Hi Kirsten,
Thank you so much for your kind invitation to send in fermenting issues.
I am an eager newbie to the world of fermenting. Garlic has been my first foray into this world. Please see attached an image of my attempt.
I'm concerned about the colour the brine has turned. It is decidedly green and there is a strong garlic smell emanating from the closed jar. Is this to be expected? I understood the cloves themselves may turn green or blue during the process but not the liquid?
I'd be grateful to know what has happened and what I can do to get a good jar of ferment. Thank you in advance for your assistance.
Kind Regards,
Carol
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Hi Carol,
Ah yes, the blue-green hue. You are right it is a little different seeing it in the brine. My guess is that the brine is thick with the garlic sugars. The whole cloves we make can have a very thick brine and that the blue-green is actually on the garlic that is now in the brine. Sometimes when they sit in the fridge for awhile the blue will work itself through.
This ferment looks okay to me but you be the judge (and trust your gut). If it smells strong like garlic, that is normal, if it smells strong like bad, compost, or whatever, then I would say it is bad. It should also smell a bit pickle-y.
It doesn’t always happen so don’t be discouraged and again I think they are fine, when you are ready to taste them, you will know. Pickle-y acidic garlicky is good, any thing else is not.
Cheers,
Kirsten