Fermented Garlic

This has to be one of my favorite methods of fermentation. With hardly any time at all you can have a jar of fermented garlic on your shelf and can use it for just about anything. During Thanksgiving we used the garlic for mashed potatoes, for weekly dinners it can be used in stir-frys, in soups and with roasted vegetables, or mashed with butter and spread on toasted bread for an accompaniment to pastas.

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Recipe

Peel 2 1/2 cups of fresh garlic

place into a jar

add 1 tbls of salt

add water until it covers the garlic

Shake jar to dissolve and separate salt

seal with a loose-fitting lid or airlock

Update: Because of the strong off-gassing smell after the first week, I place the jars of garlic in an ice-chest or container outdoors in a dark and cool area for an additional two weeks checking often. Then I drain off the liquid and fill the jar with olive oil before placing in the refrigerator with a fully sealed lid.

Sidenote: if the garlic turns a blue or blueish-green during the fermentation process, this is completely normal and safe.

Uses: Adding the olive oil to the garlic adds an additional factor of being able to use garlic infused olive oil that is a great compliment to many dishes.