Pickled Garlic (Preserved Garlic)

Top down open glass jar stuffed with preserved garlic and herbs.

5 stars (3 reviews)

Pickled Garlic (Preserved Garlic)

This classic quick refrigerator pickles recipe makes the most tangy, bold, and delicious pickled garlic in just four easy steps. They're perfect for snacking or adding to all kinds of savory dishes!

Prep Time30

Cook Time5

Total Time35

Course: Condiment, Side Dish, Snack

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings (4 jars)

Calories: 15kcal

Author: Sommer Collier

Ingredients

1 ½ - 1 ¾ pounds fresh garlic heads peeled and separated into cloves
32 ounces apple cider vinegar
¼ cup canning & pickling salt iodine free salt
4 bay leaves
2 teaspoons dried dill or 2 tablespoons fresh dill
1 teaspoon celery seeds
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Set out four sanitized 8-ounce canning jars. Separate the heads of garlic and peel all the cloves. Then stuff the clean cloves into the canning jars.
To each jar, add one bay leaf, ½ teaspoon of dried dill, ¼ teaspoon of celery seeds, and ¼ teaspoon of crushed red pepper.
Set a medium sauce pot on high heat. Pour in the apple cider vinegar, and pickling salt into the pot. Bring to a boil.
Once boiling, carefully ladle the boiling-hot pickling brine over the top of the canning jars. Fill the canning jars up to ½ inch from the top.
While the jars are hot, screw the lids on tight. Cool to room temperature and then store in the refrigerator for at least 48 hours before serving. This allows time for the garlic cloves to start desensitizing. The longer they sit in the pickling brine, the more mellow they become!

Notes

If the heads of garlic you find have very heavy wrappings, buy 2 pounds.

If you want to make sure the garlic cloves are VERY mellow, you can place them in the boiling brine on the stovetop and boil them for 5 minutes. Then ladle the cloves and brine into the jars.

Here we're pickling 1 ½ to 2 pounds of garlic, which equals about four 8-ounce jars. These jars can be kept in the refrigerator for 9-12 months. However, according to the USDA it's best not to try to can garlic cloves to be shelf stable. Keep them in the fridge!

Nutrition