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This Fermented Garlic Honey is an immune-boosting remedy that you’ll want on hand all cold and flu season long.
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Easy Fermented Honey in Garlic
If you have never tried garlic fermented honey, then you’re going to want to hang onto this recipe! It’s a simple, two-ingredient recipe that has some serious health benefits.
Fermented garlic honey has become a staple in our home, especially for the Fall/Winter. It’s easy to make, you only need honey and garlic (and a jar!), and acts as a secret immune-boosting weapon. Try it out! You’ll likely always have a jar on hand like we do for whenever a tickle hits!
On their own, both garlic and honey possess anti-bacterial, anti-viral, and immune-boosting properties. Together, they can fight any sickness you might feel coming on!
I highly recommend making a batch of this garlic fermented honey before cold and flu season. Especially since it takes about 2-4 weeks until it’s really ready to rock. It’s simple and it’s versatile!
P.S. It packs a serious flavor punch. Though I keep it in my pantry as a natural way to boost our immune systems, it also is a tasty way to add flavor to meats, cheeses, veggies, you name it.
Note: The flavor of the honey seeps into the garlic, leaving a slightly more mellow flavor.
Ingredients Needed:
- Honey: Use raw, unfiltered honey to take advantage of all those health benefits and to properly ferment the garlic. Pasteurized honey is heated which destroys the necessary properties for fermentation to happen!
- Garlic: I recommend organic garlic to keep this recipe as natural as possible. I also recommend crushing the garlic slightly 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 happen. The prep is super minimal!
- Combine honey and garlic: Add the garlic cloves to a clean/sterilized jar, then pour the honey over the top. Be sure that the honey completely covers the garlic.
- Cover and store: Cover the jar with a lid, then store in a cool, dark place.
- “Burp” it daily: Yes. It’s called burping. The garlic and honey ferment and gas builds up in the jar. To release this gas, all you have to do is open the lid once daily for the first month. You just open the jar and then close it. And yes, the smell is strong!
- Enjoy the health benefits: 1-2 spoonfuls as needed should do the trick!
How Long to Ferment Garlic 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 2 weeks.
Keep in mind that it will look different as the fermenting process goes on. The garlic cloves darken in color and their flavor becomes less potent, while the honey becomes runnier and slightly bubbly.
What To Expect:
The honey becomes runnier as it ferments and the garlic cloves will become a bit darker and slightly less potent. As you are burping it, you’ll notice the garlic smell is strong! So don’t totally panic, it will get less potent, but it’s still garlic, ya know?
The fermenting process is what creates the bubbles. Therefore, if you have none after several days, and no pressure in the jar, you may have added too much honey and not enough garlic. My first batch ever I did this — and yes, I still used the honey!
Note: If you use too much honey, what happens essentially is that the anti-microbial properties more or less ‘smother’ the garlic, rather than allow it to release its juices and begin the fermentation process.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! As long as the honey is kept in a cool dry place, the garlic stays below the surface of the honey, and no moisture gets inside the jar, then the fermented garlic honey will be safe to eat for up to a year.
Yes! Just make sure the honey fermented garlic stays submerged in the honey, otherwise it can spoil. Turn it upside down everyday for the first few weeks, for about 30-seconds.
No. The acidity in the honey kills the bacteria that can cause botulism, so the risk of botulism in this recipe is next to none.
If you are concerned, you can use a pH strip to test the honey. It should be under 4.6!
You may have used too much honey or not enough garlic. If you use too much honey, what happens essentially is that the anti-microbial properties more or less ‘smother’ the garlic, rather than allow it to release its juices and begin the fermentation process.
Make sure the honey is submerged to avoid any mold growth!
Yes! After about 2 weeks of letting the garlic and honey ferment, you’ll notice some bubbles forming in the honey and the texture becoming softer and runnier. This indicates that the fermentation process is starting!
Garlic and honey are dynamic duo containing immune-boosting, anti-bacterial, anti-viral, and anti-inflammatory properties. So, this means that the mixture is an especially great addition to your diet during cold and flu season.
I take a teaspoon or so whenever we feel something coming on!
Tips and Notes
- Use a 1:1 ratio. Make as much as you want, but stick to the recommended 1:1 ratio so that everything is well balanced. Too much honey can smother the garlic. See FAQ page.
- Peel and crush the garlic slightly. Crushing the garlic releases its flavor and speeds up the fermentation process so you can enjoy it sooner!
- Leave some space in the jar. Some batches of garlic honey foam up a little bit as they ferment. To prevent any overflow, I recommend leaving a little bit of space at the top of the jar.
- Storage. A pantry is perfect. You want it in a cool/dark place.
- Make sure the garlic is fully submerged. If the garlic pokes out of the honey at all, then you run the risk of it getting moldy. Make sure it’s fully covered!
- Be quick when “burping” the jar. Just a quick lid removal will do the trick. Too much exposure to oxygen can actually affect the fermentation process. But also, the smell is strong!
- FYI! This garlic honey is a fabulous good-for-you remedy, but it will have a strong smell when you burp it those first few weeks. Be warned!
How to Use Fermented Garlic Honey
As a natural remedy: If you want to quickly and easily reap the benefits of the honey or garlic, then you can enjoy a quick spoonful of the honey or a couple of garlic cloves on their own.
However, there are also plenty of other ways you can use either the honey or the garlic. The good news is, it lasts forever, so you don’t have to pick just one! Here are a few ideas for incorporating it into recipes:
Honey:
- Add to dressings. Give your next homemade honey mustard a flavor twist or try it in my homemade ginger dressing.
- Use as a glaze. Drizzle it over grilled chicken, air fryer salmon, roasted veggies, or use it in my honey glazed carrots recipe.
- Drizzle on bread. Enjoy it on homemade gluten free cornbread or use it as a dip for a chunk of your favorite crusty bread.
- Serve as a condiment. Drizzle over pepperoni pizza or avocado toast or serve with your favorite cheese and cracker combination.
Garlic:
- Soup. Use a clove of the garlic in any of your favorite soups such as French onion soup or curry butternut squash soup.
- Dip. Try it in your favorite hummus recipe or add it to other fun dips such as my healthy spinach and artichoke dip.
- Pasta. Use it in literally any of your favorite pasta recipes, including my mushroom ricotta pasta or my pizza burrata pasta.
How to Store
Store this honey fermented garlic in a cool, dark and dry place for up to 1 year. I keep mine in my dark pantry!
Remember to “burp it” for the first few weeks! You just open the jar and then close it. And yes, the smell is strong!
More Natural Cold Remedies!
First thing’s first, get some NEEDED rest/sleep!
Then, try any of these natural cold remedies to speed up your healing process!
Soups:
Other:
- DIY Hand Sanitizer
- Elderberry Syrup
- Bump up some vitamins: Vitamin C, Vitamin D+K2, and Zinc. Propolis throat spray is great, too.
- Decrease the amount of sugar you’re consuming.
- Diffuse essential oils or use an essential oil roller roller.
- A hot and steamy shower or a detox bath (add 1 cup epsom salts (1/2 cup kids)/safe essential oils).
Drinks:
- Bone Broth or Chicken Broth (Instant Pot or Slow Cooker)
- Herbal Tea with Manuka Honey, fresh ginger, and lemon.
- A LOT OF WATER!
- Kick That Cold Juice
- Electrolytes
- Hot water with lemon, raw honey, turmeric, apple cider vinegar, and a dash of cayenne.
Fermented Garlic Honey
Ingredients
- 1 cup honey raw, unfiltered/unprocessed
- Roughly 2 heads garlic organic, peeled and slightly pressed
Instructions
- Add the organic garlic cloves to a clean/sterilized jar, then pour the raw/unprocessed honey over the top. Be sure that the honey completely covers the garlic.
- Cover the jar with a tight-fitting lid, then store in a cool, dark place.
- Care for it: Daily, for the first few weeks, simply remove the lid from the jar briefly to release the buildup of gas. This processed is called "burping". You can also turn it upside down every other day to submerge the garlic. It is normal that the garlic cloves float to the top, so simple turn your jar upside down/rotate the jar to re-coat your garlic cloves every day or so.
- When it's ready: While you can use anytime, I like to wait 2-4 weeks, so you really reap the benefits and that the honey is fermented and garlic has slightly mellowed. You should notice results after about 1-2 weeks that the honey is runnier, bubbly, and garlic has began to darken.
Notes
- Use a 1:1 ratio. Make as much as you want, but stick to the recommended 1:1 ratio so that everything is well balanced. Too much honey can smother the garlic. See FAQ page.
- Peel and crush the garlic slightly. Crushing the garlic releases its flavor and speeds up the fermentation process so you can enjoy it sooner!
- Leave some space in the jar. Some batches of garlic honey foam up a little bit as they ferment. To prevent any overflow, I recommend leaving a little bit of space at the top of the jar.
- Storage. A pantry is perfect. You want it in a cool/dark place.
- Make sure the garlic is fully submerged. If the garlic pokes out of the honey at all, then you run the risk of it getting moldy. Make sure it’s fully covered!
- Be quick when “burping” the jar. Just a quick lid removal will do the trick. Too much exposure to oxygen can actually affect the fermentation process. But also, the smell is strong!
- FYI! This garlic honey is a fabulous good-for-you remedy, but it will have a strong smell when you burp it those first few weeks. Be warned!
