Garlic confit poaches whole peeled cloves in a block of butter with a sprig of thyme at 140 °C for one hour — the butter barely bubbles, the cloves turn golden and mellow with none of the harsh roast, and the strained garlic-thyme butter is a second ingredient in its own right. Start with the jar-shake trick: the skins rub off against the glass by themselves. Makes one jar; about 8 servings.
Instructions
- 1
Break every head into cloves — the most boring job, done once.
- 2
Toss the cloves into a jar, screw the lid on tight and shake — the skins rub off against the glass by themselves; pick out the clean cloves.
- 3
Put a whole block of butter in a glass dish, pile the cloves on top and add the thyme sprig.
- 4
Bake at 140 °C / 275 °F — the butter melts and barely bubbles, and the cloves slowly poach instead of frying.
60:00 - 5
Strain, and keep that butter — it is full of garlic and thyme now. The cloves are golden, mellow and soft enough for a knife to flatten.
Watch the video
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the jar-shake peeling trick really work?
Yes — hard shaking knocks the cloves against the glass and each other until the papery skins rub off. It takes longer than the viral clips suggest (keep going, then keep going some more), but for a whole bag of garlic it beats peeling by hand.
Why poach the garlic at 140 °C instead of roasting it?
At 140 °C the butter barely bubbles, so the cloves cook gently in fat instead of browning hard. That is what makes confit garlic mellow, sweet and spreadably soft — roasting at higher heat trades that for toasty but harsher flavors.
How long does garlic confit keep?
Refrigerated, in a sealed jar with the cloves covered by the butter, use it within one to two weeks. Never store garlic in fat at room temperature — the anaerobic, low-acid environment is exactly where botulism risk lives. Chill it promptly and it is both safe and delicious.