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  • From: Road's End Farm <organic87 AT frontiernet.net>
  • To: Market Farming <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] "Black Garlic" -- anyone ever hear of this?
  • Date: Sat, 9 Jan 2010 22:21:59 -0500


On Jan 9, 2010, at 6:27 PM, Erik Lane wrote:

I found a couple sites with clues.

http://www.freshpatents.com/Process-for-preparing-aged-garlic-dt20070208ptan20070031574.php
http://blackgarlic.com/how-its-made

But no recipes. Looks like it's still a secret. But with a patent? Can you really patent a recipe? (Though I guess it's an involved process, but still surprised me.)

Sounds as if it's the machine they make it in that's patented; they may be keeping the process a secret because the recipe can't be patented. The company seems to be selling the machines, and/or the finished product.

Also seems to take a month to make it; so I doubt many market customers are going to do it themselves. Or that I'm going to, for that matter.

Searching "fermented garlic" brings up mostly references to using the stuff, or to the machine-made version; but I did find this, don't know how accurate it is: "Ordinary garlic is placed in earthenware jugs in a cool environment, such as a cave. The garlic is left to age for several months. No bacteria is added. The result is a simple food with a complex flavor."
However other sources say it's fermented at a high tmperature, and the machines may use heat and controlled humidity. Maybe there are multiple versions of fermented garlic, just as there are a lot of different kinds of pickles.

Anyway I don't think I'm going to find a quick and easy way to make it -- that is, some techniques may be easy enough if you have the right environment handy, but it's probably still going to take some time.

-- Rivka; Finger Lakes NY, Zone 5 mostly
Fresh-market organic produce, small scale



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