Tuesday, November 23, 2004
Pickled Garlic
My father, whom I adore, called me this morning to ask if it was safe to eat the garlic he had pickled that had turned blue. The answer is yes. He is constantly (at least when he is home) inspired to make his own versions of his favorite foods, which I think is terrific. (And explains some of my own habits!) The reason it turned blue has something to do with a reaction to copper (trace amounts found in tap water, most likely), but it does not indicate spoilage. You do want to be careful if there is any other sign of spoilage but if its blue and that doesn’t freak you out, go ahead and eat it. If you are like me and wouldn’t ever eat pickled garlic, this recipe also works for pretty much any other vegetable; you just have to adjust the cooking times. I love to pickle red onion slices to use as a salad garnish (I add two cloves to the brine.) and green beans in the summer (for that I add some dill too.). If you want to try his pickled garlic (it is an interesting accompaniment to cocktails.) recipe, here it is. Just be warned it really may turn blue!
6 whole heads of garlic, peeled
2 cups white vinegar
¼ cup sugar
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp peppercorns
½ teaspoon pickling spice (or if you don’t have that, just use a mixture of dried herbs and spices like whole coriander and cumin)
1 bay leaf
Put all the ingredients except the garlic into a large pan and boil 2 minutes, add the garlic and boil for a further 2 minutes.
Pour into a large sterilized jar, seal firmly and store in a refrigerator for 4 weeks before using.
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Have you ever had Smoked Garlic?
I tried to find Garlic Ice cream online, but all I could locate was this
And dont forget: A dollar will get you on the subway, but garlic will get you a seat!
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