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How To Make Fermented Honey Garlic

Fermented Honey Garlic, a.k.a. “honey infused garlic,” is a simple 2-ingredient recipe that takes about two weeks to develop its mouth-watering flavors. However, letting it ferment a month or even a year will intensify the flavors to make a smooth, robust, immune-boosting remedy.

The honey fermented garlic cloves can be used as salad dressings, glazed on grilled meats, blended in marinades or dips, topped on stir-fries, or had directly to heal the body.

It tastes good after a month of fermentation. Yet, give it three months to reach the ultimate deliciousness.

Why Do You Want to Eat Fermented Honey Garlic?

Fermented honey garlic is yummy, can be used in various ways, and comes with incredible health benefits.

A honey-soaked garlic clove can prove an effective & quick remedy to seasonal cold, flu, and sore throat. It helps increase the body’s immunity and contains anti-fungal, anti-viral, anti-bacterial, and anti-inflammatory properties.

Furthermore, it improves brain function, keeps diseases like Alzheimer’s & dementia at bay, and is excellent for soothing toothaches & arthritis. It also assists in maintaining heart health by maintaining cholesterol & blood pressure levels in check and safeguards against blood thinning. (source)

Organic good-quality honey aids in treating skin infections, breathing troubles, and diarrhea too.

Is There a Risk of Botulism with Fermented Garlic Honey?

Fermented honey garlic is entirely safe to consume. There are minimal to no risks of botulism.

Botulism usually occurs when garlic or any other veggies are stored in oil without any acidic ingredient.

To soothe your botulism worries, test the pH (acidic) level of your fermented garlic honey using a pH tester or strip. If the test reads less than 4.6 pH, then it is entirely safe to eat as botulism spores cannot survive/reproduce in a low pH environment.

That said, if by chance, the pH level reads higher than 4.6, then you can add some acidity by mixing a little apple cider vinegar.

How Does Honey Ferment?

Honey, especially the raw variety, contains wild yeast and bacteria that are essential for fermentation. Yet, the honey added should be just enough to coat the garlic, not too much, nor too little.

The reason being that the juices/moisture released by the garlic cloves have to reach about 18-20% for the fermentation to start.

After about 5-7 days, tiny bubble formation will be visible on the surface, signifying that the fermentation process has begun.

Burp the jar once a day to release the carbon dioxide built-up throughout the process.

To catch the drips and keeps ants away from the jar, place the jar on a small plate.

Fermented Honey Garlic Recipe

Ingredients

1 cup | 150 grams whole garlic cloves
1 cup | 300-350 grams raw honey

Instructions

1. Gently crush and peel the garlic cloves one by one. Then, transfer them to a small glass jar (about 16 oz. size) with a well-fitted lid.

2. Pour the raw honey into the jar until it covers all the garlic cloves. Ensure that there are 1-2 inches of headspace in the jar.

3. Some garlic cloves may float to the surface; lightly press them down to soak in the honey and close the lid loosely. If you are using a regular lid, be sure to burp the jar every few days and push the garlic down.

4. Using a Pickle Pipe from Masontops with glass weights will help keep the garlic submerged.

5. Store at room temperature to ferment for 1-3 months before consuming.

Tips: For additional aroma and flavor, you may add some thyme. Those who enjoy a hint of spicy, smoky taste can use smoked paprika or cayenne pepper in this delicious fermented honey garlic recipe.

How to Store Fermented Garlic Honey?

The fermented honey garlic is best stored at room temperature in a dimly lit or dark kitchen corner for several months and more than a year. The garlic softens during the fermentation, and its sharp flavor mellows down and absorbs the blossoming bold sweetness of golden honey.

Important Steps to Making Fermented Honey Garlic

The day you prepare it, re-coat the garlic cloves with the honey by flipping the jar multiple times throughout the day. Re-coating should be repeated every day (at least once) for a few weeks. Skipping this step can lead to mold formation and make it inedible.

Fermented Honey Garlic FAQ

Can you add more garlic to a jar of fermented honey garlic?

No, you should not keep adding to the jar of fermented honey garlic. The best thing to do is start a new batch with fresh ingredients.

During the fermentation process, the sugar in the honey is consumed and slows down, making it unable to ferment more garlic safely.

It will consume enough sugar not to be reused/repurposed for another batch without another sugar infusion.

How Long To Ferment Honey Garlic?

Let the honey garlic ferment for about a month. But, the longer you can wait the more amazing it will taste. Honey garlic can ferment for several years at a time, it will darken and taste out of this world.

I suggest fermenting several jars at a time so you can try them at one month, three months, and then a year + to experience the different flavor profiles.

Is it safe for people who have diabetes to eat fermented honey garlic?

The fermenting process does not break down ALL the fructose glucose in the honey.

Although most of the fructose glucose will be consumed during fermentation, there is still plenty of sugar left that would affect blood sugar levels.

If you have diabetes, I suggest using the fermented honey garlic in moderation, like with anything when dealing with diabetes.

What if my raw honey is solid, can I melt it?

Yes, as long as it stays below 40 C / 104 F then you won’t accidentally kill the probiotics.

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