Fermented garlic has a unique taste and amazing properties. Many have asked about how to go about preparing it at home. So if you’re a garlic lover, please read on.
Some people add garlic when fermenting vegetables like cabbage, ginger, carrots, and others. In such cases, the garlic taste often dominates the batch. Others (like me) prefer to ferment garlic in separate jars and add it as a side dish. Whatever you prefer, the taste remains superb.
If you enjoy fresh garlic, you will probably love fermented garlic.
How to ferment garlic
Fermenting garlic dramatically changes its properties and bioavailability which is true of most fermented foods. During fermentation, new compounds are produced like hydrogen peroxide, antioxidants, and lactic acid.
You can ferment whole garlic bulbs or just the cloves. Use organic or homegrown if you can.
Procedure
- Peel and clean the garlic
Leave the cloves whole but without the peel. You can also try fermenting whole garlic bulbs which look very appealing when they are done. The procedure is the same, you just don’t need to remove all the peel and it might take at least two to three months to ferment.
- Prepare the brine
Completely dissolve the salt in water to make the brine. Use about 2-3 tablespoons salt to a quart (about a liter) of water. Use whatever jar you have at home, for example Mason jars.
- Fill the jars
Fill a jar with garlic cloves to about 75%. The empty 25% is needed during fermentation as the liquid will rise and bubbles can cause brine to leak out from the jar. This is normal. Besides garlic, water, and salt, try adding herbs, spices, or vegetables to enrich the look and taste. In the jar below, I added oregano. Try also black pepper, fennel, red pepper, chili, or fresh dill. It’s exciting to add something different in each jar.
- Keep the garlic submerged
It’t important to keep oxygen from the garlic as much as possible otherwise it can spoil the taste or invite unwanted microorganisms. Keep the garlic submerged in the brine. Try putting a cabbage leaf on top or use some weight to press the garlic down in the liquid.
- Ferment at room temperature
Leve the jar to ferment for 1-3 months in a dark place. Your patience will be rewarded as the taste greatly improves with time. Taste the garlic after a month or so to determine when the cloves are ready. The garlic should be soft, tangy and taste much milder than raw garlic.
- Store in a cool place
When it’s ready, store it in a cool place like a cellar or fridge. However, if the smell leaks from the jar then everything in the fridge might taste garlic. In any case, the garlic will keep for many months. In fact, I think the taste improves with more time.
How to use fermented garlic
Fermented garlic can be used in recipes calling for raw garlic. As fermented garlic is milder than raw garlic, you don’t have to be too picky with amounts.
You can also enjoy the fermented cloves as you would enjoy pickled garlic—in salads or as a side dish.
Avoid boiling or frying the garlic as high temperatures will destroy the beneficial bacteria and heat-sensitive enzymes and nutrients. Instead, add the garlic just before serving the meal.
Salad dressing
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon or lime juice
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- Salt
- Oregano
- Fresh basil
- 2 pressed cloves fermented garlic (or cut small)
Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Done!
Tasty butter
This is wonderful on freshly baked bread, with boiled potatoes, and with meat. The recipe is very simple—just mix all ingredients well in a bowl and you’re done. Store in fridge in an air-tight jar.
- 1/2 cup softened butter
- 2-3 cloves of pressed fermented garlic
- Salt, pepper
- Finely cut fresh basil (optional)
I wish you all success with your next fermented garlic batch!
FAQ
Some black is prepared in a fermentation process that includes live bacteria. However, the taste of black garlic differs completely from the recipes in this post. Black garlic is sweet and soft; it’s like candy.
Pickled garlic usually refers to garlic being preserved in some acidic mix of vinegar, salt, sugar, and herbs. This is done without fermenting the garlic and hence it does not contain the same beneficial bacteria and enzymes. However, pickling and fermenting do overlap since fermented foods are also preserved in an acidic, lactic acid rich brine. Homemade pickled garlic is very tasty. However, it does not equal fermented garlic with its unique combination of probiotic bacteria and the many bioavailable nutrients created during the fermentation process.
This is usually completely harmless. The acidic environment and sulfur compounds present in garlic promote the formation of a chlorophyll-like substance. Chlorophyll is what makes leaves green. Under the right conditions, several natural chemicals react with each other and with amino acids, thus creating clusters of carbon-nitrogen rings called pyrroles. The ring structures absorb particular wavelengths of light and thus appear colored. Some molecules look red, others blue or green. All these pigments are perfectly safe to eat. Some deliberately create green garlic as this looks appealing.
Same reason as when the garlic turn green above. A mixture of onion and garlic can add a blue tone to your garlic. These pigments result from a combination of enzyme activity and chemical reactions. Some people like the blue color. You get the most intense color by mashing garlic and onion together, then warming the puree on low heat to speed up the reaction without destroying the enzymes.
There are no rules. However, some say it’s best to consume fermented garlic with main meals.
Srinivas says
Thank you Ken for such great information. Is fermented garlic better for lowering Cholesterol?
Ken Silvers says
Hello Srinivas
Yes, fermented garlic can be effective in lowering cholesterol levels as well as triglyceride levels.
A study published in Clinical Nutrition reported that 55 people with normal or moderately elevated triglyceride levels were divided into two groups: One was treated with a fermented garlic extract, 900 mg per day, and the other was given a placebo. The study was done for 12 weeks. The researchers say: “Intake [of the fermented garlic extract] decreased the serum triglyceride and LDL cholesterol concentrations, respectively, by 14.8% and 14.2% at maximum.” This indicates that fermented garlic contains substances that work similar to statin drugs, only without all the unwanted side effects.
Fermented garlic results after 12 weeks:
– Triglyceride levels dropped in the fermented garlic group, but rose in the placebo group.
– Total cholesterol levels fell in the fermented garlic group, but were unchanged in the placebo group.
– LDL (the bad) cholesterol levels decreased in the group using fermented garlic, but not placebo.
– HDL (the good) cholesterol levels did not change in either group during the study.
Nova says
Once you’ve successfully fermented any vegetable, and eaten them, continue to keep the remaining jar of fermented liquid in your refrigerator. When you start the next fermentation, add about a cup of that liquid to your salt water to give you better chances at a successful ferment. Sometimes, because of changes in air quality, temperature, etc., it’s more difficult to keep mold from ruining the batch. This has helped me have more consistent results.
Ken Silvers says
Hello Nova.
Thank you for sharing your experience.
cheri says
blue and green garlic can also be an indicator of water with a high copper content. my blue/green batch of fermented garlic inspired me to get a really good water filter.
it’s also not recommended to put dried ground spices in probiotic ferments as they’re more likely to introduce unwanted bacteria than whole spices or whole herbal leaves.
Ken Silvers says
Thank you Cheri for this information.
cheri says
great article, btw. very helpful info. thanks
Laura says
Does fermented black garlic cause loose bowels?
Ken Silvers says
Hello Laura.
Normally black garlic does not have this effect. However, eating excessive amounts can cause diarrhea. Also, if you are sensitive to garlic/onion or have digestive problems, then you might have a reaction. Consuming black garlic on an empty stomach might in some cause minor problems.
Janelle says
Hi, do you have to burp the jar while it’s fermenting, to release pressure? And if you open it and discover not enough brine, do you just top it up with salt water and close it again? Will the oxygen ruin it? Thanks!
Ken Silvers says
Hello Janelle.
Fermentation is a bit different with garlic than with fermenting vegetables. Vegetables tend to create much more gas than garlic. However, it might be a good habit to quickly open the lid during fermentation to release gas. Brine levels are usually pretty stable with garlic. And yes, you are right; if brine is low, just add more salt-water brine. Fermenting garlic is a pretty simple process. But the result is superb.
Richard Poor says
On the one hand higher antioxidant activity is cited. On the other hand, higher Hydrogen Peroxide is cited. Please explain the glaring contradiction inasmuch as Hydrogen Peroxide is a potent oxidizer. The very opposite of an anti-oxidant.
Ken Silvers says
Hello Richard
Good question! This is a bit complicated and I’m not sure these processes are fully understood. And I’m certainly not an expert in microbiology. But if I’ve understood this right, it’s a delicate balance between antioxidants (like enzymes) and hydrogen peroxide. Like you say, too much peroxide can be damaging because of too much oxidizing. However, the body also produces hydrogen peroxide, which in the right amount is able to control hormones and proteins. Peroxide does not seem to oxidize everything it comes across but is able to oxidize specific proteins in specific places, thus turning them on or off. However, the hydrogen peroxide leaves other proteins completely unaffected. So it seems that in the right amount hydrogen peroxide can balance the effect of antioxidants, not counter effect them. Here’s is one article if you want to read more. And again, I’m not qualified to lay out all the details for you. My post is based on some reports on the general effects of fermented garlic without too much science.
Dtaylor says
In this recipe, do you tightly seal the jar or do you use a cloth and rubberband to tightly cover and allow air flow?
Ken Silvers says
I seal the jar with the lid, just not too tight. But even if you seal it tight, you can open the lid for a second to let gas escape. The most active part of fermentation happens only during a few days, and it’s during this time that pressure can build in the jar. Using a cloth might allow too much oxygen inside the jar. Add a cabbage leaf on top in the jar to help keep the garlic in the brine and away from oxygen.
Ruth says
Once you have used up your garlic in a batch…can you use the brine liquid in soups etc….it seems pretty tasty.
Ken Silvers says
Yes, absolutely! The brine contains probiotic bacteria, enzymes and many other nutrients. So it’s fine to use in cooking.
lamont says
I drink the juices. Also just finished a years rest on a grape ferment (4 gallons) didn’t go to wine first because extra fructose held ferment5 back for a month or so and then slowly turned into best fermented grape I have ever made.
gail metcalfe says
I fermented some garlic back at the end of the summer. Used an airlock system. It has been sitting on the counter the whole time. After 3 months, the taste is great, and I munch down 1 or 2 cloves each day. Should it be refrigerated. It is well under the brine and there are no signs of spoilage.
Ken Silvers says
Hello
Nice to hear you enjoy the garlic! Usually, the recommendation is to keep the garlic in a cool place. A lower temperature calms down the bacteria present in the batch so that the brine does not get too tart. Refrigerating the batch can also protect it against unwanted microorganisms. But if it works well for you to keep it at room temperature, then just go ahead.