DIY Black Garlic.

Hello everyone! Firstly, I just want to apologize for being so long since I last posted. The guests visiting our Inn continue to pour through the doors and that "slow winter season" just hasn't shown it's face yet. Couldn't have asked for a better start to the chilly days to come. Here's a quick post to hold you over until I have some real time to sit down and tell you about all that's been going on here.

That's right. Black garlic! A new ingredient to me until a couple of months ago. This stuff is incredibly versatile (maybe even more so than regular garlic) and it adds a unique (but not pushy) touch to one's food. It seems as though it's popularity in contemporary menus has spread like wild fire lately. I've been seeing it all over the place. And good thing too, it's stinkin' delicious! 

Black garlic is (at least up until recently) a common ingredient in Asian cooking. It is made by simply fermenting plain old garlic for extended amounts of time. The resulting garlic turns black and almost tastes nothing like it's former self. It is sticky, syrupy, and chewy - much like a gummy candy. The flavor is reminiscent of a savory sauce like hoisin but much sweeter. Definite notes of dried fruit like prune and tamarind. Its tang will surprise you for sure. It's the 'Sour Patch Kid' of the condiment world people! Rejoice. 

Sounds exotic huh? It is. You can pick up a pound of this stuff at Earthy.com for just $28 a pound. OR you can just suck it up and make some of your own for $5. That's what we did. And it couldn't be easier.

Just take as much garlic as you'd like to ferment and put it into some kind of container (metal would be preferable, it's going to get hot) with a lid. Wrap entire container as tightly as you can with plastic wrap. You don't want any of that precious humidity to escape. Find a 150 degree F environment. We used our plate warmer, but an oven, dehydrator, hot plate, etc will work to. Here's the last step: leave your garlic there. For a long time. Forty days to be exact (not sure if this is a scientifically calculated duration or just Chinese myth, I'm guessing the latter). 

And there you have it! Beautiful, delicious, home made black garlic. It doesn't get easier than that. 

Snip it with scissors into your favorite vegetable mix. Blend it into your soups and sauces. It makes an out of this world puree all on it's own. The possibilities are endless. What will you do with your black garlic?

Patience is a virtue and black garlic is good,

Taylor