Brining garlic is a good way to preserve a large number of cloves to use at a later time if you find yourself with extra. Brined or pickled garlic still maintains its strong flavor and aroma and is suitable for use in pasta sauces, dips and salads. Whether you choose a basic salt brine or more elaborate pickling brine, the garlic will keep for some time in your fridge or pantry.

Remove all of the garlic cloves from the heads of garlic and place them on a cutting board or in a bowl.

Peel the papery skin off of each clove of garlic. Squish the garlic down against the board with the side of your knife to make peeling less challenging.

Add your garlic cloves to a Mason jar, leaving a couple of inches at the top. Use two jars if necessary.

Create a brine by mixing ¾ tbsp. of salt for every 1 cup of water. Pour the brine over the garlic cloves in the jar.

Place a lid on the jar and move it to a cool, dark place to ferment for at least two weeks.

Remove the cloves of garlic you want to pickle from the heads of garlic. Place the unpeeled cloves into a pot of boiling water to blanch for 30 seconds.

Dump the garlic cloves into ice water and then peel each clove.

Add the ingredients of your pickling brine to a saucepan and bring them to a boil. Let the brine boil for 5 minutes and then add the garlic to the pan.

Remove the pan from the heat and stir the garlic around in the mixture for 1 minute. Spoon the garlic into Mason jars, leaving about 1 inch of space at the top.

Pour the brine mixture over the garlic until it’s covered, then seal the lid in place. Add the jars to a boiling water canner for 10 minutes. Store the jars in your fridge for up to 1 year.