Quick Pickled Garlic

This month the Food in Jars Mastery Challenge was Quick Pickles. Quick pickles are also known as refrigerator pickles. They are simply vegetables that are pickled in a vinegar, water, and salt (sometimes sugar) solution and stored in the refrigerator.Quick pickling is also a brilliant solution for preserving a variety of vegetables from the market or your own garden. Quick pickling doesn't require canning or a bushel of vegetables. Best of all, you can adapt this simple formula for any fresh vegetables; try a mixture of vinegars and spices for a truly custom pickle pleasure.

I like to use up leftovers for this method, but this time, I bought a pound of garlic and decided to quick pickle it to have it on hand for months to come. I pop a couple of cloves out the frig and run them through my press and add them to sauces, dips and dressings.

It all starts with:

1 pound of garlic

 Separate the cloves...

 This yields about 3 1/2 cups of garlic cloves...

 Next, peel the cloves. Do not smash them.

If you'd like, you can blanch them for about 2 to 3 minutes,

and then transfer them to an ice bath.

The skins should peel right off.

 Peeled garlic cloves...

 Divide the garlic between 2 clean prepared pint jars

or 4 half pints... Depending on how often you use it.

I use bunches, so I used pints.

Quick Pickled Garlic

1 1/2 cups red wine vinegar
1/2 cup water (or more to taste... I like stronger vinegar flavor.)

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 lb Garlic Heads

Whisk first 3 ingredients in a small bowl until salt dissolves. Place garlic in a jars; pour vinegar mixture over. Cover and chill. Store in the refrigerator. 

Roasted Pickled Garlic Aioli

Some of you may remember my post on Pickled Garlic. If not you can click on the link and review it. Well, I wanted to do a garlic mayo, so I decided to use my pickled garlic. What could be better?

5-6 large cloves of pickled garlic
1 teaspoon olive oil

2 egg yolks**
Kosher salt and pepper, to taste
2 teaspoons lemon juice
½ cup light olive oil

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Place garlic cloves in an aluminum packet. Drizzle with oil. Place in the oven and roast for 25-35 minutes until the garlic is soft. 

They look like they are burnt,

but that is where the bruises were,

and they took on a burnt color.

Once cooked, pinch cooked garlic out of each clove.

Since mine was already peeled,

I ran it through my garlic press a few times.

That caught the tougher skin and ends.

In a food processor, place roasted garlic, egg yolks, and lemon juice. Process the mixture until smooth. Very slowly, drizzle oil into the processor with the motor running. To ensure proper emulsification, pour the oil in very, very slowly. Add salt and pepper to taste. 

The Aioli may be kept 5-7 days

in the refrigerator.

** If you are not sure of your eggs, or are cautions about using raw eggs. Coddle the eggs... Coddling Eggs

Pickled Garlic

It all starts with:

1 pound of garlic

 Separate the cloves...

 This yields about 3 1/2 cups of garlic cloves...

 Next, peel the cloves. Do not smash them.

If you'd like, you can blanch them for about 2 to 3 minutes,

and then transfer them to an ice bath.

The skins should peel right off.

 Peeled garlic cloves...

 Divide the garlic between 2 clean prepared pint jars

or 4 half pints... Depending on how often you use it.

I use bunches, so I used pints.

Boil 1 cup of Red Wine Vinegar,

1 cup of Water

and 1 tablespoon of Pickling Salt.

Carefully pour into the jars, and process in a boiling

water-bath for 10 minutes.