Pickled Garlic(Garlic in Sugar and Vinegar)

Everyone has their own hometown dishes that cannot be left, no matter where you go. The pickled garlic called ZiSuan(渍蒜）in Northeast China is one of them. In my home, every year my mother pickles a jar of garlic as an appetizer on the table. When I left hometown, I had to ask my mother for the recipe to retrieve the taste in my memory.

The method of pickling garlic is different in each family, and the taste is of course different. My recipe only has three seasonings, sugar, vinegar, and light soy sauce, the ratio is 1:2:3. If you pickle 5000 gram garlic, use 500 gram sugar, 1000 gram vinegar, and 1500 gram light soy sauce. Let the sauce cover the garlic.

When eating congee, hot pot, or meat, it can be paired with pickled garlic. Or it’s a good thing to treat it as a side dish for every meal.

Pickled garlic health benefits

1.It can improve the body’s ability to resist colds because garlic is rich in allicin. Many families use garlic to treat and prevent the flu. But the taste of raw garlic is too strong, pickled garlic is a good choice.

2. Garlic has a strong bactericidal function. In my hometown, people are used to eating a few cloves of garlic when eating barbecue or skewers to prevent bacterial intestinal diseases.

3. Studies have shown that eating a few cloves of garlic every day can reduce bad cholesterol by 10%.

Note: People with peptic ulcer and liver disease are not suitable for eating garlic.

What kind of garlic can be used for pickling

It is best to use newly produced garlic every year, which is more tender, more delicious and not as spicy than stock garlic.

How to pickle garlic

1.There is a lot of soil on the surface of the new garlic, so you need to peel off a few more layers and wash them. Leave them overnight to let the water evaporate.

2. Add  the light soy sauce and vinegar to a pot, bring to a boil,  cool to room temperature, and then pour into the jar of pickled garlic.

3. Serve them after a month when the taste is better.