHOD
To make brine, I dissolve salt in 100ml boiled water, then mix this with the remaining 900ml.
Peel the garlic and place in a your 1litre sterilised fermenting vessel and add brine.
Weigh down your ferment and make sure all the cloves are submerged.
Leave on the counter for around one month in 15-22oC , then taste a garlic clove and you should be soft to touch, and showing signs that fermentation has occurred, then store in the fridge for up to a year. Depending on the temperature of your house, your ferment might be fine just stored in a cold area of the house.
HOW TO STERLISE A FERMENTING VESSEL
Sterilise a jar by either running it through a hot dishwasher cycle, or baking in the oven at 150oC for an hour. Always make sure all washing up liquid remains on the glass. Gove them an extra rinse in hot water if you are not sure.
HOW TO WEIGH DOWN YOUR FERMENT?
I find the best way to weigh down a brine-based ferment is with scrunched up baking paper then any weight you can find to fit in your vessel, or my favourite is baking beans tied in muslin.
MY GARLIC HAS TURNED GREEN!
If some of the garlic cloves turn green, don't be alarmed. This is thought to just be a chemical reaction with sulphur in the garlic. It is very much still safe to eat and won't have an effect on the taste.
HOW TO COOK WITH FERMENTED GARLIC
Heating a ferment at a high temperature will remove the probiotics you have created. To get the full benefits of this amazing kitchen ingredient, like any other ferment, don't heat it over 40oC. That doesn't mean you can't include it in a heated meal, it is just best to add it at the end of your meal preparation, once the heating process is finished.
