this Fermented garlic honey is an immunity-boosting medicine that you need throughout cold and flu season.
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Fermentable honey from garlic
If you’ve never tried garlic fermented honey, you’ll definitely want to save this recipe! This is a simple two-ingredient recipe with some serious health benefits.
Fermented garlic honey has become a staple in our house, especially during the fall and winter months. It’s easy to make, all you need is honey and garlic (and a jar!), and doubles as a secret immune-boosting weapon. Give it a try! You might be like us and always have a jar on hand for when you get an itch!
Both garlic and honey themselves have antibacterial, antiviral, and immune-boosting properties. Together they can fight any ailment you may be feeling!
I highly recommend making a batch of garlic fermented honey before cold and flu season. Especially since it takes about 2-4 weeks to really be ready to rock. It’s simple and so versatile!
PS it Has a rich flavor. While I keep it in the pantry as a natural way to boost my immune system, it’s also a delicious way to add flavor to meats, cheese, veggies, and more.
NOTE: The flavor of the honey soaks into the garlic, leaving a slightly mellow flavor.
Required ingredients:
- Honey: Use raw, unfiltered honey to take advantage of all these health benefits and properly ferment your garlic. Pasteurized honey is heated, which destroys the properties needed for fermentation to occur!
- garlic: I recommend organic garlic to keep this recipe as natural as possible. I also recommend slightly crushing the garlic to release its flavor and speed up the fermentation process.
How to Make Fermented Garlic Honey
The most time-consuming part of this recipe is waiting for the actual fermentation to occur. Preparation is very simple!
- Mix honey and garlic: Place the garlic cloves in a clean/sterilized jar and pour the honey over them. Make sure the honey completely covers the garlic.
- Cover and store: Cap the jar and store in a cool, dark place.
- “Hiccups every day: Yes. This is called hiccups. The garlic and honey ferment, and gas builds up in the jar. To release this gas, you only need to open the lid once a day for the first month. You just open the jar and close it. Yes, the smell is strong!
- Enjoy health benefits: Just 1-2 spoons as needed!
How long does garlic ferment in honey?
The fermentation process can take up to a month, but you can start using the garlic or honey from the jar after about two weeks.
Keep in mind that it will look different as the fermentation process progresses. The garlic cloves will become darker in color and lighter in flavor, while the honey will become thinner and slightly bubbly.
What to expect:
The honey will become thinner as it ferments, and the garlic cloves will become darker and slightly less potent. When you burp, you’ll notice a strong garlic smell! So don’t be totally alarmed, it’s going to be less potent, but it’s still garlic, you know?
The fermentation process is the process of creating bubbles. So if nothing happens after a few days and there is no pressure in the jar, you may have added too much honey and not enough garlic. My first time doing this – and yes, I still use honey!
NOTE: If you use too much honey, essentially what will happen is that the antibacterial properties will more or less “suffocate” the garlic instead of allowing it to release its juices and begin the fermentation process.
frequently asked questions
Yes! Fermented garlic honey is safe to consume for up to a year as long as the honey is kept in a cool, dry place, the garlic remains below the surface of the honey, and there is no moisture in the jar.
Yes! Just make sure the honey-fermented garlic is submerged in honey or it will go bad. Turn it upside down every day for about 30 seconds for the first few weeks.
Won’t. The acidity in honey kills the bacteria that cause botulism, so the risk of botulism in this recipe is almost zero.
If you’re concerned, you can use pH test strips to test the honey. It should be lower than 4.6!
You may be using too much honey or not enough garlic. If you use too much honey, essentially what happens is that the antibacterial properties more or less “suffocate” the garlic instead of allowing it to release its juices and begin the fermentation process.
Make sure the honey is submerged to avoid mold growth!
Yes! After letting the garlic and honey ferment for about two weeks, you’ll notice some bubbles forming in the honey and the texture becoming softer and moister. This means the fermentation process has begun!
Garlic and honey are a dynamic duo with immune-boosting, antibacterial, antiviral and anti-inflammatory properties. So that means this blend is an especially good addition to your diet during cold and flu season.
Whenever we sense something is wrong, I take a teaspoon or so!
Tips and Notes
- Use a 1:1 ratio. Make as much or as little as you want, but stick to the recommended 1:1 ratio so everything stays balanced. Too much honey will suffocate the garlic. Please see the FAQ page.
- Peel and lightly crush the garlic. Crush the garlic to release its flavor and speed up the fermentation process so you can enjoy it faster!
- Leave some space in the jar. Some batches of garlic honey will foam a little as they ferment. To prevent overflowing, I recommend leaving a little space at the top of the jar.
- Storage. A pantry would be perfect. You want to keep it in a cool/dark place.
- Make sure the garlic is completely submerged. If the garlic is sticking out of the honey, you run the risk of mold. Make sure it’s completely covered!
- Be quick when “burping” the jar. Just quickly remove the cover and the problem is solved. Excessive exposure to oxygen can actually affect the fermentation process. And, the smell is strong!
- for reference! This garlic honey is an excellent health remedy, but it can give off a strong smell during the first few weeks of hiccups. be warned!
How to use fermented garlic honey
As a natural remedy: If you want to reap the benefits of honey or garlic quickly and easily, then you can enjoy a spoonful of honey or a few cloves of garlic on their own.
However, there are many other ways to use honey or garlic. The good news is, it always works, so you don’t have to choose just one! Here are some ideas for incorporating it into recipes:
Honey:
garlic:
How to store
Store this honey fermented garlic in a cool, dark, and dry place for up to a year. I keep mine in a dark storage room!
Remember to “burp” in the first few weeks! You just open the jar and close it. Yes, the smell is strong!
More natural cold remedies!
First, some much needed rest/sleep!
Then, try any of these natural cold remedies to speed up your recovery process!
Soup:
other:
- DIY hand sanitizer
- Elderberry syrup
- Add some vitamins: vitamin C, vitamin D+K2 and zinc. Propolis throat spray is also great.
- Reduce sugar intake.
- Diffuse essential oils or use an essential oil roller.
- Hot and steamy shower or detox bath (add 1 cup Epsom salt (1/2 cup kid-safe)/safe essential oils).
drinks:
- bone broth or Chicken broth (instant pot or slow cooker)
- Herbal tea with manuka honey, fresh ginger and lemon.
- J!
- Kick off the cold juice
- electrolyte
- Hot water with lemon, raw honey, turmeric, apple cider vinegar and a dash of cayenne pepper.
- 1 cup Honey raw, unfiltered/unprocessed
- about 2 head garlic Organic, peeled and lightly pressed
Add the organic garlic cloves to a clean/sterilized jar and pour the raw/unprocessed honey over the top. Make sure the honey completely covers the garlic.
Cover the jar with a tight-fitting lid and store in a cool, dark place.
Care: For the first few weeks, open the lid of the jar briefly each day to release built-up gas. This process is called “burping.” You can also turn it over every other day to submerge the garlic. It’s normal for the garlic cloves to float to the top, so just invert/rotate the jar every day or so to recoat it.
When it’s ready: While you can use it anytime, I like to wait 2-4 weeks so you can really get the benefits and the honey has fermented and the garlic has matured a bit. After about 1-2 weeks, you should notice the results: the honey becomes more runny and bubbly, and the garlic begins to darken.
- Use a 1:1 ratio. Make as much or as little as you want, but stick to the recommended 1:1 ratio so everything stays balanced. Too much honey will suffocate the garlic. Please see the FAQ page.
- Peel and lightly crush the garlic. Crush the garlic to release its flavor and speed up the fermentation process so you can enjoy it faster!
- Leave some space in the jar. Some batches of garlic honey will foam a little as they ferment. To prevent overflowing, I recommend leaving a little space at the top of the jar.
- Storage. A pantry would be perfect. You want to keep it in a cool/dark place.
- Make sure the garlic is completely submerged. If the garlic is sticking out of the honey, you run the risk of mold. Make sure it’s completely covered!
- Be quick when “burping” the jar. Just quickly remove the cover and the problem is solved. Excessive exposure to oxygen can actually affect the fermentation process. And, the smell is strong!
- for reference! This garlic honey is an excellent health remedy, but it can give off a strong smell during the first few weeks of hiccups. be warned!
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