Crisp Maneul Jangajji (Pickled Garlic)
A reassuring side dish made by pouring boiling pickling liquid directly over fresh garlic to keep its crisp texture.
Translated from Korean by AI and not yet checked by a native speaker. Amounts and numbers are taken directly from the original recipe. Read the Korean original →
This pickled garlic skips the cumbersome pre-soaking in vinegar and pours boiling soy brine directly over the garlic to bring out a delightfully crisp texture. Adding soju helps prevent spoilage, and once the sharp pungency is drawn out at room temperature, it keeps well as a clean, satisfying side dish all year round.
- Servings
- about 10–12 servings
- Cook time
- 1 minprep not included
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Spiciness
- Mildly spicy
- Keeps
- 365 days
Ingredients
Ingredients
- Fresh garlic50 heads (1 kg, peeled garlic)
Soy sauce brine
- Regular soy sauce (jin-ganjang) (or brewed soy sauce (yangjo-ganjang))1 cup
- Sugar1 cup
- Brewed vinegar2 cups
- Coarse sea salt2 tbsp
- Water4 cups
- Soju1 cup
- When making pickles with peeled garlic, fresh garlic before its skin dries out completely is both easier to peel and tastier.
- After washing, you must thoroughly dry the garlic with a towel or spread it out to dry; any remaining moisture can cause white film to form and lead to spoilage.
Steps
Prepare the ingredients
Here are 50 heads of fresh garlic.
Cut off the stems and roots first, rinse lightly, and peel all of them.
Prep the garlic
It will vary depending on the size of the garlic, but the peeled garlic weighs 1 kg.
Wash the garlic and make sure to wipe off all moisture thoroughly or spread it out to dry.
If any moisture remains, white film can form and it may spoil.
Place it in a bowl or glass container since you will be pouring boiling soy sauce brine over it.
Pour the soy sauce brine
In a pot, add 1 cup regular soy sauce (jin-ganjang), 1 cup sugar, 2 cups brewed vinegar, 2 tbsp coarse sea salt, and 4 cups water all at once, then bring to a rolling boil for about 30 seconds.
Without letting the boiled brine cool, pour it directly into the bowl with the garlic.
Pouring it hot will not cook the garlic or make it soft.
In fact, it creates a much crisper texture, so whenever I make pickles, I prefer to pour it hot right after boiling.
Give it a stir, and once the brine has cooled, pour in 1 cup soju for its sterilizing and preserving effect.
Adding the garlic and brine fits nicely into a 3.6 L container.
Press down with a small plate so the garlic does not float to the top...
Now let it ferment in a cool, shady spot at room temperature for at least 2 weeks; to prevent it from turning green, cover it with a black plastic bag or anything that blocks sunlight.
Do not put it in the refrigerator yet—draw out the spicy, pungent bite at room temperature first; once it is well-seasoned and the harsh heat is gone, store it in the refrigerator or kimchi refrigerator.
If you plan to keep it for over 1 year, divide it into small containers to minimize contact with air as you enjoy it.
Finish
Making pickled garlic is simple and no trouble at all.
It has been 15 days since I made it, and upon tasting, a little sharp heat remains, but it seems well seasoned, so I divided it into several glass containers and put them in the refrigerator.
I think it will be completely finished after 2 more weeks.
I ate it with gukbap (soup with rice), and because it is fresh garlic, its crisp bite really whets the appetite.
Depending on the size of the garlic, it will mature nicely in about a month to two months.
Month 6 is the season when fresh garlic floods the markets.
Making a batch once keeps you well stocked for 1 year, so why not peel some fresh garlic and put up some pickled garlic?
Ppunwife's tips
- Pouring the boiled soy brine hot without cooling keeps the garlic from turning soft and gives it a delightfully crisp texture.
- Adding soju after the soy brine cools provides a sterilizing and disinfecting effect.
- When fermenting at room temperature, covering the container with a black plastic bag or something that blocks sunlight helps prevent the garlic from turning green.
- To keep it for over 1 year, divide it into small containers to minimize contact with air during storage.
FAQ
Why do you pour the boiled pickling liquid while it is still hot?
Pouring the soy brine hot right after boiling prevents the garlic from becoming mushy and keeps its crisp texture intact.
Why should you block sunlight during room-temperature fermentation?
You need to block the light using a black plastic bag or similar cover to prevent the garlic from turning green.
How can I prevent spoilage when storing it for a long time?
Thoroughly remove all moisture from the garlic after cleaning, add soju once the brine has cooled, and divide into small containers to minimize air contact.
