The only difficult step in making this dish is peeling off the thin filmy skin (underneath the regular skin). Although this is monotonous work, it is worth it because it allows the miso to better permeate the cloves of garlic, making the pickling process go quicker and the garlic taste even better!
Once you have trimmed off the root ends and peeled each clove, you boil them for 2 minutes, and then drain them.
Then you make a mixture of miso paste and mirin,
spread a thin layer of the mixture on the bottom of a glass jar,
add a single layer of garlic cloves,
and repeat the layering process until you have used up all of your miso mixture and garlic cloves. All that is left to do is seal the jar, put it in the refrigerator, and wait!
After about 10 days the cloves will be ready to eat. If you want a more mild garlic flavor, let the cloves pickle for longer (at least a month or more). I like the garlic flavor to be a bit stronger so 10 to 14 days is long enough for me. The garlic can be eaten as a side dish or as a condiment or garnish for another dish. I usually use aka-miso (red/brown miso paste), but you can use whatever miso paste you prefer. If you use a sweeter miso paste, you can omit the mirin. Once you have eaten all the yummy cloves of garlic, you can use the leftover miso mixture to make delicious miso soup. Now I just need to go stuff a clove of pickled garlic in Mr. Fuji’s mouth before he can complain that I’ve added yet another jar to our already full refrigerator.
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Miso Pickled Garlic (Ninniku Miso-zuke)
Makes 1/2 pound
1/2 pound fresh garlic cloves
1 cup aka-miso paste (red/brown miso paste)
1/4 cup mirin
1 quart glass jar (wide mouth is easier to use)1. Separate the garlic cloves and then cut off the root ends. Remove the outer skin, and then carefully peel off the thin filmy skin that covers each clove. Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil. Add the cloves and let them cook for 2 minutes. Then drain the cloves, pat them dry, and set them aside.
2. In a bowl, combine the miso paste and the mirin with a fork. Spread a small amount of the miso mixture on the bottom of a glass jar. Add a single layer of garlic cloves on top of the miso, then cover the cloves with another layer of the miso mixture. Continue this layering process until all of the garlic and miso mixture has been used. Make sure that all of the garlic cloves are covered with miso, then seal the jar and store in the refrigerator for a minimum of 10 days.
4. To serve: Using a small spoon or fork, pull out the cloves you want to use, leaving the rest of the garlic to continue pickling. Remove excess miso mixture and serve. You can also wash the cloves and then pat them dry before serving them.
{ 26 comments… read them below or add one }
Rachael, I’ll tell you what…if I keep reading your blog I’m going to catch this serious disease too. You sure make it look irresistable! Yummy, and I like how you have other uses for everything. Great snaps too!
Cheers, Lyndsey
Okay I absolutely adore Garlic so how did I not know about pickled garlic? So making this!
I love garlic – roasted especially, but this looks incredibly interesting and a must try. TY for sharing!
What an intriguing condiment! I have never seen this done and I am completely smitten by it. I, too, have a thing for jars. My friends always comment on the number of condiments and other items I have in my fridge.
I love garlic! I will now go buy some more, and make this.
(True confessions time: I save jars in boxes because I can’t bear to throw them out.)
WOW, it looks amazing!
deliciou this looks
I love garlic and cute little jars! It is fun to make preserved foods or condiments. I might have to give this one a try. :)
awesome condiment, I could use that for a lot of food items. I can imagine it has a lot of great flavor too
Wow – great lookin’ condiment! When I grow up and have the patience to wait ten days, I’ll have to give this a try. ;-) [K]
I have never seen this but love how easy it is. I bet the flavor is over the top. I need to get out of my comfort zone and try this!
My oh my. My mom just gave me 6 pounds of miso, and I am absolutely going to make this. I love garlic, and I can’t wait to try this!
Wow do these sounds scrumptious or what! I just love the taste and smell both of garlic and miso paste, I never would have thought of this. Sounds just perfect, a must try soon.
What a great condiment!
This looks awesome!! Great idea!
Great tutorial Rachael – it’s amazing how some of the most intricate flavours are actually fairly easy to reproduce! We were just given more garlic than we know what to do with (pre-peeled!) so might have to see about this!
Miso pickled garlic sounds good!
If you boil UNPEELED garlic cloves, the skin slips right off. Bye-bye tedium!
Simple. Going to make it now :D
I am really excited about this recipe, your personal endorsement of pickled garlic, and of course, THE JARS! ;) I have committed to a healing journey through Macrobiotics, and regular garlic tends to be too strong for me–my body actually “rejects” it. TMI! Yet, I crave garlic at times, which can be naturally antibacterial, which I am all for. Some certified Macrobiotic counselors would say that garlic is too aromatic for this way of eating, but I think it was “Everything Macrobiotic” that suggested pickled garlic as a good possibility of a replacement. The only thing was that there was no good recipe available, till I ran across this jewel! Thanks. I have the ingredients on-hand and will begin the process now! :)
Hi! Why do you have to boil the garlic? To reduce some of the pungency or is it a food safety thing?
Thank you!
yea why boil? thats what i want to know to there no real reason te boil not? it just lose some nutricions and the miso will ferment the garlic and take care of some bacteria and the taste will be stronger i am going for no boiled garlic
I think the garlic is boiled to reduce the pickling time.
Hi, great recipe I used to get a miso pickled garlic that I think had bonito flakes mixed in it? Have you ever seen this? If so could you suggest a proportion of flakes to add to my pickle? Thanks
I used to eat this all the time when I lived in Japan and certainly it had bonito flakes it it, which added a really great smoky taste. You could buy it in almost any supermarket. Bliss.
Out of interest, what is 1/2 lb garlic cloves in terms of the number of garlic heads you need?
Thanks for the recipe. Will make today!
Is it ok to cut the garlic gloves in half to make smaller pieces?
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