Can anyone tell me how,assuming it is possible,to can garlic cloves?I have seen the jars at the store of chopped garlic ect. I have way too much elephant garlic and although we love it in almost everything there is only so much garlic powder that two people can use in a year.In our climate it does not store for over 6 months or so.Anyone need any garlic? Any help will be very welcome. Thank You, Carla in N.C.Texas

-- Carla Sloan (twosloans@texoma.net), August 31, 2001

Answers

Hello Carla Sorry, I probably don't have the exact answer that you're looking for but... we too have lots of garlic. I dice it and put it in small jars (jelly jar size) top it off with a good olive oil and store it in the fridge. This way, it's all ready to go when needed and your hands only smell like garlic once. The jars are also a gift that's appreciated. Happy eating!

-- Charleen in WNY (harperhill@eznet.net), August 31, 2001.

Carla, I can and use a lot of garlic. My canned garlic is pickled. Here is my recipe: Peel and wash garlic cloves and pack in jars. Add 1/4 tsp of mustard seed and small hot pepper to each jar. Make solution of 1/2 water and 1/2 white vinegar. Heat to boiling and pour over garlic cloves. Seal with lids and process in boiling water bath for 10 minutes. Wait about a month before eating. This is really good. You can eat them right out of the jar. I like them in salad and with chili, soup or stew, any kind of meat. Well come to think of it, they are good with everything. Enjoy

-- Belle (gardenbelle@terraworld.net), August 31, 2001.

check the posts from last week, there's one there on pickling garlic in which I and a few others posted our recipes/methods of doing this

-- Rose Marie Wild (wintersongfarm@yahoo.com), August 31, 2001.

Just a thought as I've never done it, But could you freeze it? I've have frozen peppers, onions and homemade pesto with great success. I would think you could chop it up and freeze it in small ziplock backs and just use what you needed. Has anyone tried this before?

-- Melissa (cmnorris@1st.net), September 01, 2001.

Milissa, Yes, I freeze several bags of garlic cloves each summer. I just open the bag and toss a few into chili, soup, when cooking potatoes for mashed potatoes, everything. We eat garlic everyday and in almost everything. It's GOOD for you.

-- Belle (gardenbelle@terraworld.net), September 01, 2001.

Carla, I just received a recipe from a penpal on a recipe site I belong to. Here goes... Prepare garlic cloves, "peeled and cleaned" Boil the garlic for 3 to 5 minutes in water to blanch.Rinse in cool water. Cool quickly to stop cooking or garlic will become over cooked. Soak garlic in white wine for 3 days or longer making sure that all cloves are covered while soaking. Discard soaking wine. Rinse garlic cloves thoroughly in clean water-do not soak. Heat fresh white wine, 1/8 to 1/3 cup sugar (optional) for sweet garlic, 4 tablespoons canning salt. Note:table salt will work in a pinch but will taste saltier. Heat until sugar and salt is dissolved and wine boils slightly. As brine is heating pack garlic in sterilized jars for water bath processing leaving 1" head space in jars. Pour bine into garlic packed jars to cover garlic leaving at least 3/4" head space in jars. Apply sterilized lids and water bath for ten minutes. Do no over cook. Cool to seal, re-tighten rings as required as jars are removed. Caution: HOT Allow 3 weeks for flavors to develop fully before opening. Rumor say's that canned garlic can last up to 15 years, but I don't think it would last that long at our house. Well, that's it. Hope this helps.

-- Kim in Indiana (kwcountrygirl@aol.com), September 02, 2001.