How to Ferment Garlic – Lacto-Fermented Garlic

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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!

Ferment 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!

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5 from 1 vote

Fermented 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.

Prep Time1 hr

Fermenting Time30 d

Total Time30 d 1 hr

Course: Snack

Cuisine: American

Keyword: fermented recipes

Servings: 6 servings

Calories: 4kcal

Author: Kristi @HomesteadWishing

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 all of the garlic, try to keep it intact as much as possible.
• Add the garlic to the mason jar until it’s almost full, leaving a 1-2 inch head space.
• Add 1-2 glass weights on top of the garlic.
• Mix brine, add your measurement of salt and water to 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.

Sticking it in a cabinet that doesn’t get opened very often will help cut down on the stench!

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

Let Me Know What You Think!

I would love to know what you think, Please leave me a comment or a question below… Thank you for visiting. 🙂

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