Brining Garlic...how long?

[Rasa]

I'm on day 9 of brining my first quart (well, 3 cups actually) of garlic. I've read the info in Wild Fermentation and also NT but I'm still a bit unclear about how long to go...or, when will I know that it is 'done'? They're in a basic sea-salt water solution (per WF/NT) with a couple tablespoons dried dill. I freaked out tonight and stuck them in the fridge because the water is getting cloudy and I'm wondering if they may NEVER be done, I'll just use them like regular garlic. But I love brined garlic so I'd like to continue if it may still take longer?

Right now, the smallest cloves have a hint of sweetness in some parts but also quite a strong (unbrined) kick on other parts. Parts of the cloves look like they're losing their opacity and becoming a tad ?translucent? I have noticed some blue cloves as mentioned in previous threads....kinda scary!

[tanyalynn]

the flavor will mellow even in the frig over time, maybe a month in pickles, i think it may take longer with only garlic, i stuck our pint in the back of the frig and forgot about it for a while (kid in lap, no caps)

[Rasa]

Good idea--just forgetting about it in fridge! Don't know why I keep thinking about having to eat it right away (maybe because the brined ginger carrots barely make it to the fridge before I've eaten them all!) Could barely stomach the stench of garlic throughout the kitchen during the initial week or so of brining (and I LOVE garlic!)

[PreggieUBA2C]

Yes, put them in thr fridge if you want them in a similar condition to the way they are now when you end up eating them. The cloudiness is a proliferation of lacto-baccili- good stuff. This is of course barring that the batch is spoiled, which I am assuming you would know from the vile stench that it would create if that were the case.

I used to love brined garlic, fresh garlic, roasted garlic- garlic garlic garlic everywhere in everything, but this pg, for the first time in my life, I can't stand it. Not the aroma, not the taste and especially not either from my dh! Poor guy. I have the aversion and he's not allowed to eat it if he wants to sleep in the same room with me.

My whole family is presently garlic deprived. Perhaps I should do a ferment that I keep in an outbuildiong until I refrigerate it. Then maybe by the time the baby's born, it will be mellowed and ready to chomp!