Have you always wondered how to ferment garlic in a salt brine? Fermenting garlic is really easy to do. All you need is some good quality ingredients to get started.
The Pros of Fermented Garlic
If you don’t like eating raw garlic because it is too spicy, but still want the benefits, fermented garlic is a perfect choice. After garlic ferments for several months, the spicy taste calms down a lot.
Every batch will be different, but from all of the batches that I’ve made they were much less spicy than regular raw garlic. Not to mention, much easier to digest.
The Power of Salt – How to Ferment Garlic
I like to eat raw garlic, or fermented garlic when I am feeling unwell. Fermented garlic is salty and crunchy.
That’s right, you might think that garlic sitting around in the water for 3 months might get soft, but it doesn’t. That is the power of salt!
Fermenting Tools
- Mason Jars or a Crock – I like using a wide range of sizes. I typically always use wide mouth though. I love my 1/2 gallon mason jars for fermenting.
- Airlocks – If you don’t allow gas to escape automatically through a contraption like an airlock, pickle pipes, cheesecloth, etc… You’ll have to burb them manually. Plus, you’ll run the risk of a ferment blowing up under the pressure of gas buildup.
- Salt – I always use extra-fine Himalayan sea salt in my ferments. It dissolves easily and is perfect for making a brine.
- Wooden Tamper – Ferments like sauerkraut, kimchi may require to tamp the food into the jar and under the brine.
- Glass Weights – Some ferments need to be weighed down and kept under the brine.
- Fermenting Kits – There are several fermenting kits where you can get just about everything you need. However, they don’t usually include the vessels, such as a mason jar or crock.
Handy Salt Brine Calculator
Need help figuring out how much salt to use? Check out my salt brine calculator!
Print Brine Calculator With Veggies Print Both Salt Brine Calculators Print “Just Percentages” Brine CalculatorGrab the little salt brine calculator perfect for the fridge, or get the one that has percentage suggestions for different vegetables. OR~! You can buy both! Best of all…now you can choose the color you like!
How To Ferment Garlic
It will take at least 3 months to ferment garlic, but it’s so worth it! We like to eat fermented garlic when we don’t feel well.
Ingredients
- 60 cloves garlic (or enough garlic to fill up your mason jar. Leaving 1-2 inches of headspace at the top.)
- 3 % brine
- Filtered water
Instructions
- Peel the garlic. Use a meat hammer to loosen the papers!
- Add the garlic to the mason jar until it’s almost full, leaving a 1-2 inch headspace.
- Add 1-2 glass weights on top of the garlic.
- Mix brine, add your measurement of salt and water into a separate jar and mix until the salt has dissolved. Learn how to calculate how much salt to water ratio by using this brine calculator. Ferment for 3 months or more, make sure to store away from light in temps between 60 – 70ºF. It gets better with age! I usually start eating it after 3 months, but the flavors are even better if you ferment it for much longer.
- Throw out the garlic if you see any sign of mold. Fermented garlic has a strong odor of garlic, be prepared for this.
Notes
It completely normal for fermented garlic to turn green or blue when fermenting. It's still perfectly good to eat too!
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Nutrition Information
Yield 30 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 9Total Fat 0gSaturated Fat 0gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 0gCholesterol 0mgSodium 1mgCarbohydrates 2gFiber 0gSugar 0gProtein 0g
For the most accurate nutritional information, you should calculate the nutritional value of each ingredient yourself. These calculations are provided by a third party and are not expected to be exact. You are solely responsible for ensuring the nutritional information you use is accurate.
Common Issues With Fermented Garlic
Throw out the garlic if you see any sign of mold.
Fermented garlic has a strong odor, be prepared for this. Sticking it in a cabinet that doesn’t get opened very often will help cut down on the stench!
Green or blue garlic is perfectly normal. Read a post about garlic turning green or blue to learn more about it.
How to Eat Fermented Garlic:
- Any recipe that would keep the garlic raw. You don’t want to cook it, because it would lose some of the beneficial bacteria.
- In a green salad. Enhance the taste of a plain old salad with fermented garlic!
- In a pesto, like my Kale and Basil Pesto!
- In a wrap, or on a sandwich. I love eating garlic this way!
- Garlic Hummus calls for garlic, and fermented garlic will add tons of flavor!
More Fermenting Recipes
- Fermented Cherry Tomatoes
- Fermented Bell Peppers
- Fermented Carrots with Garlic
- Fermented Garlic
- Fermented Pickles
- Fermented Sauerkraut
- How to Make Water Kefir
- Water Kefir Vacation
- Water Kefir Almond Cream Soda
- Tepache
- Pineapple Chutney
I’d love To Know what you think!… Leave me a comment!
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My fermented garlic turned the color of tea. I thought it was ruined. I haven’t thrown it out yet. Is it ok? There are no signs of mold.
I mean mine sometimes gets a little yellow colored. With food, we use our sense to tell if something is bad. When in doubt throw it out. So, does it smell okay, does it look okay, does it taste okay? Then, maybe it’s okay. I can’t guarantee that obviously.
Sorry it took me so long to reply, I don’t seem to be getting emails to tell me I have a new comment? So anyway, good luck with your ferment!
Once all is in and closed, should one let it sit during the 3 or more months, or the jar should be opened regularly?
That depends on the kind of equipment you’re using. I use airlocks, and with those, it’s not necessary to open them. If you don’t have airlocks or any way for the gasses to escape, yes you should release the gas as needed. I suggest using airlocks!!
After fermenting for a week is it okay to cap off with regular lids and refrigerate should one leave in the glass weights
You will need to keep the garlic fermenting in a cupboard with glass weights and preferably an airlock for about 3 months. Not in the fridge. Refrigeration slows down the fermenting process. One week of fermenting is not long enough to ferment garlic.
We love eating fermented garlic! We eat when we don’t feel well too, it really seems like a great immune booster!
How awesome!