Fermented Garlic & Honey

When you ferment anything, it makes the nutrients more available, and since both garlic and honey have been used for years for coughs and colds, this recipe is definitely worth a shot!

When crushed, chopped, or chewed, the aliin in garlic converts to allicin.  The process is completed in about 10 minutes.  Studies (1) have shown that allicin from garlic has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and cardioprotective properties.

Studies (2) have also shown honey to have antimicrobial and antibacterial properties.  When fermented together, honey and garlic are considered to be a powerful home remedy to support the immune system.

This recipe is simple and so, so good!

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photo credit:  Shutterstock

Fermented Garlic & Honey

Ingredients:

• 12 garlic cloves
• 1 cup raw honey

Instructions:

1. To make fermented garlic honey, you will need a clean (wide mouth preferred) 1-quart heatproof glass jar.
2. Prep the garlic cloves by peeling and leaving them whole, crushing lightly, or mincing.
3. Place the garlic in the jar and pour the honey on top. Stir to make sure all the garlic cloves are coated with honey.
4. Close the lid of the jar and let it sit in a dark, cool spot for 3 days.
5. After 3 days, remove the lid of the jar to let the gases out. You may see tiny bubbles at this stage.
6. Let the garlic/honey mixture sit for 5-7 more days, opening the lid every other day and stirring a bit.
7. The fermented garlic honey is ready to use and can be stored at room temperature for a month.

Notes:

If the honey solidifies, soften it by warming the jar in a saucepan of water over low heat.

Try fermented garlic & honey on grilled chicken or fish.  Or just eat plain!

(Adapted from a recipe by Raksha Hegde)

References

1. Manisha Deb Mandal, Shyamapada Mandal, Honey: it’s medicinal property and antibacterial activity  Asian Pac J Trop Biomed. 2011 Apr; 1(2): 154–160.doi: 10.1016/S2221-1691(11)60016-6, PMCID: PMC3609166;
   PMID: 23569748   https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3609166/
2. Trio, PZ,  et al., Chemopreventive functions and molecular mechanisms of garlic organosulfur compounds     Food Funct. 2014 May;5(5):833-44. doi: 10.1039/c3fo60479a.   PMID:  24664286  https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24664286/

Updated:  July 19, 2023