Kitchen adventures

I tried pickling for the first time several weeks ago, and I've been on a pickling kick ever since. It started when I got some cucumbers in my CSA box (Lucy and I ate the first ones today--delicious!).



I've also tried radishes (easy recipe here--SO good), green beans (also delicious, recipe in the same place), and garlic (ask me if it's good in 3 months when it's ready--I think it will turn out sweet! It's supposed to be a treat to take when you're getting sick with a cold).

Here's the pickled garlic recipe. Making it this way preserves the raw garlic benefits (mostly from allicin, which is formed from garlic when a compound called alliin in garlic comes into contact with the garlic enzyme alliinase when raw garlic is cut, crushed or chewed. When you heat or cook garlic, alliinase becomes inactivated, preventing the production of allicin).

Fresh garlic cloves (several bulbs worth)
Tamari or soy sauce or apple cider vinegar
Honey, raw if possible
Jar with lid
Wax paper

Carefully peel the cloves of garlic without nicking them. (If you nick them, they will look funny but are still usable). Peel enough to fill a jar. You can use any size jar.

Fill the jar with either tamari or apple cider vinegar. Not sure which you'd like the best? Make a jar of each to compare! If the jar's lid is metal, cover the mouth of the jar with wax paper and then screw on the lid. Place a label on the jar. Shake daily for 6 weeks.

After 6 weeks, pour off half the vinegar or tamari. (Save this for using in cooking). Add honey to fill to top. Recover and shake. Shake daily for another 6 weeks.

The garlic is now ready to eat! You can eat them as a treat or take at the first sign of illness. Delicious! The liquid can be used in cooking. It makes a great marinade for meat.