How To Make Black Garlic

Black garlic

Attention all foodies. Here’s the ultimate geek-out recipe/project. Black Garlic.

These magical garlic cloves have transformed from pungent eye-stinging allium to mellow and funky with a tangy molasses vibe. Unlike hard cloves of raw garlic, these are soft and spreadable.

What is black garlic?

Black garlic is garlic that’s been kept in a precise warm, humid environment for several weeks (or months) producing a chemical reaction between the naturally occurring amino acids and sugars present in the allium.

Black garlic is not fermented garlic. Instead, it has undergone a Maillard reaction, which is a browning process. It gives black garlic its distinctive flavor and softens the cloves (literally) into something tangy, earthy & rich with a soft, sticky consistency that can easily be mashed with the tines of a fork.

What does black garlic taste like?

Unlike fresh, black garlic has lost its characteristic sting and sharpness and the resulting flavor is sweet and tangy with a bit of umami richness and funk.

Some equate the flavor to tamarind, balsamic vinegar, or soy sauce. I find that black garlic’s tangy, umami flavor enriches other foods and heightens their natural flavors. You’ll be amazed how this secret ingredient can elevate your everyday cooking.

Where did it originate?

Black garlic is thought to have originated in Korea but has been widely used for centuries in Asian countries like Japan and China.

What you’ll need to make black garlic at home:

• Multiple whole heads of fresh garlic.
• Plastic wrap.
• Tin foil.
• An Instant Pot, Slow Cooker, Rice Cooker for Food Fermenter.
• An area of the house that you can close off, a garage, or covered outdoor space.
• Patience. This isn’t a quick process and can take anywhere from 3 weeks to 2 months.

I used an Instant Pot (not so instant for this recipe) for this demonstration, but you’ll have equal success with any other equipment mentioned.

Setting up the garlic station

I recommend setting up your Instant Pot, slow cooker, rice cooker, or food fermenter in a well-ventilated outdoor space (that’s covered from the elements), a garage, or a separate room that can be closed off from the rest of the house.

Why? The garlic aroma (especially at the beginning of the process) can be powerful and last up to two weeks.

I put my Instant Pot in a spare bedroom, opened a window, and closed the door (and even then, a garlicky aroma drifted down the hall). This room has since become known as “the garlic room,” — and it took a bit of airing out (and Febreeze) to get it back to normal after making the black garlic.

If you’re very sensitive to strong odors, be sure to set up your equipment outside or in a well ventilated garage.

Making black garlic is easy; it’s just a matter of time and patience.

Because it’s such a long process, I recommend making a big batch so you’ve got plenty for yourself and to give as gifts to all your foodie friends and relatives.

I made 16 heads of garlic for this batch. You can do more or less, depending on how much you need, but if I’m fermenting one head of garlic, it makes sense to make a big batch. The aromas are just as potent with one as they are with many.

How to make fermented garlic in the Instant Pot

1. Wrap the whole bulbs of fresh garlic in plastic wrap.
2. Then wrap the bulbs in two layers of tin foil.
3. Place a rack in the Instant Pot to elevate the garlic off the container’s bottom.
4. Add the foil-wrapped garlic to the Instant Pot and seal with the lid.
5. Turn the setting to “warm.”
6. Set the timer to the most extended setting (99:59 — 99 hours and 59 minutes) and start. The Instant Pot will stop every four days, so you’ll have to reset it to warm every time the clock runs down.
7. Look at the calendar and circle three weeks into the future. That’s when you’ll start checking the heads of garlic.

How to know when black garlic is done

• Start checking on the garlic after about one month using the same bulb as your “official tester.”
• Unwrap it and pull off one clove of garlic. Remove the papery skin to check on the progress. (After about one month, mine was a light caramel color, and the garlic was still very firm.)
• Rewrap the bulb and put it back in the Instant Pot for another week.
• Keep checking every week for another 5-6 weeks until you achieve dark black garlic that’s soft, tender, and sticky to the touch. (The photo below shows what the black garlic should look like).

Making black garlic in the slow cooker or rice cooker

The process for making it in a slow cooker or even a rice cooker is the same as the Instant Pot. Wrap the individual bulbs in plastic wrap and two layers of foil, place a rack on the vessel’s floor, so the garlic isn’t resting directly on the bottom, and set the heat to “warm.”

Start checking the garlic after about four weeks for doneness. If it’s not soft and black, wrap it back up and give it another week.

Pro-Tip: You can continue “cooking” garlic, past the point of just turning black. The longer it dehydrates, the more concentrated the flavors and the deeper the complexity.

Making black garlic in a food fermenter

Want to speed up the fermentation process by a few weeks? Try a food fermenter {affiliate link}. These gadgets can cut the time needed to make black garlic cloves by half. They’re a bit pricey, but you can use these devices for everything from making sweet rice to yogurt.

FAQ’s

What about food safety?

I received this comment from Liz about black garlic immediately after publishing this article and felt it essential to let you decide:

Making black garlic at home can be dangerous. The temperature must be maintained and monitored, and ph levels have to be correct, or it can produce botulism and other toxins…

This is what food safety expert Dr. Brian Nummer Ph.D. has to say about making black garlic –
“The “fermentation” temperature MUST be at 57°C (135°F) or above.  Failing to maintain this temperature control could lead to foodborne illness.  Foodborne illness bacteria will begin to grow at temperatures just under 57°C (135°F), including Clostridium perfringens and Clostridium botulinum.  The toxin produced by C. botulinum is the most potent and deadly toxin known to man.  For that reason, a temperature datalogger is recommended.”

“The black garlic fermentation is quite different than a traditional vegetable fermentation like sauerkraut (cabbage) or pickles (cucumbers).   Both cabbage and cucumbers have natural (biota) lactic acid bacteria that rapidly ferment the vegetable sugars in a salt brine at ambient temperatures.  This rapid fermentation inhibits the growth of pathogens like C. botulinum.  Once the brine reaches an acidity pH of 4.6 or less, C. botulinum cannot grow.  The black garlic fermentation may or may not result in an acid fermentation.”

Clearly, Liz has misgivings, so if you’re in her camp, skip this DIY and get your black garlic from a reputable source… {affiliate link}, because it’s a flavor you don’t want to miss.

How to use black garlic

Strip the papery skins from black garlic and mash it into a paste to spread on toast or mix in as a “secret ingredient” in everything from stir fries to hamburgers. It’s fantastic on steaks, excellent with pasta, and gives a flavorful bite to steamed veggies.

One of my favorite (and most accessible) uses is to mash equal parts black garlic and good butter together to form a paste, then top a grilled steak with the funky, umami spread and a bit of chopped parsley. The sweet and tangy garlic undertones are incredible, and your diners will ask, “what’s that flavor?” as they return for another bite.

Since you’ll likely be making black garlic in a big batch, I recommend sharing it with all your foodie friends. Give a jar as a hostess gift. They’ll love it.

I gave one to my Mom, who was so excited she immediately removed the lid to take a deep whiff of the funky fermented garlic aroma. She’s already planning what she’ll do with hers.

Black garlic as seen on Instagram:

• BBQ’d Nachos with Smoked Black Garlic from @FifthGenGardens
• Sweet Black Garlic& Miso Chocolate Chip Cookies by @lizlerma27
• Sausage and Black Garlic Pasta via @lisahculley
• Black Garlic, Shallot, Green Beans, Lemon, and Hazelnuts from @foodbyhermood
• Crispy Chicken Thighs with Creamy Black Garlic Sauce by @theblackgarlicph
• Black Garlic Baba Ganoush from @meatlessmakeovers
• Black Garlic Scallops via @garlic_farm
• Oriental Black Garlic Chicken by @theworldisyourcookpot
• Black Garlic Chocolate Guinness Cake from @sheppherd_bobbi

Here’s a quick and easy way to use your ebony cloves of garlic: Black Garlic Vinaigrette for salads or add several cloves of black garlic purée to this marinade recipe. It’s great with beef, lamb, pork, and poultry.

This website isn’t named Garlic & Zest for nothing…

Here’s more garlicky recipes you’ll love:

• Grilled Veal Chops with Garlic Herb Crust
• Roasted Garlic Mashed Cauliflower
• Creamy Garlic Dressing
• Garlic Herb Parker House Rolls
• 2-Ingredient Garlic Confit
• Garlic Green Beans Recipe
• Garlic Herb Flageolets
• Mustard Garlic Roasted Potatoes