Buzz
Pickled garlic might seem challenging to eat at first, but once you get accustomed to it, you'll begin to enjoy it. Unlike raw garlic, which has a sharp and intense flavor, pickled garlic is gentler, with a subtle sweetness. You can enjoy it on its own or pair it with your meals to elevate the dish’s flavors. Try it with any dish – you might be surprised by its unique flavor combination!
Steps
Eat pickled garlic directly after taking it out of the jar.
Place the pickled garlic cloves straight into your mouth whenever you crave something that 'explodes with flavor.' If you're like most fans of pickled garlic, you might prefer to savor the cloves as soon as they are taken out of the jar.
- No need to reheat or cook the pickled garlic as it's already soft and infused with flavor.
Sauté with stir-fried vegetables to add a tangy twist.
Chop pickled garlic and sauté it with vegetables like bell peppers, broccoli, or onions. Instead of using fresh minced garlic for stir-fries, you can enhance the dish’s depth of flavor with pickled garlic. Just chop a few cloves of pickled garlic and stir-fry them with vegetables like:
- Green beans
- Bell peppers
- Broccoli or Brussel sprouts
- Cauliflower
- Onions
Serve pickled garlic on a cold appetizer plate.
Place pickled garlic on a cold appetizer plate. If you're serving a cold appetizer to guests, offer a variety of condiments so everyone can find their perfect pairing. Serve a small bowl of pickled garlic alongside sausages, cheese, or crackers.
- Want the pickled garlic to have a more refined flavor? Drizzle a little extra virgin olive oil over the garlic cloves to enhance their sweetness.
Toss into a pasta salad or a stir-fry.
Chop pickled garlic and stir-fry with cooked noodles or white rice. Pickled garlic adds a rich flavor to otherwise bland ingredients and works well with many dishes.
- For example, you can stir-fry pickled garlic with fried rice, vegetable curry, or creamy Alfredo sauce.
Try adding pickled garlic to sandwiches, hot dogs, and hamburgers.
Spread a layer of pickled garlic on a sandwich for a tastier treat. Pickled garlic makes a great topping for panini, hamburgers, or sandwiches.
- Pickled garlic also pairs wonderfully with pizza!
Serve pickled garlic alongside grilled meats and seafood.
Serve pickled garlic to enhance the flavor of smoked meats or seafood. Next time you're grilling steaks or pork chops, serve a bowl of pickled garlic on the side. The tangy garlic will complement the smoky meats, adding extra depth. Pickled garlic also works beautifully with delicate seafood like cod, sole, or halibut.
- If you want to add extra sauce to your grilled meat, stir a few minced pickled garlic cloves into the sauce before drizzling it over the meat.
Mash pickled garlic and sprinkle it on toasted bread.
Make your own garlic toast with a mild flavor. Garlic bread is typically made with fresh garlic, herbs, and salt, which can be quite intense—especially when using garlic that has started to sprout. If you prefer a gentler taste, mash a few cloves of pickled garlic and sprinkle them on your toast instead of using fresh garlic.
- Serve the garlic toast with a salad and top it with a few cloves of pickled garlic.
Stir into spaghetti sauce for an extra burst of flavor.
Prepare your homemade or store-bought spaghetti sauce with some pickled garlic. Chop the cloves and simmer them in the sauce until it absorbs the flavor. Don't be afraid to add plenty of garlic, as it’s a key ingredient in many Italian dishes.
- For instance, use garlic-flavored spaghetti sauce for lasagna or spaghetti with meatballs.
Garnish cocktails with pickled garlic cloves.
Use pickled garlic instead of pickled onions to garnish your drinks. Try adding pickled garlic to a martini or Bloody Mary. You can even swap pickled garlic for olives in a dirty martini.
- If you like your Bloody Mary with a kick, pair the pickled garlic cloves with spicy peppers.
Make a garlic dressing to drizzle over your salad.
Use the pickled garlic brine mixed with olive oil to quickly whip up a salad dressing. Start by thoroughly mixing three parts extra virgin olive oil with one part pickled garlic brine. Taste the dressing and adjust with salt and pepper to suit your preferences before drizzling over your salad.
- Only add garlic to the dressing if you want a stronger garlic flavor.
Advice
- If your pickled garlic turns green, don’t worry – it’s a natural reaction during the pickling process. Green pickled garlic is still perfectly safe to eat.
