Making a batch of fermented honey garlic is one of the best things you can do to get ready for the upcoming cold and flu season. A little bit goes a long way in boosting your immune system!
Raw honey and garlic are well known for their immune-boosting properties and the best part is that you likely already have both on hand making this super easy to whip up.
Worried about botulism? I’ve got you covered! I thoroughly researched the topic and provide key tips to keep this risk at bay.
Since this is a fermented product that takes 1 month to be fully potent, it’s important to make it now rather than when you’re feeling sick. Let’s do this!
*Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links to products (including Amazon). I’ll earn a small commission if you make a purchase through my link, at no additional cost to you! Regardless, I only link to products that I personally use on our homestead or believe in.
Benefits of Fermented Honey Garlic
Both garlic and raw honey have been used in medicinal preparations for thousands of years. Garlic has been found in Egyptian pyramids and honey has been traced as far back as Stone Age paintings.
Garlic was even given to Olympic athletes in Greece to improve their performance – neat, huh? Both garlic and raw honey have a multitude of health benefits as you’ll see below.
Once you combine them into my fermented honey garlic concoction, you’ll be able to kick any illness!
- Garlic – Garlic has powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties while preventing cancer, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, lipid abnormalities, metabolic disorders, skin, bone, and other common diseases (Ansary, 2020).
- Raw honey – Contains potent flavonoids and phenolic acids that have anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, anti-cancer, and anti-diabetic effects. It also serves to protect the cardiovascular, respiratory, and digestive systems (Cianciosi, 2018).
Fermented Honey Garlic Recipe
You’re going to love how easy it is to make this fermented honey garlic recipe. The longest time is spent peeling all that garlic and waiting for that lovely fermentation to happen.
Ingredients
- Raw honey: Yes, it absolutely has to be raw! Processed honey has been treated with heat, which kills off the essential bacteria and wild yeasts that we need for the fermentation process. Most grocery stores carry raw honey, but if you can’t locate it, Bee Harmony produces one that is lovely and it is from orange blossom nectar, which has a low pH (less risk for botulism!).
- Whole garlic cloves: Any garlic will do as long as it is fresh, but homegrown is great if you have it!
The Homesteading RD's Product Picks | |
 | This RAW honey has been carefully selected from only the highest-quality American sources. Enjoy a classic, medium-colored honey with a subtly robust, full-bodied sweetness. Orange blossom honey has one of the lowest pH levels, making this the safest bet for fermenting. |
How to Make Fermented Honey Garlic
Step 1: Peel the garlic
The easiest way to peel garlic is to lay a chef’s knife over it (flat side down) and give it a firm wack with your hand. This will lightly break the tension in the garlic and let the skins slide off.
Crushing also releases some of garlic’s natural juices, which will aid in fermentation. Lastly, it converts alliin into allicin, which provides many of the health benefits of garlic. Cool, huh?
Don’t do it too hard, though! You don’t want to bust the garlic up into pieces. You want the cloves to remain whole, but slightly smashed and weeping. Peel enough to fill your desired jar ⅔ of the way up.
Step 2: Add the honey
This is the easy part! Pour in raw honey to cover all of the cloves and stir. As mentioned above, using raw honey is absolutely essential as it contains the bacteria and wild yeasts needed for fermentation to happen.
Honey itself is anti-microbial and the low moisture content keeps bacteria from growing, so how will this work? That’s where the garlic comes in. With our smashed cloves, it will weep out just enough liquid to kickstart that fermentation.
Step 3: Start fermenting!
Tuck the jar in a dark location (like your cupboard), but not too far out of sight that you forget about it. I like to keep it in my coffee or spice cupboard since I go in there daily.
This is one of the few ferments that we make without a fermentation weight! A fermentation weight would just get all sticky and gooey. Instead, give the mixture a stir (or flip the jar) every day or two to make sure that the cloves stay covered.
You’ll notice that the honey starts out thick (and hard to stir), but after just 24-48 hours it will thin out from the weeping garlic juices. It gets easier and easier to mix as time goes on.
Step 4: Give it a stir
Since this is a fermented product, it will release some gas as it ferments. It will need to be expelled, otherwise, your jar can explode. No thanks! There are a few options:
- Standard canning lid: Screw it on tight, but “burp” it every few days.
- Standard canning lid: Set it on loosely and leave it slightly ajar
- Fermentation lid: Screw it on and don’t worry about the gasses (however, don’t “flip” the jar to mix the contents if using this lid. The honey might clog the gas vent)
The Homesteading RD's Product Picks | |
 | This is a great starter pack! I love that it has a date dial on top so you can keep track of when your ferments should be complete. The included pounder is perfect for sauerkraut! |
I personally do option #3 – use a fermenting lid and just stir it every day or two with a new, clean spoon. You can lick it off afterward and enjoy a tasty treat! Yum!
Keep an eye on your fermented honey garlic and after a week or so, you should notice some little bubbles forming. Hooray! After 1 month, it should be complete.
While it won’t be fully potent until after 1 month of fermentation, you can certainly use it before then if the need arises. If I don’t have fermented honey garlic on hand, I’ll just chop up some raw garlic and honey together and take it as is, and I still notice some benefits!
Step 5: Storage
Fermented honey garlic is one of the few ferments out there that shouldn’t be stored in the refrigerator. Yes, that means that it will continue to ferment a slight bit some as the months go on, but that’s okay! Most of it will finish out within the first month.
Tuck it away in your cabinet or cupboard and it will be just fine in there. Coolish temps are great (55-65 degrees), but don’t be tempted to keep it in the fridge. Otherwise, it’ll crystalize and turn hard as a rock.
So, how long will it last at room temperature? I’ve found that 6 months is pretty average. Therefore, if you make it in the fall then you’ll be set through the spring when sunshine and warmer temperatures take over. Perfect!
How to Use Fermented Honey Garlic
The most common way to use fermented honey garlic is to pop a clove and a bit of honey in your mouth anytime you feel under the weather. You can chop up the clove into smaller pieces, too, if you prefer less at one time.
To really up your game for immune-boosting natural remedies, make a batch of Homemade Fire Cider, too! I like to alternate between these two anytime I’m feeling a cold coming on.
Fermented honey garlic can also be used as a wonderful culinary addition!
- Drizzle some of the honey on pizza
- Add some of the honey to homemade salad dressing
- Chop up the garlic and add it to sauces and marinades
- Add some of the honey to tea
- The options are endless!
Is Fermented Honey Garlic Safe?
The main concern circulating around the topic of fermented honey garlic is the potential for botulism. Honey can contain a bacteria called Clostridium botulinum, which is why it should not be given to infants less than 12 months old.
According to the CDC, garlic in oil is a high-risk food when it comes to botulism. So, is fermented honey garlic safe? If made properly, absolutely.
All about pH
For the spores to grow, the pH of the solution needs to be above 4.6 and the pH of honey is typically between 3.2-5.4. The pH of the honey depends on where the bees are collecting their nectar from:
- Lowest pH (3.5-3.9): acacia, orange blossom, rosemary, sunflower, thyme
- Highest pH (4.3-5.4): chestnut, dandelion, eucalyptus, honeydew, manuka
Therefore, I recommend using the right kind of raw honey to be safe. Garlic, on the other hand, has a pH between 5.3-6.3, which is still technically acidic, but it will raise the pH of the whole solution a bit compared to raw honey alone.
If you want to be absolutely sure that the pH stays below 4.6, you can test the pH of your fermented honey garlic solution using a litmus test. I like this specific test because the testing range is narrow (3.0-5.5), so you’ll get a more accurate reading than generic tests that detect anything from 0-12.
The Homesteading RD's Product Picks | |
 | This is the perfect set of pH strips for making fermented goods! Since it measures a smaller range, it's easier to get a more accurate reading. |
If you notice the pH approaching (or surpassing) 4.6, you can add a little splash of apple cider vinegar (I like raw, with the mother) to bring the pH back down.
The fermentation action here also provides an extra layer of protection, so using RAW honey is key! Lastly, I dug around and couldn’t find a single documented case of botulism from this home remedy. Whew!
The takeaway: Use raw honey from low pH nectar sources and you should be fine! You can also test the pH to be certain 🙂
Other Recipes You’ll Love:
- Homemade Fire Cider Recipe
- The BEST Kombucha Ratio for a Tasty Brew
- Fermented Eggs Recipe (EASY!)
- Fermented Turnips Recipe (Sauerruben)
Final Thoughts
I love having fermented honey garlic on hand as we enter this next round of cold and flu season. It’s amazing how powerful natural remedies can be if we learn how to lean into them and use them correctly. Enjoy!
Fermented Honey Garlic
Equipment
- 1 Knife
- 1 glass jar
- 1 Lid
Ingredients
- Garlic cloves whole, raw
- Raw honey
Instructions
- Peel the garlic by laying a chef's knife over each clove (flat side down) and give it a firm wack with your hand. This will lightly soften the garlic and let the skins slide off. It will also release some of its natural juices, which will aid in fermentation. Don’t do it too hard, though! You don’t want to bust the garlic up into pieces.
- Peel enough to fill your desired jar ⅔ of the way up.
- Pour in raw honey to cover all of the cloves, give it a stir and cover with a lid.
- Tuck the jar away in a dark location (like your cupboard), but not too far out of sight that you forget about it. I like to keep it in my coffee or spice cupboard since I go in there daily.
- Give the mixture a stir (or flip the jar) every day or two to make sure that the cloves stay covered. If you decide to just flip the jar, make sure to briefly open (or "burp") the lid to let the gasses from fermentation release.
- Keep an eye on your fermented honey garlic and after a week or so, you should notice some little bubbles forming. Hooray! After 1 month, it should be complete.
- Fermented honey garlic is one of the few ferments out there that shouldn’t be stored in the refrigerator. Store in your cabinet or cupboard instead. Coolish temps are great (55-65 degrees). This should last 6 months!
Notes
- Drizzle some of the honey on pizza
- Add some of the honey to homemade salad dressing
- Chop up the garlic and add it to sauces and marinades
- Add some of the honey to tea
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Great article and info. After I’ve mixed the garlic and the honey, and let it ferment, and then eat all the garlic, can I then re-use the honey and add more garlic to it? Any reason NOT to do that?
I would personally use fresh honey for a new batch, but don’t toss out the old honey! You can still use it for adding to tea, making cough drops, cooking, salad dressings, etc.
Should I be concerned if the honey went as high 5.3 PH I am added Apple cider vinegar?
Yes, I wouldn’t risk it. According to this article, the botulinum toxin can replicate in as short as 24 hours. (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1214666/)
Can I add more garlic over time or should I start a new jar with fresh honey ? Thanks!!
I would start a new jar with fresh honey
I hope you will see this! I did a jar of this a year ago and left it in a dark cupboard until now. I opened it and don’t get any negative body response when I smell it. The garlic isn’t totally submerged is my only concern but no mold or any looks of icky. Would you eat it?
I’d say it’s questionable, so it’s up to you! Sounds potentially fine based on what you’re saying?
Can I use a coffee filter and jar ring as a lid?
You can as long as you are just stirring the mixture (not shaking it).
Can you add ACV to the jar a couple days after assembling the garlic and honey together? Will the ACV kill any botulism bacteria that might have already begun to grow? Basically, is there ever a time that’s too late to add ACV? I’m a couple days in to my first try at this and just heard about the risk of botulism. Thank you in advance!
Adding the ACV won’t kill any botulinum toxin that may potentially be present, it simply creates an environment that the toxin can no longer replicate in. According to this study, it appears that the toxin can replicate in as short as 24 hours: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1214666/
I haven’t used this recipe but I have fermented garlic in honey before & we love it. My question is can you ferment garlic that was frozen?
Possibly, but fresh is best! I’d worry that the freezing might hinder some of the natural bacteria/yeasts
Hi! What if the garlic keeps staying a little bit above the honey?? The tops aren’t covered and I added more honey but it all sinks to the bottom. Do I just make sure to flip it upside down every day? My garlics keeping floating to the top no matter which way I flip it. :/
Yes, the garlic tends to float. Just make sure to stir the mixture or flip the jar daily and it should be okay!
When I opened my jar it foams up. Is this ok?
It should be a little bubbly, but I’m not sure about foaming up. Have you been testing the pH?
How long do I have to keep flipping the jar and burping it for?
30 days
In what way is a honey/garlic fermentation better than just adding garlic to your food and having a spoonful of raw honey if you have a sore throat?
How are we supposed to test the ph if the paper is orange and honey itself is orange? I tried testing my ph and the paper didn’t change colors at all?
If the color didn’t change, it probably means that it is either already acidic (pH of 3.0), or the honey is too thick (not enough water) to interact with the pH strip. If the latter is true, I would recommend letting the mixture ferment for a day or two and then test once the honey thins out.
Can the ph be too low?
To a point, yes. You definitely don’t want it nearing battery acid levels. You still want it to taste good and not be corrosive when you consume it.
Would 3 be considered too low? If so, how do I bring it up a little?
A pH of 3 is a little on the low side and might slow fermentation. The best thing I can think of to bring it up safely would be to add more garlic, which has a higher pH. Do you have room for a few more cloves?