Two types of pickled garlic. Pickled garlic, you ask? Well, it's great to munch as is and add to other dishes; save the brine for salad dressing.

Pickled Garlic with Sweet Red Pepper

1/2 lb garlic, peeled (you can buy them peeled or peel your own*)

1 sweet red bell pepper, chopped

2 cups white vinegar

2/3 cup sugar

1/2 tsp dry mustard

1/2 tsp celery seed

cheesecloth

Place garlic cloves in a medium bowl. Large cloves can be cut in half. Mix in the red pepper.

Mix together the vinegar and sugar in a large saucepan over medium high heat. Wrap the dry mustard and celery seed in cheesecloth and tie off. Add spice packet to vinegar mixture. Bring to a boil, then boil 5 minutes.

Stir in the garlic and red pepper. Continue boiling 5 minutes. Discard spice packet.

Place garlic and peppers in sanitized canning jars** (boil jars in a large pot for 5 minutes or the highest hot setting on your dishwasher) to within 1 inch of the top. Fill with remaining liquid to within 1/4 inch from the top.

Cover and store in the refrigerator approximately 3 weeks before serving***.

* I peel my own fresh garlic, but it is an onerous task. You can buy peeled garlic, but I always question it's freshness/potency.

**Canning jars are cheap and available at most grocery stores or hardware stores. How many you need depends on how much you pickle : ) I generally sterilize 4 pints of jars or 2 pints and 4 1/2 pints so I'm covered for whatever I'm cooking up. I often double up the recipes above and below.

***Brine can be added to salad dressings.

French Pickled Garlic

1/2 cup white wine vinegar

1/2 cup dry white wine (remember, good wine makes good flavor, don't use crappy wine, ever)

1 small dried chile pepper

1 small thyme sprig

1 small rosemary sprig

1 small bay leaf

10 black peppercorns

2 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp pickling salt*

1 cup peeled fresh garlic cloves

Put all ingredients except garlic into a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then gently boil for 5 minutes.

Add garlic, return to a boil, cover the pan, remove from heat, and let sit at room temperature for 24 hours.

Bring the contents of the saucepan to a boil again, then transfer to a sanitized canning jar.

Seal and store in the refrigerator 1 week to one year.

*no iodine or anti-caking agents (so keeps the liquid clear) added, find it next to regular salt