The Black Garlic keeps in a jar in the fridge for several months. Not that I think it’ll last that long. I have a feeling you’ll start a second batch soon.

How does Black Garlic taste?

While there is still some garlic flavor of course, it is a lot sweeter and fruitier than fresh garlic, reminding you of good blasamic vinegar. It has caramel notes and a slight liqorice flavor, which makes it fantastic in sweets.u003cbr/u003eThe texture is a bit chewy, reminiscent of dried fruit.

Fermentation is done by allowing yeast bacteria, moisture and air to transform food, usually resulting in acidic funky flavors. Think Sourdough, Kimchi or Kombucha. Black Garlic however is wrapped in a protective layer of foil and left to very slowly caramelize in very low heat, which is the maillard reaction at work, not bacteria. That process, slowly transforming the natural sugars into caramel, is also responsible for the sweetness.

Black Garlic

Description

Black Garlic, with its amazing sweet-fruity umami notes, is of the most exciting ingredients you can make very easily yourself, with just patience and a rice cooker. You can use it in a million recipes, just like the fresh version, but it has so much more flavour and depth due to the super slow Maillard reaction that happens when leaving it for weeks on very low heat. Much cheaper than in the supermarket too.

Ingredients

Scale

6-8 garlic bulbs
Cling film
Aluminium foil

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Instructions

Wrap the Garlic:

Cut off as many small pieces of cling film and aluminium foil as you have garlic bulbs. Each should be big enough to wrap one bulb.
Take an unpeeled garlic bulb and wrap it first in cling film, ensuring it’s covered completely.
Next, wrap the garlic bulb in aluminium foil. Place the bulb in the centre of a square of foil and pull up the sides, twisting the top to seal it. Repeat for each bulb.

Cooking:

Place the wrapped garlic bulbs in your rice cooker. If you’re using a sticker, label the rice cooker with the start date to keep track of the slow Maillard reaction process.
Find a well-ventilated spot in your home near a power outlet. Keep in mind that this will emit some garlic smell during the process. A garage or shed with power outlets can be great for this. Leaving them in a utility room with a partially open window is another option.

Slow Maillard Reaction:

Leave the garlic bulbs in the rice cooker for about 40 days. Check the garlic after 30 days to monitor the progress.
The cloves should transform into shiny, black, and soft bulbs when done. If they’re still light brown, they need more time. If they’re hard and crunchy, they’ve been left too long.

Storage and Enjoyment:

Once the garlic bulbs have reached the desired consistency, remove them from the rice cooker.
Store the black garlic in an airtight container in a cool, dry place until ready to use.
Enjoy your homemade black garlic in various recipes, such as Cashew Ranch dressing or any dish that benefits from its unique flavour profile.