Tuesday, September 7, 2010

pickled garlic


It's garlic week.
I'm in recovery from the weekend, and I almost didn't make a thing today. (Yes, the wedding went well. It rained on us while we ate dinner, but the wine was good enough that that was okay. Thanks for asking.) I almost gave you a little rundown of other garlic recipes that I've made- you know, roasted leg of lamb with garlic sauce or roasted garlic, onion and potato galette, or of course the king of kings garlic lemonade, or I guess when you come to think of it, just about everything I make around here that isn't dessert.

But then I couldn't resist shoving all the other things I had to do aside so that I could make something for you here. Because the truth is, I've really been wanting to tell you about this book.

Yes, I have pastoral British envy. I want elderflower rhubarb fool after the heritage roast that I cut myself and roasted on a spit in my very old hearth. I want stone walls and children with accents even though they wouldn't really be accents because that's how they talk. Sometimes, I just want to live in the River Cottage Books.

This is a new one- little and unassuming, written by Pam Corbin, containing nearly zero paranoia about canning safety. Put it in a jar. Put it on the shelf. As long as you are noble of heart, it will be good.


And so, because it is garlic week after all, and because I have this big bowl of uncleaned garlic that I hastily dug up and shoved in the closet, I thought I might spend a few moments in my new favorite cookbook and jar up a bit of garlic.

I don't know how it will taste, but I'm thinking...good.
Let's get to it then, shall we?

Pickled Garlic
adapted from Pam Corbin, The River Cottage Preserves Handbook

makes five 4-ounce jars

1 pound newer garlic (do it now, not in January)
about 15 peppercorns
5 bay leaves
1 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup sugar
pinch of saffron threads

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Sterilize your jars for about 10 minutes in the pot, then remove them. Submerge all of the garlic in the hot water, and keep it in for about 20 seconds. Remove, and the garlic will slide right out of its skins.
Put the vinegar, sugar and saffron into a pan. Bring the mixture to a boil.
In a separate little pot, bring a few cups of water to boil. Remove from heat and submerge the lids and bands of your jars. Leave them in the hot water.
Meanwhile, pack the garlic cloves into the sterilized jars, adding a bay leaf and peppercorns as you go. Pour the hot vinegar over the garlic, and top with the lid and band. If the vinegar is hot enough, the jar should seal (the center of the lid will suck down) within a couple of hours. If it doesn't seal, you can also process in a hot water bath for ten minutes, or store in the refrigerator.
Use within a year.

Although that telling breeze is starting to make its way into the window at night, we're still celebrating the summer around here! Oh, luscious garlic, what will all of these talented people do with you? I can hardly wait....

odd and Diane at White on Rice Couple: Garlic Knots

Nicole at Pinch My Salt: Spicy Pickled Garlic

Sara at Food2: Easiest Recipes Ever, Starring Garlic

Michelle on Cooking Channel: Roasted Garlic

Liz at Healthy Eats: 5 Reasons to Eat More Garlic

Kirsten at FN Dish: Garlic Chicken Greats

Margaret at A Way to Garden: Growing and Storing a Year of Garlic

Caroline at the Wright Recipes: Ajo Blanco Soup, and Confit Garlic

The Gilded Fork: Garlic Dossier and Recipes

Food Network UK: Glorious Garlic

Paige at The Sister Project: Spaghetti with Garlic and Zucchini

Cate at Sweetnicks: Double Dose of Garlic—Cuban Black Beans and The Best Pork Ever

Caron at San Diego Foodstuff: Italian Marinated Eggplant and Sorrel and Garlic Sauce

10 comments:

  1. I'm the founder/moderator for Punk Domestics (www.punkdomestics.com), a community site for those of use obsessed with, er, interested in DIY food. It's sort of like Tastespotting, but specific to the niche. I'd love for you to submit this to the site. Good stuff!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I am so intrigued by the garlic lemonade recipe! And I'm looking forward to hearing how the pickled garlic tastes.
    This week I made garlic soup with poached eggs:
    http://4seasonsoffood.blogspot.com/2010/09/garlic-soup-with-poached-eggs.html

    ReplyDelete
  3. I'm loving that photo at the top. I think I'll wander on downstairs and try some!

    ReplyDelete
  4. My husband thinks I am addicted to canning -- I put up peach chutney and salsa last week and plan to do pear ginger jam and corn relish this week -- but I haven't tried pickling garlic. Thank you for the idea and recommending the cookbook -- I can't wait to take a look at it!

    My contribution to Fall Fest this week is a gentle nudge to plant your own garlic. It's so very easy!

    http://www.dollopofcream.com/2010/09/plant-yourself-some-garlic.html

    ReplyDelete
  5. Sounds easy enough. Must try. I made some garlic chicken for Summer Fest.
    http://dejavucook.wordpress.com/2010/09/08/chicken-thighs-and-drumsticks/

    ReplyDelete
  6. Alana, glad that the weekend finished off beautifully. I don't know if I would have dared to host a wedding, the perfectionist that I am!
    Being half Jewish-Russian you have it in your genes to pickle everything that grows, as do I, following my 100% Serbian ancestry. And it is a good thing, in my humble opinion. Pickled garlic? Bring it on! I am willing to try.
    I went a traditional way with my Grilled Peppers and Eggplant, and Roasted Beets, all dressed with Garlic and Vinaigrette. http://bibberche.com/2010/09/grilled-peppers-grilled-eggplant-roasted-beets-with-garlic/

    ReplyDelete
  7. I just started canning a few weeks ago and have yet to try pickling. Think I'll add garlic to the list and the book sounds pretty fab too! I made sofrito to celebrate Fall Fest's garlic week: http://www.artandlemons.com/2010/09/sofrito.html.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Love your photos, the garlic looks soooo well... earthy? Now that you and Nicole have sold me on pickling garlic, I have to go out and get some jars.
    I did

    ~Caberneti Spaghetti Nests with Crispy Egg and Golden Garlic

    http://2besatisfied.blogspot.com/2010/09/summer-fest-caberneti-spaghetti-nests.html
    ~Chef Louise

    ReplyDelete
  9. Thanks for posting! I ran out & reserved Pam Corbin, "The River Cottage Preserves Handbook" for pickup at my local Barnes & Noble. I picked it up this afternoon & I have to say that I'm intrigued. I can't WAIT to make almost everything in the book. Thanks for the recommendation!! :)

    ReplyDelete