Preserving smoked garlic is an easy to process, requiring three simple items – garlic, wood chips or pellets, and a smoker. Smoked garlic bulbs bring flavor to all recipes which call for garlic, turning a simple dish into one with extraordinaire flavor.
This post contains affiliate links, meaning, I may make a small commission based off your purchase at no additional cost to you.
The idea of smoking garlic is so simple people overlook it. Use the cloves as an ingredient to any dish desired, enhancing the flavor of garlic by providing a bit of smokiness . And in truth, it should be added to everything, for example, homemade egg noodles. Smoked garlic sauteed with butter and homemade noodles? Um, yes, most definitely! Also, make sure to add a clove or two, maybe more, to the following dishes:
- Soups
- Pasta sauce
- Bread making
- Dip
- Garlic Hummus
- Chili sauce
Preserving garlic in this method allows for a plethora of cooking options. Do not limit yourself on what to add this to. Experiment a little with it.
Growing Garlic
Garlic, soft or hard neck, is extremely easy to grow. The best time to plant garlic is in the fall. Fall planting allows the bulbs to winterize, producing a nice size head which will be ready to harvest in the early summer months.
One tip, select bulbs which store best. Also, harvesting garlic scapes to make garlic scape pesto or fermented garlic scapes, make sure to plant hard neck garlic varieties.
Cured Bulbs or Fresh
Smoking garlic is best achieved using cured bulbs. Freshly harvested bulbs hinder the smoke from penetrating through the bulb. However, in a pinch fresh bulbs can be used but will need to be smoked for a longer period.
Smoked garlic provides you an easy, and different, method for preserving the harvest.
Preserving Smoked Garlic Bulbs – Equipment
Regardless of the model, any type of smoker will do; electric, gas, pellet, even charcoal.
- Smoker
Preserving Smoked Garlic – Ingredients
Remember, cured garlic bulbs are ideal. However, smoking fresh, clean garlic bubs is also an option.There is no restriction on the type of wood chips to use. Apple wood chips will create a mild, slightly sweet smoked flavor, whereas oak or hickory creates a heavier smoked product.
- Cured garlic bulbs, stalk trimmed to 1/2 from bulb
- Wood chips – apple, oak, or hickory
Preserving Smoked Garlic Bulbs – Instructions
The instruction are extremely simple. Feel free to shorten or lengthen the amount of time the garlic is in the smoker. Remember, this process is not a science. Though keep in mind, the longer the bulbs remain in the smoker the higher the chances that the cloves will dry out.
- Soak wood chips in water for 30 minutes
- Pat wood chips dry, add to smoker
- Bring smoker to 150 degrees Fahrenheit, add garlic bulbs
- Close smoker, allow garlic to smoke for 2 1/2 hours.
- Smoked bulbs will be slightly tender, and the skin slightly tan in color.
Grab a copy of my book, The Farm Girl's Guide to Preserving the Harvest.
From my farmhouse kitchen to yours, an easy to comprehend guide which walks you though every phase of home food preservation. Learn how to can, dry, ferment, cure, freeze, and storing fresh foods for long term storage. Included you will also find some of my favorite preserving recipes!
Printable Recipe Card – Preserving Smoked Garlic
To make things easier, enjoy this printable recipe card for your convenience!
Preserving Smoked Garlic Bulbs
Equipment
- Smoker
Ingredients
- Cured garlic bulbs stalk trimmed to 1/2 from bulb
- Wood chips - apple oak, or hickory
Instructions
- Soak wood chips in water for 30 minutes
- Pat wood chips dry, add to smoker
- Bring smoker to 150 degrees Fahrenheit, add garlic bulbs
- Close smoker, allow garlic to smoke for 2 1/2 hours.
- Smoked bulbs will be slightly tender, and the skin slightly tan in color.
Notes
Storing Smoked Garlic Bulbs
- Allow smoked garlic to cool to room temperature.
- Add garlic to wide-mouth quart size Mason jars with lid, store in refrigerator until ready to use.
- Smoked garlic bulbs will keep for 6 to 8 weeks.
Storing Smoked Garlic Bulbs
- Allow smoked garlic to cool to room temperature.
- Add garlic to wide-mouth quart size Mason jars with lid, store in refrigerator until ready to use.
- Smoked garlic bulbs will keep for 6 to 8 weeks.
This sounds delicious! We love garlic around here, and my husband said the next time he is smoking stuff, he will do some garlic, too. Now, how do you ferment garlic in honey? I have put garlic into honey before and let it set to make a yummy sore-throat medicine.
We have reserved a few head for fermented garlic, and we are quite excited to give it a try!
My other half has just bought himself a smoker – primarily so that he can cook large chunks of meat in it, but I can feel a garlic smoking experiment coming on! I just need to harvest the garlic and let it dry out a bit first. By then he should have got the hang of how to use it! Thanks for sharing.
Will dehydraying prolong the shelf life?
Yes, but it isn’t quite as delicious.
I peel them after smoking. Put in jam size ball jars. Cover with olive oil. Will last a year if you don’t use them up first! The olive oil is great too.