Black Garlic has soft, intensely sweet and savory characteristics that you need to experience!

Black Garlic has soft, intensely sweet and savory characteristics that you need to experience!
Black garlic is truly a unique ingredient. It is made by taking fresh heads of garlic and aging them for weeks in a low heat environment with a little humidity. This activated the maillard reaction, giving it it’s beautiful deep black color and memorable sweetness. So how would you use this and can you make it at home?
This sweet and savory garlic has a molasses like richness with a gentle garlic tang that makes it fit beautifully into many applications. You could mix it with whipped butter to put on a toast or blend it into a demi glace to serve with a charred steak or lamb chop. You can mix it into stews or risotto for a subtle, sweet umami flavor. I love how it pairs with roasted mushrooms, maple syrup or seared scallops!
You could make black garlic at home, and it is totally worth it, but it is a long process of waiting. All you need is a rice cooker or crock pot, and a lot of patience. Here are the steps:
1. Choose fresh, whole garlic bulbs
2. Wrap each bulb in aluminum foil
3. Place in a crock pot or rice cooker at a temperature of 140 degrees for 3-4 weeks
4. Once the garlic has softened and become a dark, black color it is ready to use.