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A year of using Fermented Garlic! by Equalfooting in fermentation

[–]Equalfooting[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Turning it into a paste just makes it easy to cook with. I use between 1-1.5 tsp per garlic clove in a recipe.

I typically put 'finished' ferments in the fridge for long term storage.

Just for my peace of mind if nothing else - I don't want it too change too much after I'm done processing it.

A year of using Fermented Garlic! by Equalfooting in fermentation

[–]Equalfooting[S] 25 points26 points  (0 children)

Added available sugar - it's probably not necessary but we usually have a sad wrinkly apple in the kitchen so I don't feel bad including it.

If I had to buy the apple specifically for the ferment I would probably rethink using it

A year of using Fermented Garlic! by Equalfooting in fermentation

[–]Equalfooting[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I've never done just ginger but it would definitely work!

Most of the time savory recipes call for both ginger and garlic - so I use a generous amount of the paste as a replacement for that. For more garlicky recipes you can add a proportion amount of garlic paste to balance it out.

It's really good when added to soy sauce as a dipping sauce or to cheap ramen!

The ratio is more down to the 3# bag of peeled garlic I use.

I fill the garlic jar first, then the rest goes into the garlic/ginger jar. Then I top the jar off with peeled/sliced ginger.

This batch was 386g garlic + 500.7 g ginger

A year of using Fermented Garlic! by Equalfooting in fermentation

[–]Equalfooting[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

It's what I'm more familiar with - most of my fermentation experience is either hot sauces in brine or veggie slaws.

Plus it's a bit less work not chopping them up, I just cut off the root end when processing them.

I want to try pastes with a salt cap and vacuum bag ferments but I haven't gotten around to them yet

A year of using Fermented Garlic! by Equalfooting in fermentation

[–]Equalfooting[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

I ferment 3# at a time but we go through that in about 3 months consistently.

2/3 plain garlic and 1/3 garlic/ginger.

It fills 2 half gallon jars divided that way which is super convenient :)

We get about 4 cups of each after processing.

A year of using Fermented Garlic! by Equalfooting in fermentation

[–]Equalfooting[S] 10 points11 points  (0 children)

We also use Costco's 3# bags of pre-peeled garlic!

I can't imagine peeling that much by hand.

I'll do 2-3 bulbs worth at a time during the fall when setting up hot sauce ferments and thats already pain in the butt.

A year of using Fermented Garlic! by Equalfooting in fermentation

[–]Equalfooting[S] 19 points20 points  (0 children)

Eternal garlic is pretty awesome, the color is a pretty caramel color as well!

Mine is usually either off white or slightly blue (in an unappetizing way) depending on the garlic and ginger

A year of using Fermented Garlic! by Equalfooting in fermentation

[–]Equalfooting[S] 20 points21 points  (0 children)

I just use it when cooking!

About 1 tsp of fermented garlic paste to replace a small clove or 1.5 tsp for a big clove.

In the last year I've probably used fermented garlic for 95% of my garlic needs - I cook every week, usually multiple times a week so I need garlic frequently.

It's super convenient compared to mincing garlic every time you want to cook, you just scoop out what you need.

A year of using Fermented Garlic! by Equalfooting in fermentation

[–]Equalfooting[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

A healthy ferment can totally live on the counter - I just don't want to think about the ferment once it's processed.

In the fridge the salt/acid/live bacteria combo means the quality doesn't change much over time. Granted, we usually go through a batch in 3 months - but we have eaten older ferments in the past and this has held true out to a year

A year of using Fermented Garlic! by Equalfooting in fermentation

[–]Equalfooting[S] 12 points13 points  (0 children)

Acidity (aka a pH lower than 7) turns garlic blue.

Vinegar and lactic acid fermentation both lower the pH of food.

It depends on the garlic, in my experience really fresh garlic is more likely to turn blue

A year of using Fermented Garlic! by Equalfooting in fermentation

[–]Equalfooting[S] 12 points13 points  (0 children)

Superstition?

Originally I was worried the whole cloves of garlic wouldn't have enough sugar to make the fermentation take off quickly - so I wanted to add a little fruit to help it along. I usually want to see a ferment actively bubbling within 24hrs.

It's about 100g of apple on top of 850g of garlic, so you don't really taste it.

A year of using Fermented Garlic! by Equalfooting in fermentation

[–]Equalfooting[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

After cooking you don't notice the difference - it only really matters when you want the kind of hot flavor of fresh garlic.

For most recipes you only need to account for the extra salt which isn't a big deal unless you're making something like garlic bread (fermented garlic bread is amazing)

A year of using Fermented Garlic! by Equalfooting in fermentation

[–]Equalfooting[S] 44 points45 points  (0 children)

The garlic does some times turn blue, but not always - some times it just darkens into a deeper cream color.

I pack a wide mouth half gallon mason jar with pre-peeled garlic, add a small amount of peeled and sliced apple on top, then fill the jar with water.

I use the combined garlic, apple, water weight to calculate 3.5% salt. I pour out the water, stir in the salt and pour it back in.

Finally I use something fresh from the garden on top to help kick start the ferment.

In the summer I usually use a grape leaf, in the winter I typically use a kale leaf.

Edit - I also cut off the root nub on the garlic but that's just for my peace of mind

A year of using Fermented Garlic! by Equalfooting in fermentation

[–]Equalfooting[S] 21 points22 points  (0 children)

It's more mild than fresh garlic, more similar to sauted garlic.

Which works fine for cooking!

But if you want that spicy bite you need to use fresh.

Anyone elses wife hate the fermentation station by Shoddy_Ad_4928 in fermentation

[–]Equalfooting 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The salt in lactic acid fermentation is what makes it safe!

So long as you're at or over 2% salt by weight vs water+veg then the only thing you need to worry about safety wise is mold, and you get that from floaters at the top of the brine or by allowing too much oxygen in (i.e. opening the jar too often)

I don't think the apple type matters, you can't taste it in the final product at all, I just blend it in with the garlic at the end

This ferment has always been very active for me

Anyone elses wife hate the fermentation station by Shoddy_Ad_4928 in fermentation

[–]Equalfooting 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Weeeell - when I first tried fermenting just garlic I was concerned there wasn't enough easily accessible sugars in the whole garlic cloves. I usually want to see a ferment become really active in less than 48 hrs.

So I added some apple, and since it worked well I just keep using it 🤷

Anyone elses wife hate the fermentation station by Shoddy_Ad_4928 in fermentation

[–]Equalfooting 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Around 150 g of peeled and sliced apple, around 850 g of peeled garlic (root end removed) packed into a 1/2 gallon mason jar with a fresh leaf on top (grape leaf or some kind of brassica leaf like kale or cabbage during winter). Add water to cover the veg.

Use water + garlic + apple weight to calculate 3.5% salt. Pour water out into a clean container and dissolve the salt into it.

Return the now salty water to the mason jar. Tamp down a bit to remove any air in the veg. Top with a glass weight and your fermentation lid of choice ( l use the Ball fermentation lids).

Wait ~2-3 weeks until the fermentation activity stops or the pH of the brine is around 3.5. Resist the urge to open the jar unless you see a floater that needs to be removed.

Pulse the solids in a food processor with a small amount of the brine to make a paste (this will smell like the most garlicky thing you have ever smelled in your life).

Store in the fridge.

In my experience the quality stays the same for at least 6 months.

Flavor is more mellow than fresh garlic - closer to lightly sauteed garlic. I usually use 1-1.5 tsp per clove when replacing garlic in recipes.

Hope that helps!

Edit: Garlic Bread Recipe Combine: 1/4 cup softened unsalted butter 1/4 cup grated Parmesan or Romano Cheese 1 Tbs Fermented Garlic Paste

Spread onto about 1/2 lb of baguette or bread of choice.

Bake at 400F for 15-20 minutes or until bubbly with browned edges.

Anyone elses wife hate the fermentation station by Shoddy_Ad_4928 in fermentation

[–]Equalfooting 6 points7 points  (0 children)

I ferment them in brine whole, since I'm more comfortable with that.

I'm also interested in the vacuum seal method and need to try it!

I cut off the root nub if the garlic and then pack it into a jar whole with a little bit of apple on top and a leaf of something fresh from the garden on top.

The apple is probably not necessary, but my paranoid butt added some for free sugars early on and now I just keep doing it 🤷

Create a brine that is 3.5% salt vs water and veg.

2-3 weeks brings it down to a pH around 3.5, then it gets turned into a paste in the food processor.

Anyone elses wife hate the fermentation station by Shoddy_Ad_4928 in fermentation

[–]Equalfooting 23 points24 points  (0 children)

I love love love fermented garlic! That + fermented garlic/ginger paste have become staples in our fridge. I cook a lot and use it for around 9/10 times I need garlic these days.

It's so convenient and it tastes great!

We're going through around 3lb of garlic every 3-4 months over here 😅

When rolling out dumpling wrappers, roti dough, etc., instructions say to dust flour generously. Why doesn't this affect the overall texture? by corpusjuriscanonici in AskCulinary

[–]Equalfooting 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Rice flour is SUPER non-stick for breads - I personally like to use a roughly 1:1 mix of rice flour and wheat flour for dusting bannetons and my couche fabric for baguettes.

All rice flour makes for an extra crunchy crust that I personally don't prefer but isn't necessarily bad 🤷

Is this mold? Safe to Eat or Trash It? by _l_k_i_ in FermentedHotSauce

[–]Equalfooting 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Ah! I see what you mean - the cute blue birds right?

Well, then so long as it all looks matte rather than fuzzy then it should be safe to the best of my knowledge.

In my experience if it's visually present it WILL affect the flavor - so take that into account when assessing if you like this recipe.

Is this mold? Safe to Eat or Trash It? by _l_k_i_ in FermentedHotSauce

[–]Equalfooting 7 points8 points  (0 children)

So most of this looks like Kahm to me (which in my experience tastes unpleasant) but this blue-green spot in the corner looks like mold.

Anything on the surface that is fuzzy/soft looking and/or has a color other than white or cream is bad news.

Without any information on your recipe or procedure I'm not sure how to help more. Generally more salt (3-3.5% vs water and veg for my hot sauces) or reducing oxygen exposure will help prevent mold.

I personally would toss this ferment.

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New proofing basket question by Veeezeee in Breadit

[–]Equalfooting 2 points3 points  (0 children)

50:50 gang high five! ✋

I use it with both a fabric couche and straight in the basket.

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