Topic: Garlic Pickle

[1066]

Hi
I'm wanting to make a batch of garlic pickle, but all the recipes I have or read, all state that it can be stored in the fridge for up to a month. I'd like to make one where I could store it for 6 months or more. Does anyone have a good recipe, or any suggestions. I don't quite understand why the recipes all state only a month (the recipe contains the usual suspects of vinegar and sugars etc).

Nearly forgot, I'm doing Indian style garlic pickle  ;D
Thanks

1066  :)

[1066]

bump  :)

[vitruvius8]

This is an indian recipe, so should last ! try this one .
http://www.indobase.com/recipes/details/garlic-pickle.php  :)

[1066]

thanks vitruvius8

Still wondering why some recipes state eat within a month  :-\

[grannyjanny]

SiL made Nigella's chili jam which states that it keeps for a month. I was still using it 6 months later & it & I were fine ;D. Sorry I don't know the answer you're looking for though.

[1066]

that's a good point GJ, I make the same Chilli Jam (YUM!) and leave it in the fridge for yonks!

Oh well, I'll make some this week and see if we are still alive in 6 months  :o  :D

[grannyjanny]

We could miss you ;) ;D.

[1066]

LOL! I like the "could"  ;D  ;D  ;D

[Jeannine]

1066, show me the recipe and I may be able to tell you. If the ingredients are appropriate it may be just a need to water bath the jars which gets rid of any trace of bacteria so storage time in better, if it is the veggie content that may not be an option.. I can tell you better if you post the recipe.

XX Jeannine

[1066]

I was wondering about the jars and water bath

anyway, this is the recipe, I have the book, but was feeling a bit lazy retyping!

http://rubbishvegans.livejournal.com/11269.html
Garlic Pickle
"This is a recipe taken from the comments in catsgomiaow's LJ, originally taken from Fresh Flavours Of India by Das Sreedharan. This is so amazingly good, you'll want to marry it. I've copied and pasted the recipe and added my own comments in italics.

Garlic Pickle

Ingredients
1 tbsp oil I used olive oil
A few fenugreek seeds (I also chucked a few black mustard seeds and kalonji seeds in there too as I love them) I realised my jar was EMPTY noes. Memo to me: buy more kalonji seeds!
100g garlic cloves (about 3 heads' worth of the fat cloves), thickly sliced I used 4 because the cloves were rather small
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
200ml vinegar (It doesn't say what type but I used half Sarson's white vinegar and half rice wine vinegar as there wasn't enough Sarson's)
1 tsp sugar
Salt

Method:
Heat the oil in a pan, add the seeds and cook for a little, then add the garlic and stir-fry for about 5 minutes.
Stir in the chilli, turmeric and a little salt, then pour over the vinegar (and sugar? this is when I added mine). Cook over a low heat until the liquid has evaporated and the garlic is tender (WARNING: THIS WILL TAKE ABOUT 20 MINUTES AND TOTALLY STINK YOUR HOUSE OUT).Agreed! But it doesn't linger & to be honest I found it kind of comforting, it reminded me of when I was a kid and woke up on weekends sometimes to smell hot vinegar due to my mom cleaning the coffee maker.

Leave to cool, then put in a jar - it will keep for about 2 weeks apparently but lasted us ONE NIGHT :) It was all I could do from scarfing the lot in one go. So tasty!!"

Hope this helps Jeannine  :)

[Melbourne12]

.... I don't quite understand why the recipes all state only a month (the recipe contains the usual suspects of vinegar and sugars etc).
...

I had a look in my Indian recipe books, and you're quite right - they all specify a relatively short lifetime.  Ditto the Indian cookery internet sites.

I looked up the USDA canning guidelines, but even they don't help.

Then I came across this interesting site: http://www.gourmetgarlicgardens.com/pickle.htm

The key points that I've drawn are:

• The taste of garlic that has been boiled for preservation is different from "fresh" or partly cooked garlic.
• Heating the garlic further, to the temperatures needed for safe canning or bottling denatures it
• Vinegar reacts with the garlic over time, which reduces the acidity.  That's fine in a refrigerated  pickle, but dangerous in a bottled product where botulinus toxin could be created.
• As a result, recipes that use oil to seal the food (as quite a few Indian pickles do) would be particularly dangerous for garlic
• The good news seems to be that refrigerated garlic pickled in vinegar can keep for months rather than weeks, no matter what the recipe says

I would say, though, that your recipe would need to be stored under more vinegar, since all the liquid (if I've understood it correctly) is boiled off.

[1066]

Melbourne, thank you for taking the time to look into this, it's really appreciated. The link you give has lots of useful info, and helps me understand what it's all about.

I must say I'm tempted to try a jar of pickled garlic (in vinegar) to see what they are like. I like pickled ginger with Asian food like noodles so maybe garlic would be good with those types of dishes.

So it looks like I should aim to make a small batch of the pickle and gobble it up quickly!

Once again thanks for your time and info  :)

[vitruvius8]

1066 i did pickled garlic last year and still have some, it's very mild and you can use it as you would any other garlic, you can even eat it straight from the jar and i often have some with salads. I did 3 small jars and still have one unopened after 9 months.

[1066]

Thanks vitruvius8  :) I'll have a go at some of the garlic pickled in vinegar soon then  ;D

I've just made a batch of the Indian garlic pickle - a small jar to take with me as part of a present when we visit friends next week, the comment from my OH, was where's ours  ::) Better get makinng another batch  ;D

1066  :)

[Jeannine]

Sorry to be late.

I would be wary of this one because of the vinegar content.I would like to see more. Rice vinegar is lovely but not suitable for pickling it is not acidic enough,should be 5/6% acidity  so I would not want to stick my neck out and suggest going for it. 

[knottygal]

I love garlic pickle but have never made my own, will try it this year as we have a bumper harvest drying in the shed ;D
For all those that have never tried pickled garlic it is wonderful and even better roasted! Chuck a few pickled garlic cloves in with your roast tatties for the last 20 mins next time you do a roast dinner - they are to die for :P
(we use a whole jar when we have a roast dinner, we can't get enough of 'em!)

[1066]

thanks for the extra info. I made a small batch, and took it as a present to share with friends. None left after the meal so vindication it tastes yummy! reading all this it sounds like it's a "fresh" pickle, so I'll stick to that, and just make small batches to eat straight away  :)

also agree with the roasting  8)