Description
Prep time: About 10 minutes with peeled cloves
Cook time: About 10–15 minutes, including heating the brine
Flavor rest: Approximately 24 hours refrigerated
Yield: 2 cups garlic cloves plus brine
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 cups peeled garlic cloves
- 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar labeled 5% acidity
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1–2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
- 1 fresh red chile or Fresno pepper, thinly sliced
- 1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns
- 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 small bay leaf
- Olive oil, optional, only for immediate serving
Instructions
- Peel sound garlic cloves and trim root ends. Wash and slice the chile.
- Combine vinegar, water, lemon juice, zest, honey, salt, pepper flakes, peppercorns, mustard seeds, oregano, and bay leaf in a nonreactive saucepan.
- Bring to a gentle simmer, stirring to dissolve honey and salt. Add garlic and chile; simmer gently for 5–7 minutes, until slightly softened.
- Transfer to clean heat-safe containers and cover the cloves with brine. Divide into smaller containers if needed. Do not add oil to the jar.
- Cool briefly and refrigerate promptly at 40°F or below. Label with the preparation date.
- Allow about 24 hours for flavor development, then serve small portions with clean utensils. Add optional oil only to an individual serving immediately before eating.
Storage: Use within 4 days of preparation as a conservative limit for this untested mixture. The resting day counts toward that limit. This is not a tested acidification or shelf-stable canning recipe. Freeze promptly for longer storage or use a tested preservation recipe.