Quick Pickled Garlic

This month the Food in Jars Mastery Challenge was Quick Pickles. Quick pickles are also known as refrigerator pickles. They are simply vegetables that are pickled in a vinegar, water, and salt (sometimes sugar) solution and stored in the refrigerator.Quick pickling is also a brilliant solution for preserving a variety of vegetables from the market or your own garden. Quick pickling doesn't require canning or a bushel of vegetables. Best of all, you can adapt this simple formula for any fresh vegetables; try a mixture of vinegars and spices for a truly custom pickle pleasure.

I like to use up leftovers for this method, but this time, I bought a pound of garlic and decided to quick pickle it to have it on hand for months to come. I pop a couple of cloves out the frig and run them through my press and add them to sauces, dips and dressings.

It all starts with:

1 pound of garlic

 Separate the cloves...

 This yields about 3 1/2 cups of garlic cloves...

 Next, peel the cloves. Do not smash them.

If you'd like, you can blanch them for about 2 to 3 minutes,

and then transfer them to an ice bath.

The skins should peel right off.

 Peeled garlic cloves...

 Divide the garlic between 2 clean prepared pint jars

or 4 half pints... Depending on how often you use it.

I use bunches, so I used pints.

Quick Pickled Garlic

1 1/2 cups red wine vinegar
1/2 cup water (or more to taste... I like stronger vinegar flavor.)

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 lb Garlic Heads

Whisk first 3 ingredients in a small bowl until salt dissolves. Place garlic in a jars; pour vinegar mixture over. Cover and chill. Store in the refrigerator.