How to smoke garlic at home in a domestic smokehouse.
Smoked garlic
How to smoke garlic at home in a domestic smokehouse
Smoking garlic is a Northern French speciality, from Arleux, but there is nothing to stop you from smoking your own garlic.
Originally, garlic was smoked to preserve it. Firstly, because when the garlic cloves are exposed to smoke, it protects them from insects in a lasting way, and also because smoking dries and therefore prevents mould.
Arleux is certainly not the driest part of France. It is located in the north of the country, between Douai and Cambrais, surrounded by lakes and marshes, and growers there have developed unique know-how over the course of 200 years. Once dried in the fields, the garlic is smoked for one week at between 35 and 42°C in large rooms in which turf fires are kept alight, covered in sawdust and straw.
In our smokehouses.
For garlic to be smoked correctly, it should be exposed for quite a long time so that the smoke has time to settle on the skin. After smoking, the heads take on a golden brown colour, but the smoke also penetrates the cloves. As is always the case with small domestic smokehouses, the smoking time depends on the concentration of the smoke, but there is no need to worry. One hour more or less will not change much. For an initial trial, aim for six hours.
What temperature?
Garlic should be cold smoked, and in theory the temperature should not exceed 45°C. However, if the temperature rises inside your smokehouse, it is not cause for concern. You have a margin of error before reaching 80° C, at which temperature your garlic will begin to cook. With a somewhat hot smokehouse, the flavours will penetrate more deeply, but the garlic will inevitably keep for a shorter time.
How to preserve the garlic
Store the garlic in a cool, well-aired place, as you would normal garlic. Don´t forget that smoked garlic has a smooth taste, but a pungent smoky odour.
What garlic should I use?
In Arleux, they use Northern garlic, but you can smoke any good quality garlic. Why not opt for garlic that has a certified origin: Pink Lautrec garlic, Lomagne white, Cadours purple or from the Drôme. These protected place names are your guarantee of desirable quality.
