Description
This Quick Pickled Garlic recipe offers a tangy, spicy, and aromatic way to preserve garlic cloves with a simple vinegar brine. Ready in just 10 minutes, these pickled garlic cloves add a flavorful kick to salads, sandwiches, and charcuterie boards, with optional dill and red pepper flakes for extra zest.
Ingredients
Scale
Pickling Brine
- â…” cup distilled white vinegar
- â…“ cup water
- 1 ¼ teaspoons salt
- 1 tablespoon sugar
Main Ingredient
- ½ pound garlic cloves (peeled)
Optional Flavorings
- 3-4 sprigs of dill
- ¼-½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Pickling spice (optional, to taste)
Instructions
- Make the brine: Combine vinegar, water, salt, and sugar in a saucepan over high heat. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and let it simmer for 2-3 minutes, whisking occasionally until the salt and sugar fully dissolve.
- Add the garlic to jars: Place peeled garlic cloves into a 16-ounce mason jar. Add optional pickling spice, red pepper flakes, and dill sprigs if desired to enhance the flavor.
- Pour the brine over the garlic: Carefully pour the warm brine over the garlic cloves in the jar, ensuring they are completely submerged. If there’s any remaining space in the jar, top it off with additional water so the brine reaches the very top.
- Cover and store: Seal the jar with its lid and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight, to allow the flavors to meld and the garlic to pickle properly before serving.
Notes
- Use peeled garlic cloves for best texture and flavor absorption.
- The pickled garlic can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
- Adjust red pepper flakes quantity depending on your desired spice level.
- If pickling spice is unavailable, feel free to omit it or substitute with other spices like coriander seeds or black peppercorns.
- This recipe uses stovetop simmering to create the brine but the pickling itself happens in the refrigerator (cold pickling).
