Can You Ferment Garlic in Vinegar?- All You Need to Know

Fermenting garlic in vinegar is not advisable. Instead of fermenting, one can pickle garlic in vinegar. Pickling is placing a vegetable in acidic brine to help preserve food and allow for longer shelf life. In pickling, the sour taste of the garlic comes from the acidic solutions used to protect. There is a specific type of pickling that incorporates fermentation, known as fermentation pickling, but it does not involve vinegar.

When using vinegar to ferment the garlic, that is not fermenting; that is known as pickling. Vinegar and other acidic liquid solutions are used to pickle, which involves boiling an acidic solution such as a vinegar solution and then pouring it over vegetables to turn them into pickles to aid in the preservation of food to allow for longer shelf life.

This article contains the fermenting and pickling of garlic for flavor purposes, the storage of garlic, and the health benefits of fermented garlic. The article also explains more on the positive effects of garlic on an individual’s digestive system and the soaking process for the garlic to achieve its wonders. In addition to that, you will find answers to some of the frequently asked questions.

Fermenting garlic with alcohol

Vinegar is usually made to convert sugar into alcohol, and then the drink is later fermented back into vinegar. One can add vinegar into the mixtures that they are fermenting. Still, in this case, the vinegar being used is mainly all about adding flavor to the garlic while not contributing to the fermentation process in any way at all. In simple terms, the fermentation is not caused by or aided by vinegar.

When one stores garlic in vinegar, that process is known as pickling the garlic. The method of vinegar pickling is an excellent way to preserve garlic and prolong its lifespan. Consuming such garlic is very healthy for a person’s digestive system and the immune system because vinegar acts as a natural prebiotic on which the friendly digestive system’s bacteria feed on. Therefore, the vinegar stimulates the growth of the digestive system’s bacteria and helps maintain a healthy digestive system flora balance.

When one puts garlic in the vinegar, it will have to stay soaked there for one or two weeks. A person needs to be patient and let the vinegar work its wonders. After this period, a person can try the garlic, sample it, and taste it to see if they will like the flavor. If a person decides to leave the garlic in the vinegar, the garlic will not go wrong.

 The precise flavor of garlic will significantly decrease, and one will be able to savor the mellow taste of the garlic. Whether an individual leaves the garlic in the vinegar for a week or three weeks will depend on the person’s preference.  After opening the bottle, one can use the garlic to make dressings, to put it on pasta, pizza or meat.

In contrast to oil for storage, the garlic in vinegar does not allow the growth of harmful germs to continue. As a result, there is no need to be concerned about botulism. The garlic content in the storage jars will not go wrong if they are left at room temperature for a while. This is because vinegar has the property of not promoting the growth of hazardous bacteria.

After opening the jar, it is critical to store it in the refrigerator to ensure that the garlic remains fresh for as long as possible.

Why garlic turns blue or green in vinegar

After putting garlic in the vinegar, it most usually turns blue or even green. After seeing the color change, they get confused, and they mostly have an immediate assumption that the garlic is not safe for consumption and hence think about throwing it away. While the garlic’s blue or green color may seem odd-looking or even poisonous, it is perfectly normal and very healthy. That color came to be due to the chemical reaction when garlic and acidic solutions such as vinegar mix.

The garlic contains alice and amino acids, and other components. Allicin reacts with amino acids when they are exposed to the vinegar, creating pyrroles. When the different pyrroles combine, they create polypyrroles, which are responsible for the strange garlic color. While three pyrroles are responsible for the blue color, four are responsible for the green color in the garlic. The garlic color will eventually return close to its original color after the allice’s reaction with amino acids has subsided.

 Health benefits of garlic

i. Fight common cold– according to a study in the Journal Advances in Therapy, garlic was found to decrease colds by 63%, and 70% of those who became ill, time decreased from an average of five days to one and a half days.

ii. n the 2013 publishing of the Pakistan Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, garlic that is aged is as effective as atenolol to reduce blood pressure. This medication is often given to treat high blood pressure.

iii. It is heart-friendly- garlic has been known to reduce cholesterol levels and reduce blood clots to decrease the risk of blocked arteries and heart attack.

iv. To better bone health– in the study published in Phytotherapy Research, garlic is known to have zinc, manganese, vitamin C, vitamin B6 and enzymes, which improve the connective tissues and bone formation, absorption of calcium, and bone metabolism.

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Conclusion

Once the garlic is put in vinegar, it must be soaked for one or two weeks before being consumed. A person must be patient and allow the vinegar to do its magic before proceeding. After this length of time, someone can try the garlic and sample it to determine if they like the flavor before investing in a whole bulb. There is no danger of the garlic going bad if it is left in the vinegar for an extended period.

In conclusion, there is a significant distinction between fermentation and pickling, so let’s get this straight: If you’re pickling a vegetable instead of fermenting it, you’re using an acidic brine, such as vinegar, to preserve the produce. You can’t ferment garlic in vinegar, but then you can pickle garlic in vinegar, which is an entirely other thing. It is also far safer and less likely to result in illness than putting garlic in canola oil for fermentation, which would be the case if you did so.