Sooz:
Hope this helps.
LOU
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Purple Haze Garlic

Purple Haze is heirloom, hard-neck, Rocambole garlic that has been grown on Redlands Mesa since the 1930Âs. The big, easy-to peel cloves make it a favorite in the kitchen. Its spicy flavor adds a zing to your favorite dish.Purple Haze is heirloom, hard-neck, Rocambole garlic that has been grown on Redlands Mesa since the 1930Âs. The big, easy-to peel cloves make it a favorite in the kitchen. Its spicy flavor adds a zing to your favorite dish.

Redlands Mesa is located in rural Western Colorado at the foot of the Rocky Mountains. Our garlic farm is one of numerous small, family operations nourished by the North Fork of the Gunnison River basin.

We believe in healthy food and land so we never use chemicals or synthetic fertilizers. Our natural grown garlic has adapted to the high desert climate of snowy winters and hot summer temperatures.

The garlic is harvested in late July and is ready for sale by late August. The mailing of the Purple Haze Newsletter kicks off garlic sales season. You wonÂt want to wait long to place an order, as the braids sell quickly.

The beautiful 15-head braids, 1/2 pound and 1 pound mesh sacks of loose garlic make exceptional gifts. We are happy to ship your order to multiple locations, so all you have to do is place your order and weÂll take care of the rest.
©2007 Purple Haze Garlic  14414-2900 Road, Hotchkiss, CO 81419  purplehazegarlic@tds.net  970-872-1098

©2007 Purple Haze Garlic  14414-2900 Road,

I don't know of any variety of garlic that has purple cloves. The papery skin can be purple (i.e. Italian garlic) but the cloves themselves are creamy white.

So I think you can assume that the purple (or blue) color is due either to immature garlic or inadequately dried garlic which turns blue when pickled or (less likely) a pickling solution which includes red wine vinegar. If red wine vinegar were used, he would see that in the color of the solution, not merely the cloves. Generally red wine vinegar is a higher acidity and less mild, not more.

The mild crunchiness is generally a function of the variety + the quality of the fresh garlic + the particular pickling solution +the processing method. Pickled young garlic could also be made more crunchy by the use of calcium chloride (i.e. Pickle Crisp), which is also used as a firming agent in such commercial products as canned tomatoes.

Carol

Lou, thanks for the info. I was actually looking for the garlic that was pickled--apparently it purpled up during the pickling process.

Carol, thanks for the info too. I'm just guessing the garlic was originally in a jar.

When the fellow who also worked for a caterer brought in the big trays of food for the production staff, the garlic was on the tray along with olives and stuff, so John didn't actually see the color of the pickling solution. He just recalled that the garlic clove itself was purple.

Sooz

Sooz, I'm guessing then that the purple color is irrelevant. What you need to look for is a pickling solution that is mild (may include some added sugar or even honey to counteract the acidity of the vinegar) and plan on using calcium chloride for crispness (especially if you're canning it). A refrigerated brine will not require the calcium chloride because you don't have the heat of processing.

Carol

I've pickled garlic and had it change color, ranging from various pinks to blue, so I'm also guessing that it is the pickling process that causes the color.

As Carol noted, some hard necked garlic has colored "skins" ranging from pinks to mroon, but when you peel them, they're white inside. I have grown a Roja and one called Purple Stripe, but they're white inside.

Annie

All the pickled garlic that I found for sale online were white. However, I did find a wicked easy looking recipe that uses red wine vinegar that might turn 'em purple:

Easy to Make Refrigerator Garlic Pickles

Ingredients: Whole, peeled garlic cloves Red wine vinegar
Salt (about 1 Tbs. per cup of vinegar)
Place the cloves of garlic in a jar with an air-tight lid. Add enough vinegar to cover, and add salt. Place lid on jar and shake to dissolve salt. Store in the refrigerator for two weeks before using to "cure". These should keep almost indefinitely, covered and refrigerated.

Might be worth trying ...

-Susan

Sooz:
How about some food coloring,in some of the pickling process's mentioned.
Try a couple of Cloves.

I'd like to try it Ladies. What do I use to pickle Garlic ?

Not the Powdered Garlic. LOL!!!
LOU

Well, after asking our friend John for more info about the pickled garlic, here are his answers:
*they was a red-violet color as opposed to a "grape-purple" color
*they didn't have any "heat" in them
*they were not sweet, but more pickled like a dill pickle, but no dill that he recalled
*they were crunchy
*they were only "purple" on the outside--the inside was white
*they didn't have a hostile or strong garlic flavor
*you could tell they were garlic cloves by the flavor, but it was mild
*they were delicious, so much so that YEARS later, John is still talking about them

I think I might be trying Susan in Maine's recipe! I'm attaching a link to a recipe I also found on-line.

Time to go to Costco and pick up a giant container of peeled garlic, right? LOL

LOU, keep us up to date on your making pickled garlic, okay?

Thanks everyone!
Sooz

Here is a link that might be useful: Another recipe for pickled garlic that I found

Here's the recipe from the Ball Blue Book, it takes hot peppers but you could easily leave those out. It's very similar to the one posted by Sooz:

Pickled Garlic

Pickling mellows garlicÂs pungent taste, creating a unique bite-sized burst of flavour to accent a variety of dishes. Toss pickled garlic into Italian spaghetti sauce, serve it in sandwiches, use as an antipasto or a garnish for salads.
12 large heads garlic, about 1 3/4 lb (838 g)
2 1/2 cups (625 ml) white vinegar
1 cup (250 ml) dry white wine
1 tbsp (15ml) pickling salt
1 tbsp (15ml) granulated sugar
1 tbsp (15ml) dried oregano
5 dried whole chili peppers

Place 5 clean 250 or 236 ml mason jars on a rack in a boiling water canner; cover jars with water and heat water to a simmer (180°F/82°C). Set screw bands aside; heat SNAP Lids in hot water, NOT boiling (180°F/82°C). Keep jars and SNAP Lids hot until ready to use.

Separate garlic bulbs into cloves. To soften and loosen skins, blanch garlic cloves in rapidly boiling water 30 seconds; immediately immerse in cold water, drain and peel cloves.

In a large stainless steel saucepan, combine vinegar, wine, pickling salt, sugar, and oregano. Bring to a boil; boil gently 1 minute; remove from heat. Add peeled garlic cloves to hot vinegar mixture. Stir constantly 1 minute.

Pack garlic and 1 dried whole chili pepper into a hot jar to within 3/4 inch (2 cm) of top rim. Add hot brine to cover garlic to within 1/2 inch (1 cm) of top rim (headspace). Using nonmetallic utensil, remove air bubbles. Wipe jar rim removing any stickiness. Centre SNAP Lid on jar; apply screw band securely & firmly until resistance is met Âfingertip tight. Do not overtighten. Place jar in canner; repeat for remaining garlic, chili and hot liquid.

Cover canner; bring water to a boil. At altitudes up to 1000 ft (305 m), process Âboil filled jars  10 minutes.* When processing time is complete, turn heat off and remove canner lid. When boil subsides - bubbles no longer rise to surface (3 to 5 minutes) - remove jars without tilting. Cool jars upright, undisturbed 24 hours. DO NOT RETIGHTEN screw bands.

After cooling, check jar seals. Sealed lids curve downward and do not move when pressed. Remove screw bands; wipe and dry bands and jars. Store screw bands separately or replace loosely on jars, as desired. Label and store jars in a cool, dark place.

Makes about 5 x 250 or 236 ml jars.

Annie

I bought some pickled garlic at Westborn market in Dearborn Michigan a few years back and it was great! I remember going through an entire pint at work. Probably didn't make my co-workers too happy but it was really good. Mild...crunchy...I don't remember any purple color..but does that really matter? I can check into if you like. There is a Westborn in Livonia that is close to my dad's house.

Duane

Duane, that'd be great if you could check on it for me...purple or not! I'm not familiar with Westborn Market... is it local just to Michigan?

Thanks!

Sooz

Sooz: I saw them on Amazon. In Gourmet Foods.

Maybe you can take them out of the Jar and color them, with
Food Coloring .
Then put them back in the Jar ?

I have a Garlic Clove in red food coloring now.
Lou

Thanks, Annie, for the recipe, and thanks Lou, for the info and idea to use food coloring (ha ha!) Duane's garlic experience sounds yummy so I'll await his reply too.

I "made" two small batches today...one with just vinegar and salt and one with vinegar, salt, white wine and sugar. I'll let them soak for a couple of weeks and then try one or two or three. :O)

Sooz