Taste Testing

I finally taste tested the Ninniku Hachimitsu-zuke and was very surprised. At first sniff I thought, "Oh man, no way." The smell of the garlic was so stingingly strong. But I dutifully warmed up half a cup of water and added three spoonfuls of the honey to it. The honey poured from the spoon. It's viscosity is entirely different with the garlic in it, very thin and pourable. The taste was of diluted honey and the garlic was only a mild aftertaste. The smell of the garlic was strong, but not the taste. It's hard to explain except to say it's not horrible. I could easily see myself drinking this concoction a few times a day if I found myself down with a cold. Hubby decided he could handle it too.... if it had a little hooch in it.

I've drunk worse things for my health.

I used the Ninniku Hachimitsu-zuke in some brown sauce for Egg Foo Yung the other day and it was excellent! Saved me having to mince garlic and provided the necessary sweetness for the sauce. I think I'll always have a jar of this stuff around if for no other reason than using it in Stir-Fry sauce.

7-13-08 Update: I am making some stir-fry with leftover lime and pepper roasted chicken and while making the sauce I broke down and tasted the Ninniku Hachimitsu-zuke garlic, straight up, all by itself, and was shocked! It's so good! Now, keep in mind that they were refrigerated because I'd used all the honey from the jar and was worried about the garlic going bad with no honey to float in. Honey and garlic both are antiseptic and anti-many other things. That's why honey almost never goes bad and why "Cookie" always added plenty of garlic to the beans on the cattle drive--it kept the beans from going bad when they got re-heated over and over again throughout the long, hot day. So, back to the refrigerated garlic honey pickles. DELICIOUS! And the texture reminded me of crystallized fruit. Lip smacking good! Yeah, I can smell the garlic, but I don't taste it. It's more like some kind of honeyed candy. YUM!!!!!!!! I can't wait to make two more batches of this. One with just garlic and one with GINGER in it too!