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Typically, store-bought black garlic comes with a hefty price tag. Now, you can create this medicinal wonder at home using a remarkably simple and hassle-free black garlic recipe with a rice cooker. The resulting garlic will be just as delicious as commercially prepared black garlic.
Selecting High-Quality Garlic for Black Garlic Creation
– Garlic is a crucial ingredient for crafting delectable black garlic. Therefore, choosing top-quality garlic is essential to produce nutritious batches of black garlic.
Choose garlic that is neither too old nor too young, as using overly mature or immature bulbs will affect the taste of the black garlic.
Opt for orphan garlic or Vietnamese arrowhead garlic for a much more flavorful black garlic compared to choosing Chinese garlic.
For orphan garlic, select uniformly large bulbs with a creamy white outer skin that feels solid and undamaged when held. The garlic should be fresh, emitting a subtle, fragrant aroma.
When buying regular garlic, choose firm, large cloves that are free from pests. Check the outer skin at the top of the bulb, which should have a slightly white color and remain intact. For arrowhead garlic, ensure the branches are evenly distributed, not dry, and free from wrinkles. Garlic with gray or yellowish branches will lack the desired aroma.
Once you've selected quality and flavorful garlic bulbs, let's begin making black garlic at home using a rice cooker.
Ingredients for Making Black Garlic with a Rice Cooker
Steps to Make Black Garlic with a Rice Cooker
- Step 1: After purchasing black garlic, peel off an outer layer to clean it. Rinse it under clean water, ensuring the garlic is thoroughly dry with no water droplets on the skin. It's best to let the garlic air-dry for 4 to 6 hours before fermentation.
- Step 2: Place the garlic in a small pot or container, pour beer over it, and mix until the beer is evenly absorbed. Let the garlic soak in the beer for 30 minutes to allow it to absorb the beneficial microorganisms. For estimation, use 1 can of beer for 1 kg of garlic, adjusting accordingly for larger quantities.
- Step 3: Prepare a medium-sized aluminum foil, spread it out, and place the garlic, soaked in beer, evenly on it. Wrap the aluminum foil to enclose the garlic completely, ensuring a tight seal.
- Step 4: Put the garlic inside the rice cooker, close the lid, tightly cover the rice cooker with a food-grade wrap (to keep the warmth longer), then turn on the warm function and maintain a continuous warmth for about 2 weeks. Rest assured, your rice cooker won't be damaged, and the electricity cost is around 20,000 VND.
- Step 5: After this period, the garlic will gradually turn black, indicating it is ready to use. If you prefer not to occupy the rice cooker continuously, take advantage of sunny days to expose the pot to sunlight.
- Step 6: During the process, you can open the lid daily to check the garlic. Remember to quickly close the lid to prevent heat loss and garlic spoilage. After 2 weeks of fermentation, the garlic will transition from white to brown and finally to black. When it tastes sweet and tangy with the distinctive aroma of garlic, you've successfully made black garlic.
Fermentation Process Over 14 Days
- Days 1 to 7: The garlic gradually shrinks and shifts from white to golden brown.
- Days 7 to 9: The garlic begins to darken, with some bulbs becoming entirely black. The outer skin almost separates from the inner flesh, and they gradually shrink further.
- Days 9 to 10: At this point, taste the garlic to check if the pungency has diminished, leaving behind a less spicy and slightly dark aroma. You'll also observe the garlic transitioning to a dark brown color.
- Day 11: The black garlic develops a sweet and tangy taste, becoming soft and tender.
- Day 13: The black garlic-making process is 90% complete; the outer skin has dried, and the inner cloves have turned into a soft black texture.
- Day 14: Remove the black garlic and place it in a sealed bag, storing it in the cool compartment of the refrigerator.
If on the final day your garlic is still damp on the outside, continue to power the rice cooker and leave the lid open for a few hours to let the excess moisture escape. Alternatively, expose the garlic to sunlight for a few hours or use a fan for even drying.
The Amazing Benefits of Black Garlic
- Black garlic boasts exceptionally high nutritional value, with balanced levels of carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins that are easily absorbed by our bodies.
- It contains significantly higher levels of antioxidants compared to fresh garlic, especially two compounds: polyphenols and S-allyl cysteine.
- Numerous studies indicate that black garlic helps reduce blood and liver fat, enhances immunity, detoxifies, prevents cancer, combats inflammation, slows down aging, and promotes overall health.
- It's recommended to consume only 2 to 3 cloves of black garlic per day.
Wishing you successful black garlic making!
Posted by: Thoa Truong
Keywords: Guide for making black garlic - a home remedy using a rice cooker in a straightforward manner
