Pickled garlic is a spice that helps enhance the flavor of dishes, but many people who make this dish often fail.

Garlic soaked in chili vinegar or pickled in vinegar is a common spice in Vietnamese cuisine. They are necessary for pho, vermicelli, vermicelli dishes, added to dipping sauces, fried rice, crab stir-fry… Garlic soaked in vinegar helps stimulate the taste so when we eat it, we feel the food is much more delicious and richer. 

However, when soaked, many people turn green. The green color of garlic makes the dish unappealing and many people are afraid to eat it. 

What causes garlic to turn green?

After peeling, slicing, and soaking garlic, the compounds in the garlic will react with the air. The younger the garlic, the stronger the reaction, so it turns greener. This green color makes the dish unsightly and does not affect health. Therefore, you can still eat pickled garlic that has turned green. But if you want them to be crispy white and not sticky, there must be a trick. 

Secret to soaking garlic in chili vinegar without turning green, crispy white garlic, clear water

Prepare materials

Choose 200g of garlic or the amount depending on your family, jar to soak. Choosing good garlic must be old, sturdy garlic bulbs. Small garlic cloves will be more fragrant than large garlic cloves. One clove of garlic is usually more fragrant than many cloves of garlic.

1 bottle of delicious 500ml vinegar. You should pay attention to choosing a good vinegar that will have a clean flavor and not have a strong smell due to industrial acid. 

Fresh chili just enough to suit the family’s spicy taste. If your family doesn’t use chili, leave it out. You can use chili peppers of your choice such as chili peppers, chili peppers, and chili peppers. 

Salt and filtered water

Glass jars or ceramic jars should not be used for storage because they will increase the migration of additives in plastic containers which are not good for health. 

Proper preparation will help crispy white garlic without turning green

Tips for soaking garlic to keep it from turning green

Garlic turns green because the resin in garlic reacts with air. The younger the garlic, the more sap it has, so it is greener. 

To peel garlic easily and quickly, you can put it in the microwave for 10 seconds and then peel it. Use a knife to cut the root and peel the skin more easily.

After peeling the garlic, slice it into medium slices, avoiding too thick and too thin.

Rinse the sliced ​​garlic slices under running water to remove the resin and then place them in diluted salt water. Soak garlic for about 30 minutes, then wash and soak 2-3 more times. When garlic reduces its pungent smell, it will also reduce its green color. You can add a little sugar to soak it together. Then, to disinfect the garlic to keep it clean and reduce the risk of scum, you blanch the garlic in boiling water and let it drain. This method of preparation will help the garlic become crispy, avoid turning green and avoid scum when soaking.  

Wash the chili peppers, drain them, remove the seeds and slice them or leave them whole depending on your family’s preference. The amount of chili depends on your family’s taste to avoid being too spicy. 

Cook water to soak garlic: Put vinegar, filtered water in a pot, add a little sugar and salt and cook until dissolved. This way of cooking water will help the vinegar’s pungent vapors evaporate, so the soaking water will be purer. Tip: add sugar to soak so that when soaked, it will have a lighter taste and will be eaten faster.

To speed up the heat, you can also not boil the water but put the garlic and chili into the vinegar water and soak. 

How to soak garlic vinegar:

Wash and dry glass or ceramic jars. If disinfected well, boil them in boiling water and let the jars cool.

After preparing and draining the garlic, put it in a glass jar with the chili.

Once the pot is soaked in water, let it cool, then pour the water into the jar of garlic and chili. Keep the jar of garlic and chili in a cool place, away from sunlight and high temperatures. It takes about 2-3 days for the garlic to absorb and have a crispy sour taste that can be used. Avoid letting the jar soaked in garlic vinegar get hot, leaving it in a sunny place will cause them to quickly sour and the garlic will not be crispy.

Garlic is a herb that contains natural antibiotics to help prevent disease. Eating garlic regularly helps stimulate digestion and reduce inflammation. When using, use a clean spoon to scoop from the jar, avoid putting leftovers back in the jar, this will prevent scum from forming.