In a saucepan, cover garlic with enough oil to fully submerge it. Set over medium heat and bring to a bare simmer. Lower heat to maintain the barest simmer, so that you see some tiny bubbles on the garlic, but it's not actively frying in the oil. Cook, adjusting heat as necessary to maintain this minimal level of cooking activity, until the garlic is buttery soft and tan in color, 1 to 3 hours . Transfer garlic confit and the cooking oil to a clean heatproof container, cover with plastic, and refrigerate immediately. Refrigerated in its oil, the garlic confit can be kept for up to 2 weeks.
