That Fermented Garlic Post You’ve All Been On Tenterhooks About
A couple weeks ago or so, I had to prematurely harvest a bunch of immature garlic plants because the whole patch was infested with allium leaf miner maggots. I destroyed a lot of plant material that could have been food, and also salvaged quite a bit. I decided to make some fermented garlic paste with all that remained of that crop.
In the past I have fermented whole garlic cloves and also fermented them chopped into a near-paste. The cloves were mellow enough as a sour pickle to eat whole without cooking, and grew a little more sour as time went by. Not as versatile though, as having tangy, slightly salty fermented garlic paste in a jar in the fridge, ready to dip into at any time for adding savory notes to salad dressings or sautees or rubs or marinades. That is my preference now as it is a great convenience. And, especially when used in raw preparations, it gives you a garlic flavor that is toned down in heat, it promotes good gut flora, and it doesn’t make you burp garlic all day like fresh cloves can sometimes do. Fermented garlic keeps for at least a year in the fridge, but it will be long gone before then. Recipes will follow at the end of this post.
YES, like every a-hole recipe blog, you have to scroll through my entire dead-boring and completely unnecessary life story before you can finally access the critchet recipes! [evil laughter]
Why does every recipe site do that now? Do they get paid by how long people are scrolling? Just wondering. OK, back to the poat at hand.
I had rescued a lot of immature whole garlic cloves of various sizes (mostly medium to small) but they are so fiddly to deal with and there’s a hundred of them. So we’ll just use them up in cooking in the near future and only ferment the green garlic stems, mostly. A couple dozen of the larger cloves got in this batch before I realized how much peeling them sucks.
I got the contents up to about 1kg, added about 20 grams of kosher salt to the scapes and stems and whizzed them up in batches in my tiny food processor. I had to add a splash of water now and then so I added a few more pinches of salt.
With garlic cloves, I like kind of a chunky mince, but because these are so much more fibrous I went for closer to a puree but still with bits in it.
I piled the mash into a jar, tried to get most of the bubbles out, sprinkled a little extra salt on top to protect it until it gets bubbling, and closed it up. Now I’ll let that sit on the counter to ferment, burping it as needed for about a week or a little more, and then put it in the fridge for using in various dishes throughout the year.
If you do this with regular garlic cloves, whether whole or chopped, please be advised that those take much longer, at least 2 weeks to a month to ferment, depending on how warm your kitchen is.
RECIPES:
I lied. No recipe. It’s just garlic and salt. Here is an excellent resource (with a chart down page!) for the appropriate brines for various veggies. I went with about 2%+ for this mash. When I fermented whole garlic cloves I simply immersed them in a 3% brine. As stated prior, it took almost a month for them to ferment.
Another good source of information, though I prefer to use weight as a measure, since salts come in different size grains and volume is not a great way to measure it.
That’s all. Have a relaxing and enjoyable Sunday, guys.
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Flawlessly naming puppies since March 2009 
having tangy, slightly salty fermented garlic paste in a jar in the fridge
I can think of no other place more suited to store your tangy salted fermented pasty substances
I’m currently working on my oregano garlic thing you mentioned a couple of months back. It’s been great when I’ve used it in a crock pot beef stew and on a steak before cooking.
I’ll add a vote to the Chipotle Tabasco Sauce matter on the strongly positive side. I’ll miss the Brrrttt of the gun the plane is built around, but I understand the military cannot be static.
Of course Lumps (nice post today) always makes me think about food and it is my favorite topic. I made a note about the olive oil, garlic and oregano thing somewhere but it was nice to get a reminder, which brings me to olive oil.
I may have mentioned that my current favorite olive oil is Goya Extra Virgin. After a pretty significant price jump recently, I started thinking about what made it seem different and if there were any lower cost alternatives. Goya says on the label that it is from Andalucia, Spain, was this the key? So I started perusing the labels of all the olive oils at the store and the majority were sourced from Turkey and other countries. I only found one that was exclusively sourced from Spain, Carapelli. I have only tried it once, so my testing is not complete, not bad at first blush, but we’ll see. The Spain factor is yet to be determined.
I love to eat fish, but rarely have the patience to fish. I understand the passion. I think Crappie is one of the best freshwater eating fish out there. Snook IMHO is the best salt/brackish water fish I’ve ever had.
Facinating.
I have a family member that is on a quest for Muskies. I have never caught one or tasted one, but I figured Pike was the northern fish to pursue. He has assured me that is Muskellunge.
We are not keeping anything we catch. Connecticut River. Brrrr.
When we hit a nice clean lake some time, I would like to harvest something for the table or the freezer.
Although, the River is cleaner than it’s been for my whole life. Lots of Ospreys and Bald Eagles now. I don’t see them hobbling around with tummy aches from the fish. Probably fine, but emotionally I can’t deal with it, I guess.
Started the green garlic ferment on Friday afternoon and there’s no obvious start of fermentation yet. Cabbage usually gets going in a day. But garlic has antimicrobial properties, so it takes a bit longer to get going.
Lumps, I have the same reservations. I have been on a oyster kick, there are a lot of boutique oyster farms up and down the east coast that tout the unique flavor of their oysters because of the unique mix of the tides salinity etc. however when I look at the bigger picture do I really want to eat something from the long island sound or downstream of Newark or Baltimore? Ick! Yet I am still drawn to oysters with names like James river, moondancer, pleasure point, panacea, and great white at my local oyster bar.
local links
https://sarasotabay.org/get-involved/vertical-oyster-gardens/
https://ilovetheburg.com/tampa-bay-areas-first-oyster-farm-opening-in-manatee-county/
There were some reports that I stumbled across in the past couple years about how much olive oils are being illegally cut with some cheaper kind of vegetable oils.
Apparently quite a few major brands were being impacted. This article has a list of brands they felt were authentic.
https://askdrnandi.com/the-truth-about-fake-olive-oil/
Re east coast oyster farms … when I got my open water certification for diving, I was astounded at the amount of “plastic trash” (e.g. tampon applicators) on the beaches north of Boston. Apparently Boston’s wastewater system was frequently overloaded and went directly into the ocean and are carried north. I would suspect many major east coast metro areas have similar problems.
More on fake olive oil:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/ceciliarodriguez/2016/02/10/the-olive-oil-scam-if-80-is-fake-why-do-you-keep-buying-it/
I looked into oyster farming back when we had the pond, but you basically have to have a river current, and I didn’t want to run a perpetual agitator in the big puddle out back.
https://x.com/CitizenFreePres/status/1799547294515089759
They named her Muskie … that’s some hardcore shit right there!
https://notthebee.com/article/parents-name-their-daughter-after-the-seafood-restaurant-where-she-made-her-unexpected-debut
wakey wakey
https://www.thebrinybabe.com/oyster-farms/barharboroysterco
Apparently there’s a shitton of farmed oysters in ME. I wasn’t aware of that.
Oyster Trail >>> Snail Trail
https://maineoystertrail.com/trail-map/
I think, just in the interest of getting more probiotics happening in my house, I’m going to make this a Sunday thing for a while. Next week: Ginger carrots.
That is one I have never done, and it’s supposed to be a gateway pickle for people who think they don’t like fermented foods. Ginger carrots are the bacon of fermenting.
I will leave this here just for fun.
https://realoystercult.com/
I won’t buy any olive oil from Italy except possibly Carlini, an Aldi’s brand. I trust California oils more. Although California Olive Ranch got too popular and is now an international blend, which I don’t want.
I have ordered CA-certified EVOO direct from a California olive grower and it was primo, but man is it pricey. And they ship it 2-day air! So expensive. I did get a giant can of it and used it for well over a year, doling it out into a smaller bottle while the can stayed in the spare fridge.
Guess I shouldn’t complain, health is well worth the expense. Those shitty oils are actual poison, and the regulatory agencies do NOTHING. Because the government IS the mob.
My understanding is that Australian olive oils are 100% legit. But just try buying some.
A fun story …
https://www.eugyppius.com/p/how-certain-efforts-to-make-government
I’m a CA Olive Ranch user and stick with their 100% CA oil. They seem legit and I believe when the whole adulterated oils thing was making the news a few years back they were cited as a brand with integrity.
I can’t find them in the Spring.
Look for them in 4’ deep water where they’ve cleared a bed for spawn.
I tend to leave these alone though because it’s unfair. They’ll attack anything that lands near.
I was astounded at the amount of “plastic trash” (e.g. tampon applicators) on the beaches north of Boston.
And since liberal women are perpetually on the rag, this area must be especially bad.
Wife is off doing this today
https://tri-maine.com/sebago-lake-triathlon/
Her Garmin tracker is doing the endless spinning thing trying to locate her but the list of participants said she’s done and finished in the top 10 for women.
Thanks for the opinions and articles on olive oil. All duly noted. There are several California options available here, I’ll probably give some a try when the time comes.
I used to know some wildlife biologists pretty well and they said that the most productive fish water was 3-4 feet deep. Back in the day, I went night fishing a few times near the lake banks, and the fish would hit a shiny hook.
This is true especially after a rain as it washes all the goodies into the water.
When the water warms up though they tend to head out deeper, then come in at night.
So fish along drop-offs during the day.
If you’re having a high pressure system stay home and drink beer.
Scott, I may have mentioned this before but my go-to lure is the Rapala X-Rap in Gold. It has a black back with a gold belly, and comes in different sizes. I mostly use the 04 and 06. It has neutral buoyancy and dives to about 5 feet. I don’t leave home without it, and have backups.
Is your Rapala X-Rap the Magnum or the Standard?
Asking for Mare
How about a jerkbait?
https://discounttackle.com/products/rapala-x-rap-04-shallow-diving-jerkbait
Bass need sand to spawn. The river near me is all silt, so they either travel a couple miles north, or travel far up feeder creeks and rivers. The river to the north is considered unnavigable. Jet boats only.
x-rap is on my shopping list.
Picked up something in my tire yesterday so now it’s flat. Fortunately I have an air compressor and a tire shop just around the corner. What are the odds that they’ll tell me that I need a new tire?
Odds are pretty high Mitchell, If the puncture is in the sidewall, I might agree, otherwise no. In one place I used to work, the locals would throw a bag of nails in the road for kicks. I started carrying a 12 volt air compressor and a really good tire plugging kit in the truck (the sicky fiber strip kind, not the rubber plugs). Saved my bacon many times. If the hole is big, you just put multiple plugs in it. I have driven on a tire for 20k miles that was plugged.
Oh, and I carried a bottle of Dawn and water in the truck too to find the offender.
Pumped up the tire and tried to find whatever it was in the tread but no luck. I Had A Feeling. Sure enough, some damn thing in the sidewall on the inside, so it’s a new tire. And they don’t have that size in stock, of course. I’ll have to go back tomorrow when it gets in: $280 total for the job.
Dude said it felt like something plastic. I can’t figure out where I picked it up, as I didn’t drive anywhere yesterday that was particularly sketchy or through any debris. So irritating.
Vmax,
Sorry I posted yesterday and then ran. I don’t understand the Indian question. I started lurking around here after Rosetta.
Cheese experts is funny.
Posey agrees.
So … there were whiffs that an air craft carrier got hit by the Houthi. Shills came out and said it was fake news.
Ethan says it is not.
You choose to trust who you want.
I think I’m nearing the end of my audio book. And I finished my physical copy book. I hate this. I need books always overlapping so I’m not starting two things at once. It breaks my heart a little bit. Audio book is so I don’t just sit and read and not get shit done.
Indian = alcoholic beverage
Perhaps there’s more to it but that’s my understanding. It’s a hyperlocal term, I find no reference to it on the world wide web. OG Hostages may know more than that I’m sure.
Rosetta was a funny bastard.
Admitting an aircraft carrier got hit would be politically damaging to FJB and American military doctrine so of course it never happened.
He sure was
P just got home and briefly described the hellish conditions during the tri. It was an open water swim and with the storm passing through the waves were awful on Sebago Lake. A lot of people said ‘no mas’ and stopped their race right there. She swallowed a lot of lake water during it. Torrential downpour during the bike portion and continued rain during the run on a poorly marked course.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t suffering the entire point of those kind of races?
Winning Rural, winning.
There are far more entertaining ways to endure pain and suffering.
… or so I’ve heard
CVN-69 (Eisenhower) is the carrier said to have been hit.
Unclear if this is just Houthi agitprop with photoshopped “proof” or real. The story is this happened about a week ago.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/petersuciu/2024/06/07/photos-purport-to-show-damage-to-us-aircraft-carrier-after-houthi-missile-strike/
Therm,
How many indians is just a random question kind of like hotspur’s bullwhips, but more along the lines of am I drinking alone?
But only one person wins, and all the rest just suffer.
As a woman with a congenital hip dislocation who had a total hip in her mid 30’s and picked up triathlons after all that she is doing remarkably well in all categories: age group, gender and overall. She definitely has the never quit attitude.
And while we have the subject of east coast oyster farms, I’d note that Baltimore has ongoing issues with their wastewater treatment and are continually getting dinged by the EPA, and then failing to correct the problems. Year after year. The Chesapeake is famous for its oysters, crabs, and the like.
Maryland loves to blame Pennsylvania agriculture in the Susquehanna River runoff for the poor water condition in the Chesapeake, but with Baltimore, one wonders if it matters.
Farming and feeding people is bad. Urban living is good, don’t cha know.
https://x.com/stillgray/status/1799555377966825783
Cripes, I must have the bug. I just watched that lure commercial with rapt attention.
Ordered my favorite pizza for the last day of my non-diet life. Holy crap, it is so good. I need to figure out a keto substitute for this amazingballs abeetz.
I use “How many Indians are you?” in a lot of my nightly conversations these days. I’m trying to spread the fame of Rosetta’s genius mind.
I’ve never been tempted to even run a 5k. Triathalons are waaaaayyyy the fuck outside of my understanding when it comes to motivation.
USS Eisenhower is in the Red Sea, but has not been hit by the Houthis. They have, however, been launching strikes and hitting the Houthis.
But not the Blowfish.
If you’ve wondered why National Geographic has turned into a liberal jizzfest, it’s because it’s owned by Disney.
Did you know that? I didn’t know that.
Dennis equitably ranked participants.
images are fake, but Ethan says attempts were made at it.
Guhmerm.
Damnit Beavis, where are the muscular freaks with tits?
I have an emergency MMM poat I created a long time ago, it is scheduled to deploy in 2027 so it is sitting at the top of the drafts/publishing queue in WP. Absolutely anyone can deploy it if Leon can’t poat on a particular Monday.
If it gets past 8:00 maybe let’s put it up there.
I’m up, MMM shortly. Crippled my right forearm baling hay so I’m slow.
The MMM “ladies” are chugging their probiotics for maximum performance