What is black garlic? It’s delicious and potentially a new “superfood.” We decided to try our hand at this delicacy since we had grown so much garlic this year and had plenty to work with.
Black garlic is made by heating garlic very slowly for about 30-40 days at a temperature of around 140 degrees. It slowly caramelizes the garlic and turns a deep brown to black color. We converted a food dehydrator to make ours.
The garlic has to be wrapped in cheese cloth and then sealed in jars (or you can use a ceramic container) in order for enough moisture to be retained. What occurs to the garlic during the process is referred to as a Malliard reaction. The photo below shows finished product with the black garlic cloves inside of the skins. Black garlic has a lot of potential as a niche market product–often selling for around $1 per clove!
Once your black garlic is done, keep it in airtight jars or containers. Enjoy it plain, use it as a spread with butter, or use it chopped or sliced up in any dish you would normally use a lot of garlic in. I think it would particularly pair well with a creamy pasta dish with some parmesan and mushrooms.
So, how many of you out there have heard of black garlic?
I have never heard of it but, i love garlic, thanks.