This time of year is tough on the immune system. The late nights, sweet treats, and cold temperatures can wreck havoc on our bodies. It is such an important time to practice a prevention routine. One of my favorite prevention foods is raw garlic. It’s a total immune-boosting powerhouse! But unfortunately, not many people can stomach eating lots of raw garlic (myself included). I use it in pestos and dressings whenever possible, but when you’re fighting a bug it’s nice to have larger quantities of raw garlic. Pickled garlic to the rescue!
This simple, traditional, and delicious recipe pickles raw garlic to temper the bite, while maintaining the immune-boosting properties. I use it as a key element of my natural medicine chest during cold and flu season- perfect when I feel a tickle in my throat and want something quick and easy to stop the virus in its tracks. Many herbalists have versions of this recipe, so it is in no way proprietary to One Beet.
- 6 heads of garlic
- 1 cup tamari or Bragg's Liquid Aminos
- ¼ cup raw honey
- water as needed
- optional - grated ginger and/or lemon juice
- Peel the cloves of garlic and slice in halves or quarters . You want them to be roughly the same size and easy to pop in your mouth.
- Fill a glass jar with the peeled garlic - pack it in as tightly as you can.
- Combine tamari and honey in a separate bowl. Add grated ginger or the juice from one lemon if you'd like additional flavors.
- Pour the tamari/honey mixture into the jar of garlic. Add water if needed to fully submerge the garlic.
- Shake well and secure with a lid.
- Store the jar in the refrigerator and give it a shake whenever you think of it (monthly would be great).
I like to make a jar of this pickled garlic every fall. It feels good to preserve the fresh garlic that floods the farmers markets when it is full of flavor and nutritional oomph. It also takes about a year before you’ll want to eat your pickled garlic. Of course it is safe to eat at any point, but the longer the garlic marinates the more mellow the flavor will become. Making a jar every fall has become a ritual that leaves me with a steady supply of ready-to-eat pickled garlic. Happy pickling!
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