Pickled Garlic (Seer-Torshi)

Makes 8 servings

This is mainly served as a side dish with the main course; some serve it as an appetizer. For Iranians during Nowruz, the Persian new year celebration, it’s a must-have with fish.

When cloves of raw garlic are submerged in red wine vinegar for a very long time, a magical transformation occurs. The garlic turns from crisp white to ivory, due to the color of the vinegar, and eventually fades to a light brown that deepens with age. The garlic becomes very tender, mild and almost fruity, with a flavor that’s more mellow and sweet than garlic’s typical strong, pungent and heated taste.

MAKE AHEAD: The garlic can be used after it has been cured for a few weeks, but it needs about 8 weeks to reach its fully cured state. From Washington cook Yeganeh Rezaian.

Ingredients

6 heads fresh garlic 2 tablespoons salt 1 ½ cups red wine vinegar or more as needed (may substitute a blend of distilled white vinegar and balsamic vinegar)

Instructions: Remove most of the outer papery skins from raw heads of garlic, but don’t peel the garlic completely. You can keep heads whole or break them into cloves. Place them in a clean jar with a tight-fitting lid. Add the salt, then pour in the vinegar, making sure the garlic is completely submerged. Seal and let sit at room temperature.

Check the jar periodically, as you might have to add vinegar or let excessive gas out of the jar. The longer it sits, the sweeter and softer your pickles will become.

Nutrition: Ingredients are too variable for a meaningful analysis.