Instructions

1. Choose fully mature garlic buds. Immature garlic, which has not dried completely, contains a pigment that can react with the vinegar, causing the bud to turn greenish-blue. Common table salt contains vinegar, so substitute sea salt in your pickling recipe.

2. Dry immature garlic to eliminate the pigment properties. Cut the cloves into 1/8- to 1/4-inch slices. Place them in a dehydrator at 130 degrees F, or on a rack at room temperature but out of direct sunlight. Dried garlic will feel hard or crisp, but still appear light.

3. Prepare the pickle brine in a stainless-steel, enamel or glass-ceramic pot. A copper pot transfers trace enzymes of copper into the brine. Sulfur’s reaction to the copper can result in the garlic turning blue.

4. Stir the brine with wooden or plastic utensils. Dipping a copper, iron or tin mixing spoon into the brine may cause a reaction with the garlic’s sulfur properties.