Food and Recipes Seasonings Spices Garlic Pickled Garlic Be the first to rate & review! Pickling turns garlic mellow and slightly sweet. By Melissa Gray Updated on September 18, 2023 Recipe tested by Southern Living Test Kitchen Recipe tested by Southern Living Test Kitchen The Southern Living Test Kitchen has been publishing recipes since 1970, four years after the first issue of Southern Living Magazine appeared on newsstands. The Southern Living Test Kitchen team includes a team of professionals with deep expertise in recipe development, from pastry chefs and grilling experts to nutritionists and dietitians. Together, the team tests and retests, produces, styles, and photographs thousands of recipes each year in the state-of-the-art test kitchen facility located in Birmingham, Alabama. Learn more about the Southern Living Test Kitchen Rate PRINT Share Trending Videos Close this video player Photo: Stacy Allen; Food Stylist: Karen Rankin; Prop Stylist: Lindsey Lower Active Time: 15 mins Total Time: 9 hrs 15 mins Servings: 16 Pickled garlic is that little something extra that elevates charcuterie boards, brightens antipasto salads, and enlivens sautéed vegetables. Its crisp bite is certainly garlicky, but the pickling process gives the garlic cloves a gentle vinegar acidity that is more invigorating than aggressive. Bonus: As long as the pickled garlic is stored in the fridge, it can last up to 4 months. That means you can make it now and have the pickled garlic on hand for many meals and gatherings to come. How To Make Pickled Garlic You can make pickled garlic with just about 15 minutes of active prep time and eight hours for chilling. Step 1. Cook and chill garlic cloves. Briefly boil garlic until tender, then transfer to a bowl of ice water. Once cool, drain the garlic, and transfer to a jar.Step 2. Make brine. Boil water, vinegar, sugar, salt, peppercorns, mustard seeds, fennel seeds, and crushed red pepper until the sugar and salt are dissolved.Step 3. Cover and store. Pour the warm brine over the garlic in the jar. Let stand until cool, then put the lid on and put the jar in the fridge. PHOTO: STACY ALLEN; FOOD STYLIST: KAREN RANKIN; PROP STYLIST: LINDSEY LOWER The Different Types of Garlic Pickled Garlic Ingredients To make pickled garlic, you'll need four heads of garlic; this recipe is also easy to double if you have extra garlic on hand. In addition, you'll need: distilled waterdistilled white vinegarsugarkosher saltblack peppercornsmustard seedsfennel seeds For an extra kick, crushed red pepper is optional. Stacy Allen; Food Stylist: Karen Rankin; Prop Stylist: Lindsey Lower What Is Pickled Garlic Good For? Both the garlic-flavored liquid and the garlic cloves may be used to add big flavor to various dishes. Pickled garlic is great to add to vegetable sautęs, to accompany meat or fish dishes, as a wow-worthy addition to charcuterie boards, in antipasto salads, and more. Can You Eat Pickled Garlic by Itself? You can absolutely eat pickled garlic on its own for a flavor-packed snack. Obviously, pickled garlic has a strong garlicky taste, which balances nicely with a subtle vinegar flavor. The aromatics come through nicely, too, and there's even a little bit of sweetness from the sugar in the flavor profile. You might not be kissing anyone for a few hours, but this is a great snack on its own. How Long Does Pickled Garlic Last? You can store pickled garlic in the refrigerator for up to four months; do not store the mixture at room temperature because it will rapidly grow mold. Discard both the cloves and the liquid if there are signs of mold or yeast growth on the surface of the vinegar. Editorial contributions by Alesandra Dubin. Ingredients 1 cup peeled garlic cloves (from 4 garlic heads) 2/3 cup distilled water 1/3 cup distilled white vinegar 1/4 cup granulated sugar 1 1/4 tsp. kosher salt 1/2 tsp. black peppercorns 1/2 tsp. mustard seeds 1/2 tsp. fennel seeds 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper (optional) Directions Boil garlic, then chill: Fill a large bowl with ice water; set aside. Fill a small saucepan with tap water to a depth of 2 inches. Bring to a boil over medium-high. Add garlic, and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 3 minutes. Remove garlic using a slotted spoon, and transfer to ice water; let stand until cool, about 1 minute. Stacy Allen; Food Stylist: Karen Rankin; Prop Stylist: Lindsey Lower Drain well, and transfer to a pint-size (16-ounce) glass or heatproof jar with a tight-fitting lid. Make pickling liquid: Stir together distilled water, vinegar, sugar, salt, peppercorns, mustard seeds, fennel seeds, and crushed red pepper, if using, in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over high, stirring often until sugar and salt are dissolved. Stacy Allen; Food Stylist: Karen Rankin; Prop Stylist: Lindsey Lower Add pickling liquid to garlic, store: Pour hot vinegar mixture over garlic in jar. Let stand, uncovered, until cooled to room temperature, about 45 minutes. Stacy Allen; Food Stylist: Karen Rankin; Prop Stylist: Lindsey Lower Cover with lid, and refrigerate 8 hours. Serve. Store in refrigerator up to 4 months. Stacy Allen; Food Stylist: Karen Rankin; Prop Stylist: Lindsey Lower Rate It Print Updated by Alesandra Dubin