Vegetables

How to make Fermented Garlic

Whole peeled garlic cloves fermented in a light brine until their raw bite mellows into something soft, savoury, and lightly sour. Expect about 20 minutes of active prep, then 3-4 weeks of fermentation, with the cloves softening and mellowing as the sign they are ready.

Quick answer

Peel the garlic, mix the brine, and pack everything into a clean jar with the cloves fully submerged. After 5 days, make sure the cloves stay submerged and look for the first signs of fermentation. After 21 days, taste a clove and decide whether to refrigerate now or let it keep mellowing. After 28 days, do a final taste check, then refrigerate the garlic in its brine.

Difficulty
Beginner
Total time
28 days
Ingredients
5
Steps
4

Safety

  • • Keep the cloves fully submerged below the brine throughout fermentation.
  • • Use non-iodized salt and non-chlorinated water for a more reliable ferment.
  • • A blue, green, or teal colour is a harmless reaction in fermented garlic and does not mean the batch has spoiled.
  • • A clean garlicky-sour smell is normal. A rotten smell or fuzzy mold means the batch should be discarded.

Step-by-step

Day 0

Step 1: Prepare and pack

Peel the garlic, mix the brine, and pack everything into a clean jar with the cloves fully submerged.

  • Set up clean equipment Wash the jar, weight, bowl, and any utensils before you start.
  • Peel garlic Separate the heads into cloves and peel them, leaving the cloves whole.
  • Mix brine Dissolve the salt fully in the water before pouring it over the garlic.
  • Pack jar Pack the cloves with any optional aromatics, pour in the brine, and keep everything below the surface.
Day 5

Step 2: Check fermentation

Make sure the cloves stay submerged and look for the first signs of fermentation.

  • Check submersion Press any floating cloves back below the brine if anything has shifted upward.
  • Check activity Look for a few bubbles, slightly cloudy brine, or a fresh garlicky-sour smell.
  • Check colour and aroma A blue or green tint is harmless, and the jar should smell fresh and garlicky rather than rotten.
Day 21

Step 3: Taste and decide

Taste a clove and decide whether to refrigerate now or let it keep mellowing.

  • Taste garlic Lift out one clove with a clean fork and judge how much the raw bite has softened.
  • Resubmerge and cover Return the cloves below the brine before putting the jar back in its fermentation spot.
Day 28

Step 4: Finish and store

Do a final taste check, then refrigerate the garlic in its brine.

  • Taste final batch Confirm the cloves are as mellow and tangy as you want before ending room-temperature fermentation.
  • Refrigerate garlic Seal the jar and refrigerate the cloves in their brine to slow the fermentation.

What to look for

  • • Day 0: The cloves are fully covered by brine and held down with a weight. That gives the batch the best chance to ferment cleanly and stay mold-free.
  • • Day 5-7: The brine looks slightly cloudy and you may see a few small bubbles. Those are normal early signs that fermentation has started. A blue or green tint on the cloves is also harmless.
  • • Day 21 and beyond: A clove tastes softer, savoury, and lightly sour, with much less raw heat. Use that taste to decide whether to refrigerate now or keep fermenting for a mellower clove.

Troubleshooting

  • The cloves turn blue, green, or teal. A natural reaction between garlic compounds and the acidic brine, more common with young or cold garlic. Nothing is wrong. The garlic is safe to eat, and the colour often fades over time in the fridge.
  • No bubbles appear after a week. The room is cool or fermentation is starting slowly. Give it several more days and rely on smell and taste as well as visible bubbles.
  • Cloves float above the brine. Garlic is buoyant and the weight shifted or was too light. Push the cloves back down, add a heavier weight or fermentation glass, and keep them submerged.
  • The garlic still tastes harsh after a few weeks. The ferment is young or the room is cool. Leave it to ferment another week or two and taste again before refrigerating.

Storage

Once the cloves taste mellow to you, keep them submerged in their brine, seal the jar, and refrigerate. Always use a clean fork to remove cloves.

Shelf life: about 6 months or longer refrigerated

Serving suggestions

  • • Use the soft cloves anywhere you would use raw or roasted garlic.
  • • Mash them into dressings, dips, and sauces.
  • • Stir a little of the tangy brine into marinades and vinaigrettes.

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Frequently asked questions

What is Fermented Garlic?

Whole peeled garlic cloves fermented in a light brine until their raw bite mellows into something soft, savoury, and lightly sour. Expect about 20 minutes of active prep, then 3-4 weeks of fermentation, with the cloves softening and mellowing as the sign they are ready.

How long does it take to make Fermented Garlic?

Most batches of Fermented Garlic are ready in about 28 days, though exact timing depends on temperature and how the ferment tastes along the way.

Is Fermented Garlic hard to make?

Fermented Garlic is a great beginner project — no special skills required, just clean equipment and a little patience.

What do you need to make Fermented Garlic?

You'll need Garlic, Filtered water, Sea salt, Bay leaf, Black peppercorns.

How do I know when Fermented Garlic is ready?

Watch for these cues: Day 0: The cloves are fully covered by brine and held down with a weight.; Day 5-7: The brine looks slightly cloudy and you may see a few small bubbles.; Day 21 and beyond: A clove tastes softer, savoury, and lightly sour, with much less raw heat..

How do I store Fermented Garlic?

Once the cloves taste mellow to you, keep them submerged in their brine, seal the jar, and refrigerate. Always use a clean fork to remove cloves. Shelf life: about 6 months or longer refrigerated.

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