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Garlic misozuke (miso-pickled garlic)

Name: Garlic misozuke (miso-pickled garlic)
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: Makes 200-250g
Cuisine: Japanese recipes
Ingredients: 1 garlic bulb; 200g jar unpasteurised red miso paste (Kenji uses Miso Tasty, available from Sainsbury’s, Ocado and Waitrose; check it’s gluten free if you need it to be)

By: Kenji Morimoto

Published: 7 Jun 24
Updated: 17 Jun 24

Kenji Morimoto’s garlic misozuke takes a few months to develop, but only five minutes to make and requires just two ingredients – miso and garlic. Why not have a go at making this easy Japanese preserve?

Kenji says:”It’s a really cathartic process; leave the misozuke to do its thing and give it a taste every so often to see how the flavour is evolving. And best of all, you end up with two very cool products at the end of it; a garlic-flavoured miso paste and miso-pickled garlic cloves! The garlic mellows out as it sits in the miso, resulting in something you can slice and eat raw like any pickle, but the miso is great for cooking with.”

Kenji is a fourth generation Japanese American living in London. As a child he was in charge of the family pickle-making, while today he hosts supper clubs and leads fermentation and pickling workshops. Right now, he’s working on his first cookbook. Try his cabbage asazuke next.

Easy
June 2024

Test kitchen approved

Makes 200-250g
Hands-on time 15 min

Nutrition: Per tbsp

Calories: 28kcals
Fat: 0.7g (0.1g saturated)
Protein: 1.5g
Carbohydrates: 3.6g (1.8g sugars)
Fibre: 0.6g
Salt: 1.5g

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Ingredients

1 garlic bulb
200g jar unpasteurised red miso paste (Kenji uses Miso Tasty, available from Sainsbury’s, Ocado and Waitrose; check it’s gluten free if you need it to be)

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Method

Peel the garlic cloves and trim the woody root ends of each.
Remove about two thirds of the miso from the jar, then add half the garlic cloves, spreading them out in an even layer. Return a third of the miso paste to cover, then add the remaining garlic. Finish with the rest of the miso, ensuring the cloves are fully covered. Any miso that won’t fit back into the jar can be kept in the fridge and used in cooking. Use a clean spoon to push down each layer as you work, to remove any air pockets.
Seal the jar, then leave in a dark place at room temperature. I think the garlic is best after 2-3 months, but start tasting it from 2 weeks to see how the flavour and colour evolve. Once you’re happy with the taste, move it to the fridge to slow the fermentation right down. It will keep indefinitely if the garlic cloves stay covered in miso.