Sir Torshi

Ingredients for 1 servings:

• 10 garlic bulbs, fresh
• 500 ml white wine vinegar
• 2 sprigs of thyme
• 2 tbsp sea salt or rock salt (without iodine)
• 3 tbsp honey
• 4 tbsp barberries, dried

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 10 minutes; Total time approx. 40 minutes

Pickled garlic for cross-country skiers

First, soak the dried barberries for 20 minutes. Then, peel the garlic bulbs down to the thin outer skin. Bring the vinegar and salt to a boil, add the garlic bulbs, and boil for 10 minutes. Then, let the contents of the pot cool. In the meantime, drain the barberries well. Stir the honey into the cooled contents of the pot. Now, layer: Starting with the barberries, alternate layers of garlic bulbs and barberries in a jar, layering thyme sprigs between them. Finally, fill the jar with the liquid from the pot. Now, just close the jar and let it steep in a cool, dark place (e.g., a cellar) for at least six months. Tips: Fresh, high-quality garlic is best. The barberries must be carefully selected; small stones and other things can easily get lost among them. Do not add the honey to the boiling contents of the pot, as it will lose important components. The garlic bulbs must be covered with liquid. If there is too little liquid, top up with wine vinegar. Use a wire-top jar (1 liter for the amount specified here). Screw-top jars should not be used, as gases can develop, which means a screw-top jar should be opened occasionally to prevent it from bursting. The lids also rust easily. Wire-top jars with rubber sealing rings, on the other hand, release excess pressure automatically and cannot rust. The cellar should not be too warm and preferably dark. Label the jar with a date for easy reference, especially important for long-distance wines like these. The most important thing to remember: a long wait is required. After six months of patience, you can certainly get a taste of the sir, but it improves with time. The color becomes increasingly dark and the consistency softer. In Persia, it is left to stand for up to 10-15 years. If you like to experiment and want to try different vintages, you should prepare several jars – perhaps smaller ones – and store them together. This way you can taste them gradually.