In Vermont, the time-honored tradition of putting food by is alive and well. Though the refrigerator nearly killed our dependence on the root cellar, where garlic and onions can last all season long, we still use the same concepts for storing food we did in the Iron Age. But when you don’t have access to the natural coolness of the earth to preserve your root vegetables, a cool, dark room will do. Organic garlic keeps well at 50 degrees.
For serious garlic lovers, though, it can take more than a remote location in another room to prevent the whole crop from disappearing into tonight’s dinner. To make the magic last a little longer, some cooks will resort to pickling, roasting and canning.
Putting garlic by – here are two recipes that caught our eye:
Tigress Can Jam – Roasted Garlic Syrup (from the Artistry of Acorn Cottage)
Normally roasting turns garlic into a sweet heavenly paste that is usually consumed immediately if not sooner. This recipe lets you re-experience the delight of roasted garlic anytime.
Ingredients:
3 medium bulbs of garlic
1 T olive oil
1 T balsamic vinegar
1 C dry white wine
2/3 C water
1/2 C white balsamic vinegar
1 t whole black peppercorn, crushed
3 T lemon juice
3 C granulated sugar
2 envelopes liquid pectin
Canning this gelatinous cold requires the same care as canning any jam or preserve. Take a look at the full recipe for details.
Pickled Garlic (from SeriousEats.com)
1 pound fresh garlic, peeled
1 cup red wine vinegar
1 cup water
1 tablespoon pickling salt
The process and recipe details are here.
Garlic image credits: cmilli.com and www.seriouseats.com