I love garlic and garlic is good for people so it was a win at my house today when I tried a new way to make garlic confit.
Perhaps I should step back just a bit and explain that I thought about this when I read an email from Chefsteps.com. It’s one of those online cooking video subscription sites. I bought one on sous vide a while back and I keep getting emails from them. Sometimes they have free videos that are very good so it’s worth getting.
Anyway, the other day they were making garlic confit in the microwave. They said to put the microwave on its lowest setting and put the garlic in jars and cover with oil. I don’t like the idea of metal in a microwave, although I’m told it’s quite safe with newer machines.
Well… don’t you know that today they sent out an apology saying, “Oops, it really doesn’t work and we apologize.” Good thing for me that I didn’t try it.
I did try it in the sous vide machine. I sliced off the top of a head of garlic, placed it in a pint canning jar and poured olive oil until it covered it completely. Then I vacuum sealed the jars with the jar sealer attachment to my sealer and put it in the sous vide at 87C for four hours.
Bingo! It’s soft and creamy and when I tried it I thought, “Not enough garlic.” Normally I’d put just a scrape on the bread but not with this!
So now, we have this wonderful garlic that will keep in the fridge for a few days and not only that, we’ve got some glorious garlic olive oil to use in salads or with bread and dukkah. There are several ways to make this and I’ve used the oven before with good results but not as good as the sous vide.
Stephanie Manley from Copykat.com has done a video to explain how to make garlic confit on the stovetop.
- 1 head garlic
- olive oil (enough to fully cover the jar
- 1 canning jar that has been sterilized
- Heat sous vide to 87.5C or 190F
- Slice the top off the garlic to expose the individual cloves and trim the root end to ensure there's no dirt.
- Peel as much paper off the garlic as you can take off easily and place it in the bottom of a pint sized canning jar.
- Place the flat cover on top and vacuum seal (this is to take the air out so it will stay under water)
- Put the jar into the sous vide and leave for 4 hours.
- Once cool, use immediately or place in the refrigerator. It will take good for 2-3 days.
Wow, nice… and garlic is soooooooooooo good for you!
What a great idea. I’ve We love garlic and now’s the time to buy it now that summer has come to a close! I did a whole batch last year at the end of March. I read that you just need to heat it to 100C/212F to make sure to kill botulism if you want to keep it for longer 🙂
I wasn’t sure about the temperature and the length of time so I didn’t dare advise. I’d feel awful if I gave dodgy advice. 🙂 Thanks for this!
Is the jar absolutely necessary? Could you vacuum pack lots of garlic and oil in serving sized packets, sous vide at 190F for however long, and keep them refrigerated or freeze without opening until ready? I’m new to sv, so just wondering. We’re garlic people!
I think that would work just fine.
212F is not sufficient to kill botulism. If you want to do that, you’ll need a pressure canner.
I love garlic!! This looks amazing! The stovetop method looks so easy. I’ll have to try it out.
I’ll check out Chefsteps too; looks really interesting.
Thanks for sharing!
I’m obsessed with garlic. I love when I chop it up and my hands smell like garlic, hahaha… this looks soo good, your pics are REALLLLLLYYY good too!!!
The microwave thing made me laugh – something not quite right about that! I’m a garlic freak, too, but never have tried it this way – will give it a try 🙂
That looks amazing Maureen – I’m not a garlic fan in general, but when it is roasted or cooked long enough I love the mellow flavor. This recipe is a keeper!
This is such a great idea Maureen! I’ve seen people do it, but never tried it myself 🙂
I would PROBABLY eat this with a spoon……. To ward off all the vampires in Los Angeles, you know? lol
Good grief! The better I know you, the more I love you. 🙂 You crack me up.
I love confiting anything!!! I didnt think to do this for garlic! What an awesome idea!
wow, simply stunning
nothing better than confit in controlled sous vide waterbath for garlic
No sous vide machine here but I oven bake it all the time. Much like your steps…cut off the top, cover with oil and bake til soft and just starting to brown. I typically wait until I have something else that needs baking so I’m not using the big oven for a little bowl of garlic too. Now I want some!
Oh, I do love garlic confit and this way of doing sounds great.
This look amazing!
I love garlic:))
I’ll be trying this. My brother got a sous vide gadget for Christmas! It’s really cool, it sits on the edge of a pan on the stove 🙂
I’ve got steak in mine now. I FINALLY bought a cast iron skillet and I’m going to make that baby turn red and put the steaks on to sizzle for a few seconds and then it’s dinner. 🙂
Love garlic!!! Love it. Will definitely try this! 🙂
I never thought of doing this. I love garlic, I need to use it more. Thanks.
What a great idea! I wonder if I could do this in a low oven…hmmm… thanks for the inspiration as always, Maureen! 🙂
I’m not quite that big a garlic head but your garlic confit would really go well with my loaf of no knead bread. 🙂
Very cool! Very safe to say I’d be doing it on the stove stop. Haha, less gadgets for me the better!
Mmmm, garlic! Love the stuff — can’t get enough. We must be related! 😉 Really like the idea of sous vide confit — I really need to get one of those machines (they’ve become quite inexpensive0 and start playing with it in the kitchen. Good stuff — thanks.
Yeah, the machines and the thingy you put on the edge of the container and into the water aren’t too expensive either.
I do mine on top of the stove then freeze for use throughout the year.
This is what i do: separate cloves, peel cloves (its a pain but worth the effort), cover with oil and simmer till cloves are soft. Drain, spread out, single layer, on plastic wrap lined sheet pan, cover with plastic or another sheet pan and place in freezer. Once frozen, scoop into freezer bag, date, label and return to freezer. This will last until my new crop comes in.
That’s brilliant, Norma !
This is so FANCY!!! I Love it!!
I am so intrigued by this idea, Maureen. I love roasted garlic, but confit sounds even better. I’d be happy to eat the cloves straight from the jar!
I remember the first time I ate roasted garlic—-must have been over 20 years ago. Your confit must be just as delish! Perfect on toasts before dinner.
OMG!!! Now I want a sous vide machine just to make this!!!!
Oh my! I would love to make a good garlic confit home! I do not have a sous-vide machine, so will have to stick to the stove method.
It looks gorgeous…I’m a garlic fan too :))
The creamy garlic sure sounds delicious Maureen…unfortunately I do not have a sous vide apparatus…great that you got two items made…all in one shot.
Have a great week 🙂
Garlic confit with fresh baked bread is my idea of heaven!
I get those emails too Maureen! We make confit garlic in the microwave all the time but I think your sous vide method would be fantastic and really infuse the flavour into the oil as well. I’ll have to give it a try – yum!
Wow I can’t believe how smooth and creamy that looks. Mmm we love garlic here in our house too! That looks so good!
I love garlic and usually roast it whole and eat it spread over a crostini.. so this recipe would be ideal for me (if only I got my hands on a sous vide machine)!
This is wonderful – thanks so much Maureen. We love olive oil and garlic and made this way you get the best of both worlds. Brilliant! Thank you!!!
Where am I going to fit these new gadgets in my kitchen 🙂 Looks super delicious.
This recipe is for my husband, as you do, he loves garlic !!
A sous Vide is so perfect for this. You can make it without one but really it is a great way to make it. You must be in heaven
Oh wow! This garlic sounds amazing! Thanks for including the stovetop method!
Oh yum! I love garlic too. I hope you ate the garlic confit too. Two people with garlic breath cancel each other out. lol
Yum! I can’t get enough garlic either! Will definitely have to try this soon 🙂
Ohh ! Thats quite new and interesting ! I adore garlic, and the spreads made out of it. I can only imagine how amazing it must have tasted on that piece of bread. Yum!
Looks great Maureen, never made garlic confit before, I’ve got to try this!
Roasted garlic is one of my favorites and spread over a little bruschetta..oh my! This has my name written all over it!
Of course, I can never be tired of garlic! BTW I think I have the exact same cutting board you have.
Oh, I am so wanting one of those machines, Maureen. You always have the greatest, newest equipment. This looks like an easy way to do up a batch of garlic. Yum…:)
Dear Maureen,
This looks very enticing and I love garlic too. I think there’s a little spelling error sous vide at 87C …
Well good grief. Thanks SO much. I don’t usually have many spelling mistakes. (slap hand)
My husband loves garlic, and would have some in his sleep if he could have some. I make this in small quantities in Microwave all the time, but never ever in such large batches. It would so awesome to have an entire jar of this.
Yumm.
Okay, Maureen, now I know you are reading to appear on Top Chef TV. Curtis Stone would very much approve of your advanced sous vide skills…And applaud your better instinct not to place metal in the microwave =)
Another reason for me to go out and buy a sous vide. I do love confit garlic but I’ve only had it at restaurants – never made my own. I don’t care how new or how good a microwave is, I’d never put anything metal anywhere near it. Your method for making this confit is much better xx
Oh yes please I love garlic!
Sounds wonderful and quite addictive. I think there would need to be an agreement thought that everyone in the room agrees to indulge. 🙂
I love garlic, and this looks like a really nice, mellow way to enjoy it! I bet that garlicy olive oil would be delicious too!
I make garlic like this and add it to soups for flavour, it’s so good! Sadly I do not have a sous vide nor a vacuum sealer (I did but didn’t like it so I returned it). The video looks easy enough ( I usually do it in a ramekin covered with foil in the oven).
Do you enjoy cooking with your Sous Vide? I have seen some online recipes for steak that look very intriguing. I wonder if I would get enough use out of one to make it worth my while to get one.
Hi Stephanie, I wasn’t sure but I had the BEST steak of my LIFE (and I’m way older than you) the other night. I sous vided (if that’s a word) the steaks for 1 1/2 hours at 55C, dried them off, oiled and seasoned them and into a screaming hot cast iron skillet for 30 seconds a side. Then a little bit of butter in the pan – flip and flop and on the plate. I’d have a sous vide just for that. I’ve used it for quite a few things. I made a ton of caramelized onions in mine once. Dark brown and delicious they were but that takes a long time.
Hi Maureen! Last month my brother in law gave us a sous vide but we haven’t had a chance to use it yet. The steak you mentioned above sounds really good, and we must make this garlic butter (that’s how our kids call it) my family love!! This is going to be the first sous vide project for us!
We got a sous vide from my brother in law but haven’t had a chance to try it yet. The steak recipe above sounds really good, but we’ll try this garlic butter (that’s how kids call it) my family loves! It’ll be the first sous vide project for us! 😀
yep huge garlic fans in this household so this looks just divine maureen. i have smoked garlic here at present which has an incredible smoky taste and i am dying to try black garlic. well there can never be too much garlic of any kind:)
Sous vide is so hot right now. And garlic… mmmmm, truly one of the best ingredients known to mankind. Making this stat! 🙂
Maureen, marvelous! Just the sort of thing I would’ve made in the days before I became allergic/intolerant to garlic. Enjoy!
Hi Maureen,
I had a question regarding your jars. Foodsaver says not to put the ring lid on when you vacuum seal the mason jar. Do you put the ring lid on or leave it off as I’m afraid for the lid without the ring seal would burst open in the sous vide bath. Thank you
it’s not possible to vacuum seal with the ring lid but once it’s sealed, I put the ring on and into the sous vide. I had no problems at all.
It looks great 😉