Fermented Garlic Honey
‘Tis the season to make fermented garlic honey! Not only is it absolutely delicious (yes seriously, it’s so yummy!), it has a wide array of health benefits and is great to have on hand for the winter months. Some people will take a spoonful of it daily, others use it only during times of illness. Others still use it for culinary purposes! There’s no one right way to use or prepare garlic honey!
Because of its antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and immune stimulant qualities, it is super supportive for illness, especially upper respiratory infections. It’s also an expectorant, making it helpful to thin and move mucus. The raw honey comes along with its own health benefits too.! Fermented garlic honey not only eases symptoms, it can also shorten the length of an illness. Garlic honey can also help soothe an upset stomach and promote healthy digestion. Did I also mention it tastes good?!
This herbal honey recipe works perfectly with store-bought fresh garlic bulbs, but I use my homegrown bulbs right from the garden. I know they’re fresh and I know the soil is 100% organic and unsprayed. They’re also super cheap to grow – I use garlic cloves from the previous year’s harvest as seeds, so I keep myself stocked with an unending supply. If you have any garden space, I highly suggest growing garlic! It’s planted in the fall and you basically forget about it again until it’s time to harvest mid-summer. So tasty and so satisfying!
Garlic honey is super forgiving, making it an awesome first herbal preparation if you are new to using herbs. As with a lot of the herbal preparations I make, I prefer the folk method for simplicity’s sake. Using herbs shouldn’t be complicated so I prefer eyeballing measurements instead of actually measuring whenever possible. The only “measurement” I have for this particular recipe is that the raw honey content be at least slightly higher than the amount of garlic – this should keep the pH low enough to avoid botulism. The naturally acidic nature of honey stops harmful pathogens from growing (botulism needs a pH higher than 4.6 and raw honey has an average pH of 3.9) but you can test the pH with strips to be sure. If it is inching upward, you can add a splash of Apple Cider Vinegar to bring the pH back down to a more acidic level.
Fermented Garlic Honey
Ingredients
- Fresh bulbs of garlic
- Raw honey
Instructions
- Open the garlic bulbs and separate the cloves.
- Peel all of the individual cloves.
- Loosely chop the cloves to release the allicin to unlock the health-building benefits and delicious flavor. I have mistakenly made honey garlic without chopping the garlic in the past, and I don't recommend it. Not only is it quite difficult to eat later (I'm not trying to eat a whole clove of garlic at once!), it doesn't release all of the health benefits of the allicin.
- Fill a glass jar a little less than half full with cloves. I've used pint and quart jars. Either works depending on how much honey garlic you want to have in your wellness toolbox!
- Cover the chopped garlic with raw honey, filling the jar almost to the top (leave a bit of room for stirring).
- Stir the mixture, making sure to release air bubbles.
- Cover with a plastic top (I like these leak-proof tops) and label with the date and "Garlic Honey."
- Sit to store in a cool, dark place like a pantry.
- During the first few weeks, stir the honey or flip the jar over every few days to re-coat the garlic that has moved to the top (place the jar on a plate just in case any of the honey seeps out - using leak-proof tops will help this). Keep the top loosely screwed to allow air to circulate.
- As the garlic honey ferments, you will see bubbles form at the top. That's the fermentation and expected. The honey will also get runnier and darker with time - that's normal as the moisture from the garlic mixes with the honey.
- The honey garlic can be used immediately but it isn't fully fermented until about four weeks. After that point, give it a little shake or stir every now and then.
- Store in a cool, dark pantry and enjoy!
If you prefer a downloadable version, here is a PDF:
How to Use Garlic Honey
Dosing: Take one teaspoon to one tablespoon (or unmeasured spoonful) a day as a tonic for overall wellness and immune benefits, or take four-six times per day during an acute infection.
Culinary: Garlic honey can also be used for culinary purposes! Feel free to include it in marinades, salad dressings, or dips. Drizzle it over toast, crackers, or basically anything. Have I mentioned how delicious it is?!
Shelf Life
There is debate about the shelf life of garlic honey. If you want to play it super duper, extremely safe, plan for a shelf life of six months. But truly, when garlic honey is stored in a cool, dark place, it likely lasts much, much longer. I won’t say it lasts indefinitely, but I know people who have used their garlic honey years after it was first prepared and lived to tell the tale. As long as it isn’t moldy, it’s good as far as I’m personally concerned. The honey does thin and darken over time, so don’t be alarmed if you see that happening.
Cautions
People who have GI sensitivities or ulcers should avoid garlic because it may aggravate symptoms. Heavy amounts of garlic may also thin the blood, so those who are on blood thinners should proceed cautiously. Culinary amounts of garlic are ok for pregnant or nursing mamas, but honey should be avoided for babies under one year old.
References
Herbal Academy. (2019, September 21). DIY garlic honey for cold & flu season preparation. https://theherbalacademy.com/blog/diy-garlic-honey/
National Honey Board. (n.d.). pH and acids in honeys. Retrieved from https://www.bjcp.org/mead/ph_acid.pdf
