How to make Honey Fermented Garlic

Learn how to make this All Natural, Immune Boosting Honey Fermented Garlic that stops viruses before they get a chance to take root in your body. This probiotic rich, antiviral, antibacterial remedy is a must during the winter onslaught of viruses that try to plague our homes.

With fall well upon us my mind has turned to ways to boost my families immune system to prevent them from getting sick. I have several easy immune boosting remedies that help us ward off the ever persistent colds that like to hang around all winter, and fight against the flu before it ever hits our home. In the past we have had colds that seem to begin in November and not leave our home until May! So, this year one of the remedies that I am keeping on hand is Fermented Honey Garlic.

Preparing your Garlic

The biggest and most time consuming part of this project is peeling all of that garlic. I tried 3 recommended methods. All three methods worked to one degree or another. I shook the cloves in a jar. Then I shook the cloves in a jar with a bit of water. And lastly, I used a silicone garlic tube, similar to this one on Amazon. The water method made it difficult to peel the cloves after I took them out of the jar. The silicone tube worked the best and I got my kids involved to help with the task. Since I buy garlic in bulk, I had plenty on hand for the recipe.

Once you have peeled the garlic, load your mason jars about half way full with your cloves. You don’t want to overfill your jars. Some people crush their cloves before filling their jars. This allows the honey to penetrate the garlic faster. I did not do this but I may try crushing them next time.

The type of Honey Matters…

My grandfather and uncle were both beekeepers and my grandfather kept a few hives at our house and stored his honey in our basement growing up. Raw local honey can help heal seasonal allergies, is healing to sore throats, and can shorten colds. It is also antiseptic, antibacterial, and can help calm the flu by soothing inflammation in the stomach. Who wouldn’t want a spoonful of honey with a sore throat, or in a hot cup of tea. Raw local honey should be a staple in every homes natural remedies cabinet. I really can’t say enough about buying raw honey from a local beekeeper. I had two jars on hand to show my kids the difference in taste between clover and wildflower honey.

Adding Honey

Next you cover the garlic cloves with raw honey, filling your jar up to three quarters of the way full. The ph of honey ranges between 3.5 and 5.5, depending on several factors. It is considered acidic so botulism shouldn’t be able to grow. However, if you are still worried you can add a tablespoon of Apple Cider Vinegar and mix it in at this point. Apple Cider Vinegar lowers the ph even further.

Don’t over fill the Jars

Be very careful not to over fill your jars. I did this at first and after a few days had to start a second jar. Fermentation produces gas, which causes the honey to bubble. If you overfill your jars you can end up with the honey over flowing onto your counters.

While you wait

In the beginning, once or twice a day, you need to mix the garlic so as to coat the cloves with the honey to prevent mold and keep the garlic on top in the fermentation. You will also need to burp your jars. Burping your jars simply means opening the lid to let the gasses out.

After a month, your garlic and honey will be ready for you to eat.

Some say they have kept their fermented Garlic in Honey for years. I don’t anticipate it lasting that long, or even through the winter, but it’s reassuring to know I won’t be racing the clock to use it in time. We use garlic in almost everything.

Powerful Healing qualities

Before I learned about this method, we would smother chopped garlic with honey and swallow it. Garlic is a powerful antibacterial and antiviral. It is so potent that its capable of clearing up the beginning of a cold before it ever takes root in your body.

Honey coats and soothes your throat and is also antibacterial in nature.

Fermenting the garlic adds the powerful benefit of immune boosting probiotics that enrich your gut flora. Since probiotics are heat sensitive, the garlic should be eaten raw to get the most benefit from the fermentation. However, since I used all of my garlic, I will use these in cooked dishes as well.

I imagine the uses for this ferment are going to be endless. The first, and the one my family will likely do the most is just taking the garlic cloves raw. Stay tuned for more ideas and recipes that use this Fermented Garlic in Honey recipe. Im already imagining it in raw salad dressings, drizzled over pork chops, or spread on toast in the mornings.

What you will need

• Wide Mouth Mason Jars-I prefer Wide mouth mason jars for this since I will be getting into this jar regularly and will want to get every last drop of probiotic power honey from the bottom.
• Silicone Garlic Peeling Tube– a friend of mine gave me one of these and it makes a big difference
• 6 Bulbs of Garlic – make sure to purchase a good organic garlic. You don’t want pesticides in your all-natural health remedy bogging down your immune system.
• Raw Local Honey- Bees are amazing little creatures that can help you fight against your native allergens so its important to buy locally. The big box store honey, that is shipped from around the country, just won’t give you the same benefits.
• Wooden Dough Scraper – this wooden dough scraper is the perfect tool for safely smashing your garlic cloves. I used to use the side of my butcher knife but I’ve had too many close calls. Since I had this on hand, i switched. You can also use it to load your garlic. Its a handy tool to have in the kitchen for food prep.
• Organic Raw Apple Cider Vinegar (Optional) High quality raw apple cider vinegar raises the ph but can also help jump start the fermentation process.

Blessings on you and I hope you find this to be helpful in keeping you and your family healthy and well.