We love to use garlic but it always seems to go bad sitting on the counter. So when I came across a recipe for pickled garlic in the ball home preserving book, I figured I'd give it a shot.
the recipes are:
pickled garlic (makes 5 8 oz jars.)
2 1/2 c white vinegar
1 c dry white wine (I don't know anything about wine so I just used what we had.)
1 T pickling salt (I used sea salt.)
1 T sugar
1 T dried oregano
12 large heads garlic, separated and peeled
5 whole hot peppers
BBQ sauce (I made 4 recipes and it made 3 16oz jars worth.)
1 c ketchup (I used organic. Not only is it hfcs-free, it tastes SO much better.)
1/4 water
1 1/2 T brown sugar
1/2 t celery salt (I used celery seed instead.)
1 1/2 t mustard powder (I used mustard seed.)
1 T liquid smoke (I used 2 1/2 T total.)
2 T worcestershire (I used about 3 T total because it was all I had.)
3 T melted butter (I left this out entirely.)
salt and pepper to taste
ok! Let's start!
First, peel the garlic. You will probably want to employ some help. This part takes for-ev-er.
We peel garlic one day and did the rest the next morning. I like canning in the morning anyway because it's not so hot.ok, so first thing, get out everything you need so you know you have it and you don't have to go searching later.
Yes, that is a gallon jug of wine. Yes, it's fancy.Now, prepare your jars and lids. Fill the pot with tap water until it's full to 1 inch above the jars. Turn on high. Just before the water starts to boil, turn it off. This will take a while because the pot is so huge. *See note about pots at the bottom.
A purple ring is what happens when your husband uses your canning pot as a tie dye bucket...
Put the lids in a small pot. Alternate the lids right side up and upside down so they don't stick together. You don't have to prep the rings but I like to.
Turn the stove on high. Just before the water starts to boil, turn it off.
Dump all the BBQ sauce stuff in a pot and stir it up. Set the stove to medium and forget about it for a while (except for the occasional stir).
Get the pickle brine ready. Put vinegar, wine, salt, sugar and oregano in a pot. (everything except garlic and hot peppers) Turn the burner to medium high.
Get your tongs, funnels, rings, etc. ready. I lost my jar grabber in the move. So far, it's the only thing I can't find, so it's ok. :P
Let the brine boil for 1 minute. Then dump in the garlic.
Take the jars out of the pot.
Using a funnel, pour the BBQ sauce in the jars with out getting any anywhere but inside the jars. This is difficult. :P Drop the lids on and screw on the bands. Put the jars back in the big pot.
Put 1 dried pepper in jar.
The using tongs (and a wide mouth funnel if you have one, I don't) pack ONLY the garlic cloves in the jars. THEN add the brine. Drop on the lids and screw on rings.
Put the jars back in the pot.
Put the lid on the pot and turn the stove on high. When the water starts to boil, turn the timer on for 10 minutes.When the 10 minutes is up, turn the stove off and wait 5-10 minutes.
Some notes on the pot:
I have a pressure canner. You DO NOT need one for this project. You can use a water bath canner. They are significantly cheaper and you can can a lot of things with them. It is basically a huge pot with a lid and a rack inside for the jars to sit on. You do not want the jars to sit on the bottom of the pot.
Take the jars out carefully. The liquid inside might still be boiling. Set them on the counter and wait for the lids to pop. If one doesn't pop, use it first.
After they cool, take the rings off. They can be really really hard to take off later if you leave them on now.
Enjoy!!
