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If you love pickles and you love garlic, this pickled garlic recipe is super simple to make and keeps in the refrigerator for a few months! Not suitable for canning.
Several years ago, I was discussing Dilly Beans with my mother-in-law. She made them for a church fundraiser, and she was planning to set aside a jar for me as a Christmas gift. Would I like a clove of garlic in my jar of Dilly Beans?
My response? “Could I please have a whole jar of Dilly Garlic?” I’m so grateful she agreed!
Table of Contents
Recipe ingredients
At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.
Ingredient notes
- WARNING: This recipe is not suitable for shelf-stable canning. Obviously people (or companies) sell shelf-stable pickled garlic, but I am not an expert in this area and garlic has a propensity to develop botulism. So, if you make this recipe, you MUST store it in the refrigerator. Even if you seal the jars with a water bath. Refrigerate! “Canning of garlic is not recommended. Garlic is a low-acid vegetable that requires a pressure canner to be properly processed. Garlic loses most of its flavor when heated in this way. For this reason, adequate processing times have not been determined for canning garlic.”
Step-by-step instructions
- Combine canning salt and vinegar in a large saucepan. Bring to boil; reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes (180 degrees). Meanwhile, pack garlic into 4 sterilized pint jars (about 8 ounces per jar) leaving 1/2-inch of headspace. Add ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes and 1 head of dill to each jar. (If using fresh dill, add ½ cup to each jar.)
- Using a ladle, divide hot pickling liquid between the 4 jars, leaving 1/2-inch of headspace. Remove air bubbles, clean jar rims, center lids on jars, and adjust band to fingertip-tight.
- Chill in the refrigerator until pickled as desired (I recommend at least 3 weeks in the refrigerator). Store in refrigerator for up to 4 months (see notes) or seal jars following the instructions below (the pickled garlic must still be refrigerated; it will not be shelf-stable).
Recipe tips and variations
- Yield: This recipe makes 4 pints (8 cups), enough for 32 servings, ¼ cup each.
- Storage: The National Center for Home Food Preservation states that the garlic and vinegar mixture may be refrigerated for up to 4 months. It’s safe to use the flavored liquid for other things. Discard if you see any signs of mold or yeast growth.
- Blue garlic: Sometimes pickled garlic turns blue or turquoise when you pickle it. It’s completely normal and still safe to eat and you don’t need to worry. You can read all about the chemistry of garlic (and exactly why it may or may not turn blue). To prevent the bluish color:
- User kosher salt or sea salt to avoid iodine
- Use stainless steel or enamel cookware and utensils (avoid copper, aluminum, cast iron, and tin cookware and utensils)
- Reduce chlorophyll production by avoiding sunlight
- Use distilled water to avoid the trace minerals found in tap water
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Pickled Garlic
This recipe is not suitable for shelf-stable canning. If you make this recipe, you MUST store it in the refrigerator. Even if you seal the jars with a water bath. Refrigerate!
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup canning salt
- 5 cups white vinegar
- 2 pounds fresh garlic peeled
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 4 heads fresh dill or 2 cups fresh dill, stems and leaves coarsely chopped
Instructions
- Combine canning salt and vinegar in a large saucepan. Bring to boil; reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes (180 degrees).
- Meanwhile, pack garlic into 4 sterilized pint jars (about 8 ounces per jar) leaving 1/2-inch of headspace. Add ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes and 1 head of dill to each jar. (If using fresh dill, add ½ cup to each jar.)
- Using a ladle, divide hot pickling liquid between the 4 jars, leaving 1/2-inch of headspace. Remove air bubbles, clean jar rims, center lids on jars, and adjust band to fingertip-tight.
- Chill in the refrigerator until pickled as desired (I recommend at least 3 weeks in the refrigerator). Store in refrigerator for up to 4 months (see notes) or seal jars following the instructions below (the pickled garlic must still be refrigerated; it will not be shelf-stable).
To seal jars (MUST BE REFRIGERATED, NOT SHELF-STABLE):
- Process jars in boiling water for 10 minutes. The jars must be covered by at least 1 inch of water. Turn off heat and remove cover. Let jars cool 5 minutes. Cool 12 hours. Check seals. Chill in the refrigerator until pickled as desired (I recommend at least 3 weeks in the refrigerator). Store in refrigerator for up to 4 months (see notes).
Recipe Video
Notes
- WARNING: This recipe is not suitable for shelf-stable canning. Obviously people (or companies) sell shelf-stable pickled garlic, but I am not an expert in this area and garlic has a propensity to develop botulism. So, if you make this recipe, you MUST store it in the refrigerator. Even if you seal the jars with a water bath. Refrigerate! “Canning of garlic is not recommended. Garlic is a low-acid vegetable that requires a pressure canner to be properly processed. Garlic loses most of its flavor when heated in this way. For this reason, adequate processing times have not been determined for canning garlic.”
- Yield: This recipe makes 4 pints (8 cups), enough for 32 servings, ¼ cup each.
- Storage: The National Center for Home Food Preservation states that the garlic and vinegar mixture may be refrigerated for up to 4 months. It’s safe to use the flavored liquid for other things. Discard if you see any signs of mold or yeast growth.
- Blue garlic: Sometimes pickled garlic turns blue or turquoise when you pickle it. It’s completely normal and still safe to eat and you don’t need to worry. You can read all about the chemistry of garlic (and exactly why it may or may not turn blue). To prevent the bluish color:
- User kosher salt or sea salt to avoid iodine
- Use stainless steel or enamel cookware and utensils (avoid copper, aluminum, cast iron, and tin cookware and utensils)
- Reduce chlorophyll production by avoiding sunlight
- Use distilled water to avoid the trace minerals found in tap water.
Nutrition
Serving: 0.25cupCalories: 52kcalCarbohydrates: 10gProtein: 2gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 7mgPotassium: 124mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 35IUVitamin C: 9mgCalcium: 59mgIron: 1mg
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Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.
Hey Meghan . I pickled garlic before and did the hot water bath and they turn out mushy..not what I wanted . I’m going to try your way this fall. Right now it says on the calendar it’s spring but we are still buried in snow in Canada and I have 100 garlic bulbs ( Russian Red Stripe) that are staring to sprout ..is there any reason I can’t pull the sprout and hard core out of the garlic cloves and pickle them ?
Hi Tim, thank you so much for your question! Yes, you can definitely pickle them. I would do it as soon as you can so they don’t sprout too much. (One source says to avoid pickling if the sprout is longer than 1 cm. I hope you love them! – Meggan
Can I use sea salt instead of canning salt?
Hi C, yes! Be sure the salt is not iodized and doesn’t contain any additives, such as anticaking agents. Hope this helps! – Meggan
Hi there!! Could you use this pickling liquid to pickle asparagus and green beans? Thanks
Hi M, yes! I don’t see why not! – Meggan
Meagan I Did the pickles garlic but it turns blue grey colour
Not put in fridge ?
Hi Magda, sometimes pickled garlic turns blue or turquoise when you pickle it. It’s completely normal and still safe to eat and you don’t need to worry. There are several reasons why it could turn blue. Please store them in the refrigerator, regardless. They are safe to eat, but not able to be stored at room temperature. Hope this helps! – Meggan
Heyyy
Thank you so much for the recipe. Quick question…Is the 3 wks sitting time included in the 4 months expire time?
Thank you
Hi Mike, yes. I do, anyway. I prefer to err on the side of caution. Hope you love them! Take care! – Meggan
What does remove air bubbles mean? How do you make sure that happens?
Hi Allison, you can remove the air bubbles after adding the brining liquid by stirring the garlic using a wooden spoon or spatula to free any trapped air bubbles. I also like to tap gently my jars on the counter and push down the garlic with the spoon to press out the air. Hope this helps! Take care! – Meggan
To peel fresh garlic, cut root end off, put into warm water. Skin slides off.
Thanks for the tip, Darlene! – Meggan
Does the garlic lose its spiciness but still maintain the crunch?
Hi Sina, yes! The longer the garlic sits in the brine, the more mellow it becomes. – Meggan
We pulled our Russian garlic two weeks ago. I’m excited to be using your recipe as the 5 star ratings are amazing about how terrific this recipe is!
Our garlic is pretty big and still hard to peel. Should we cut the garlic in half when peeled? Also, the skin of the garlic is very difficult to peel.
Thank you in advance for your reply.
Susan
Hi Susan, that’s up to you! If you’d like smaller pieces then go for it! Hope this helps. – Meggan
Adding 2 quartered jalapeños to each jar really enhances the pickling.
Great tip Gil, I’ll have to try that next time I make this! – Meggan