Global · sauce
Lacto-Fermented Garlic Cloves
Video by Clean Food Living on YouTube · Open on YouTube
- Low carb (1.7 g net carbs) but not keto: 3% of the energy is from fat, and keto meals get about 60% or more
- Vegan
- Gluten-free ingredients
- Nut-free
Contains: none of the common allergens in the listed ingredients. Check labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes.
Fermentation usually mellows garlic's bite, so a couple of uncooked cloves add big flavour to dressings, dips and finished dishes for about 8 kcal. Most of the brine's salt stays in the jar: about 40 mg sodium a serve.
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Ingredients 4
Method
Tap a time to watch that step in the video.
- Stir 15 g salt (¾ tbsp fine salt) into 2 cups (500 ml) non-chlorinated water until dissolved. Wash a 1-pint (500 ml) jar and a fermenting weight in hot soapy water. 1:05
- Peel the garlic, trimming off any blemishes; throw away any clove with even a speck of mould. Cut up the onion slice and snip the herbs, if using. 1:30
- Put the onion in the bottom of the jar (it helps the fermentation start), then layer in the garlic and herbs, filling the jar about 75–80% full. 2:13
- Pour in brine up to the jar threads, press the weight down firmly so everything is submerged, lift out any floaters and rest a loose lid on top (no burping needed). Stand it on a towel or dish to catch overflow. 2:55
- Ferment on the counter, ideally 22–29°C, for 2–3 weeks, removing any floaters; start tasting around day 14. Bubbles for the first 7–10 days and blue-green cloves are normal. 4:49
- When it tastes good and has no mould, remove the weight, close the lid tightly and refrigerate; it keeps for many months. 6:48
Tip. Makes 1 pint jar, roughly 28 two-clove serves (our estimate). Swap the herbs for chilli flakes or a dried Italian blend. Add to food after cooking to keep the live cultures.
The method is a summary in our words — the video shows every step.
One portion, 2 cloves (6 g), gives you 1 of 28
Where the energy comes from one serve
- Net carbs 81%
- Protein 19%
- Fat 0%
For comparison, low-carb eating usually gets under 26% of its energy from carbs, and ketogenic eating under 10%. Why this is here
Vitamins & minerals % of a day, one serve · tap for more
No vitamin or mineral reaches 10% of a day in one serve.
Show the other 15
Vitamin B64%
0.1 mg a serve, mostly from garlic (98%). Helps turn food into energy and make brain messengers. Chickpeas, fish, poultry, potatoes and bananas are good sources.
Vitamin C2%
1.8 mg a serve, mostly from garlic (94%). An antioxidant needed for collagen, immunity and iron absorption. Long cooking destroys some, so raw herbs, citrus and capsicum help.
Calcium1%
10 mg a serve, mostly from garlic (97%). Builds bones and teeth and helps muscles and nerves work. Dairy, calcium-set tofu, sardines with their bones and some greens supply it.
Iron1%
0.1 mg a serve, mostly from garlic (93%). Carries oxygen in your blood. Iron from plants absorbs better with vitamin C in the same meal — lemon, tomato or capsicum.
Zinc1%
0.1 mg a serve, mostly from garlic (97%). Needed for immunity, wound healing, taste and growth. Meat, seafood, legumes, seeds and whole grains supply it.
Selenium1%
0.8 µg a serve, mostly from garlic (100%). Part of the body's antioxidant enzymes and needed for thyroid hormones. Seafood, eggs, meat and Brazil nuts are rich sources.
Potassium0%
20 mg a serve, mostly from garlic (93%). Balances sodium to help control blood pressure and keeps muscles and nerves working. Beans, potatoes, leafy greens and fruit are rich sources.
Magnesium0%
1.5 mg a serve, mostly from garlic (92%). Takes part in hundreds of reactions — energy, muscles, nerves, blood sugar and bones. Nuts, seeds, legumes and whole grains are good sources.
Vitamin A0%
0.3 µg a serve, mostly from fresh dill or rosemary (100%). Keeps eyes, skin and the immune system healthy. Orange vegetables and dark greens give beta-carotene, which the body turns into vitamin A.
Vitamin D0%
0 µg a serve. Helps you absorb calcium for bones and supports muscles. Few foods have much — oily fish, eggs, UV-exposed mushrooms, fortified milks. Sunlight is the main source.
Vitamin E0%
0 mg a serve, mostly from garlic (75%). An antioxidant that protects cell membranes. Nuts, seeds and plant oils such as olive oil are the main sources.
Vitamin K0%
0.1 µg a serve, mostly from garlic (97%). Needed for blood clotting and bones. Leafy greens and herbs are very rich in it. If you take warfarin, keep your intake steady and talk to your doctor.
Folate0%
0.4 µg a serve, mostly from garlic (40%). Needed to make DNA and new cells — especially important before and in early pregnancy. Legumes and leafy greens are rich sources.
Vitamin B120%
0 µg a serve. Keeps nerves and blood cells healthy. Found almost only in animal foods and fortified foods (some plant milks, nutritional yeast), so vegans need a reliable source.
Omega-30%
0 g a serve, mostly from garlic (99%). Omega-3 fats support the heart and brain. Oily fish give EPA and DHA; walnuts, flax, chia and canola give ALA, which the body converts only a little.
Estimated from the ingredient list with USDA FoodData Central values; % of a day uses the food-label daily values. How this works
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Recipe and video by Clean Food Living; the method summary, nutrition estimate and diet notes are Notbroken’s. General information about food, not dietary advice.