Spicy Pickled Garlic

Okay – I agree, this one sounds a little weird but it is delicious! Then again, we LOVE garlic in our house. As discussed previously, we substituted fresh chopped garlic for the Spicy Pickled Garlic in our Dilly Beans. We will even eat them straight from the jar as a snack or chop up and throw into spaghetti for a little extra flavor. Or in just about every meal we cook (like I said, we love garlic).

Something to keep in mind before we dive in – the bases of a safe canning recipe is based on pH. The pH of the food also determines the processing method. With this in mind, do remember that dry herbs/spices do not change the pH of a recipe so these can very easily be not spicy or as spicy as you like! With that being said – I have a low tolerance of spicy things yet I find these delicious!

Spicy Pickled Garlic

[Yield: (5) Half-Pints]

Materials: (all materials can be found on The Necessities for reference)

• 5 half-pint jars (plus flat lids and bands/rings) [Hint: I usually add an additional jar or 2 just in case.]
• 1 water bath
• 1 funnel
• 1 jar lifter
• 1 slotted spoon
• 1 stainless steel ladle
• 1 debubbler
• 1 large stainless steel pot (or dutch oven)
• 1 dish towel (large enough for the jars to cool on)

Ingredients:

• 12 large heads garlic (about 1 3/4 lb), peeled and separated into cloves
• 2 1/2 cups white vinegar
• 1 cup dry white wine (I used chardonnay)
• 1 tbsp pickling salt
• 1 tbsp granulated sugar
• 1 tbsp dried oregano
• 2 tbsp. red pepper flakes

Process:

1. Inspect each of your jars for cracks, chips, and/or any other questionable markings before use.
2. Place wire rack into bottom of water bath with ‘arms’ up to allow jars to be placed.
3. Fill your water bath with enough water to cover each of the jars with 2-3″ of liquid and place on burner to warm jars (simmer but do not boil).
4. In a large stainless steel saucepan, combine all ingredients except garlic cloves.
5. Bring mixture to a gentle boil for 1 minute.
6. Remove from heat and stir in peeled garlic cloves to liquid mixture for 1 minute.
7. Remove empty jars from water bath by lifting the wire rack and setting the arms on the rim of the water bath. Then, using jar lifter empty and remove the jar from the water.
8. Using a slotted spoon and funnel, scoop out garlic and pack into a hot jar keeping a 3/4in head space. [Head space is the distance from the top of the jar to the food filling the jar.]
9. Add remaining hot liquid to jars covering garlic to within 1/2 in head space.
10. Using the debubbler, remove remaining air bubbles and adjust headspace, if required, by adding hot liquid.
11. Wipe the rim of each jar with a damp cloth ensuring that the rims are clean.
12. Place flat lid and screw band on jar and finger tighten. [Hint: Place the jar on a towel and using only your fingers, tighten the band until your jar spins on the towel.]
13. Once finger tightened, return to warm water bath to avoid thermal shock. [Thermal shock is the cracking of jars from an extreme temperature swing such as putting hot food into a cold jar.] Lower wire rack once full.
14. Place lid on canner, return to high heat and bring water to a full rolling boil.
15. Once boiling, set timer for 10 minutes [refer to your elevations processing time for correct info].
16. After 10 minutes, turn off heat and remove the lid. Wait an additional 5 minutes.
17. Once again, lifting wire rack and placing arms on canner rim, use the jar lifter to remove your filled jars and place on a towel in a cool & draft-free location.
18. Wait 24 hours before touching the jars. After 24 hours, remove the bands and pick up each jar from the flat lid (this will help ensure that each jar is truly sealed). Once the seal is verified, you may wash the exterior of the jars, dry, label, and store for future use.Please note: that this item is best used when stored for at least 4 weeks before opening (or not)!

Unfortunately, this was processed without a photographic history, but I promise its delicious! When processed in the future, we will ensure to add additional photos.