This fermented honey garlic is the perfect thing to make to boost your immune system! Both honey and garlic have strong medicinal benefits, so you’ll want to have this delicious home remedy on hand for cold and flu season.
Fermenting Garlic in Honey
I’m really excited to share this post with you! Fermented honey garlic is something I’ve been wanting to try for a very long time, ever since I first read about it on the Killer Pickles blog.
I usually reserve my honey for mead making, but using it for other ferments intrigued me. Don’t ask me why I haven’t done it until now, because it’s the easiest thing in the world!
This tasty fermented garlic in honey can be used for many things, as good food and good medicine. Honestly though, I like to just eat it as is!
Fermented Honey Garlic Recipe
Making fermented honey garlic is so easy, it hardly needs a recipe!
Prepare the Garlic
The hardest and most time consuming part is prepping all of the garlic. Whatever size jar you use, you’ll want to fill it about 1/2-3/4 full of peeled garlic.
The quickest and easiest way to prep garlic is to place the side of a chef’s knife on top of a single clove and then give it a firm whack with the palm of your hand.
Don’t do it too hard, as you don’t want to crush the garlic, but just enough to lightly bruise the it. This will make it easy to peel, and will also release a bit of the garlic juice.
Add the Honey
Once you have enough garlic in your jar, pour in some raw honey to cover it. The garlic will probably float a bit and that’s ok.
It’s important to use raw honey to make fermented garlic in honey, as it will still have all the bacteria and wild yeast that is necessary for fermentation.
When liquid is added to honey, it jump starts the fermentation process. The small amount of juice from the garlic will create just enough liquid for fermentation to happen.
Cover and Flip
Cover the jar loosely with a lid to let the gasses escape, and put it in a dark place to ferment.
It’s a good idea to put a plate or something similar underneath the jar as it’s fermenting, as it will likely bubble up a bit and a little honey could possibly drip out.
It’s also important to gently turn the jar over every day or so, or whenever you think about it, to make sure that all of the garlic stay coated with honey.
Screw the lid on tightly before you do this! Then return it to it’s upright position and re-loosen the lid.
In a few days to a week you will notice some bubbles forming on the surface of the honey. Hooray!
The honey garlic will ferment for about a month, but you can eat it at any time during the process.
The flavor will continue to develop over time, the garlic will mellow, and the honey will become much runnier.
Occasionally the garlic cloves turn a blue or green color due to a reaction during the fermentation process. While it may be a bit alarming, it is not harmful and the honey garlic can still be used.
Honey garlic will store well in a cool place for many months, or even a year or longer! I’ve kept some for over two years and it is still good.
Using Fermented Honey Garlic
Now, how do you use this fermented honey garlic? That’s a good question, and it can be used in a variety of ways.
Both garlic and honey have strong medicinal properties, so it makes sense to use it as an immune booster or if you feel a cold or flu coming on.
Pop a whole garlic clove, or take a spoonful of honey (or both!).
As you can probably imagine, honey garlic also makes a wonderful food!
It’s a natural in marinades and sauces, and would make a really tasty glaze for meats or veggies. Basically anything where you would normally use honey and garlic together!
Is Botulism a Concern in Honey Garlic?
I get this question a lot about fermented honey garlic! The short answer is no, botulism is really not a concern in this type of ferment.
While botulism can happen in garlic and oil preparations without added acidity, the fermentation process that happens here makes it very unlikely.
Raw honey is acidic, and while it can carry botulism spores (which is why it is not recommended for babies under 1 year), the level of acidity stops them from reproducing, which is what causes botulism.
If you are concerned about it, use a pH test strip. Botulism spores can’t reproduce with a pH of less than 4.6. Honey is usually around 3.9, but that can vary between brands.
If the pH is too high, add a splash of raw apple cider vinegar to add more acidity and retest. This is generally not needed, but I did want to mention it.
Honey garlic should not be given to babies under one year of age.
I really hope you make this yummy honeyed garlic! It’s super easy, and great to have on hand. I have a feeling it’s going to become a staple in our house!
Have you ever made fermented honey garlic? How do you use it?
More Fermented and Infused Honey Recipes
Enjoy these other recipes that showcase fermented and infused honey!
- Fermented Honey Cranberries
- Fermented Elderberry Honey
- Herbal Infused Honey
- Lilac Flower Infused Honey
Fermented Honey Garlic
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole garlic cloves peeled and slightly crushed
- 1 cup raw honey or more, as needed to cover garlic
Instructions
- Place the peeled garlic cloves into a wide-mouth pint sized mason jar. Add enough honey to completely cover the garlic cloves. Make sure they are coated with honey.
- Place the lid on the jar loosely, then tuck into a dark place.
- Every day or so, tighten the lid on the jar and flip it upside down to coat the garlic cloves with honey. Loosen the lid again when you return it to the upright position.
- Within a few days to a week, you should see small bubbles start to form on the surface of the honey.
- The honey garlic will ferment for about a month, but you can eat it at any time. The flavor will continue to develop over time, the garlic will mellow, and the honey will become much runnier.
- Store in a cool place for many months or even a year, if not longer.
Notes
- It’s important to use raw honey for this recipe, as it has all of the bacteria and wild yeast that is necessary for fermentation.
- The small amount of juice from the garlic will create just enough liquid for fermentation to happen.
- It’s a good idea to put a plate underneath the jar during fermentation, as it will likely bubble up and a little bit of honey could possibly drip out.
- Occasionally the garlic cloves turn a bluish or greenish color during the fermentation process. While it may be a bit alarming, it is not harmful and the honey garlic can still be used.
- If you are concerned about botulism, use a pH test strip. Botulism spores can't reproduce with a pH of less than 4.6. Honey is usually around 3.9, but that can vary between brands.
- If the pH is too high, add a splash of raw apple cider vinegar to add more acidity and retest. This is generally not needed, but I do want to mention it.
- Honey garlic should not be given to babies under one year of age.
Hello! I’m hoping for insight. I just filled my first jar, but unfortunately I accidentally dropped a couple of drops of tap water in when moving something I had recently washed. Does that render my jar unsafe to use? Would bad bacteria from the tap water thrive? I’d hate to toss all of the ingredients but am a bit wary. Thanks!
Hi Claudia. As long as it was only a few drops, it should be fine, but I would would watch it closely for any mold.
I made this and it really stinks! Is this going to make me stink after taking it? It is very strong. Is this normal?
Totally normal and it shouldn’t make you stink.
As I use this, can I continue adding garlic and honey as it gets low or should I start a whole new batch
It’s best to start a new batch each time to prevent cross contamination.
Oops! I didn’t crush my garlic before placing it in honey, will it still ferment?
It should!
Ok so I made this two days ago and didn’t know if I was supposed to store it in fridge or leave out. So the first night I left it out and the second night I put it in the fridge. I’m just seeing your recipe and noticed you said not to put it in fridge. Of course I’m taking it out now, lol, my question is…will it be ok?
Yup!
I have actually made this same mistake except mine has been in the fridge for about 5 months is it still ok? There is about 1 inch of solids and 2 cups of liquid above it…
It’s fine, although, you may need to give it a stir when it comes to room temperature. I would remove it from the fridge and store in a cool, dark place away from direct sunlight.
Started my Jar 8-14-23. I’ve burped it daily and smells like a mellow garlic scent. Thinking of giving some honey to my 2 year old. Very concerned about botulism or harmful bacteria. Is it ok to heat the honey to kill off bacteria and let it cool before giving this to her? Or will I simply be destroying the benefits of the detention process of I heat it?
Daniella. I would try it myself for a few days before giving to a child. If you’d like to give it to her and heat it first, that’s fine, but just remember that all the good bacteria that you cultivated during fermentation will be killed off in heating process.
Hello, is there a reason to not crush the garlic?
Nope. Go ahead!
Hi there! Is it safe to consume this while breastfeeding?
Yes, that should be safe!
My honey is unpasteurized and pretty firm, I warmed it up before pouring it over the garlic, is this okay to do?
Hi Cara. It depends on the temperature of the honey after you warmed it. Raw, unpasteurized honey shouldn’t be heated above 95℉.
Hello 👋
I was wondering if I could ferment honey, ginger , lemon and garlic all together?
Thank you for the recipe also.
Hi Eileen, Yes, all of those ingredients should work together well!
I’ve been *burping my jar everyday and it keeps bubbling over. I put garlic 3/4 way full and saturated it with honey. Does it mean I over filled it with to much garlic?
Hi Cheryl, it sounds like the jar could be too full or your honey is very active. I would take a spoonful of honey out of the jar and eat it to prevent further loss when it bubbles over.
Is raw honey the same as unpasteurized?
Raw honey is unfiltered honey, but either work in this recipe.
So This is a weird question but my place smells of garlic all day and night. Will that go away or lessen at some point?
Yes, it will when fermentation is complete and you close the jar.
Hi there. I am very excited to try this! My honey is pretty solid, I didn’t necessarily want to just melt it bc I hear the heat can destroy the healthy benefits of the honey. Any ideas.
Hi Christina. The best thing to do is place the honey jar in a bowl of warm, not hot, water and let it sit for as long as it takes to become liquid. As long as the temperature of the honey doesn’t exceed 95℉, the medicinal properties should be intact.
I made a quart jar of this. So far I’ve put it on top of dinner rolls, in the oven, used it in homemade bbq ssauce, stir fry, chili, pasta sauce and ate spoonfuls of the honey straight from the jar. I’d like to make another batch. But in a 1/2 gallon jar. Will I run into any problems going big?
You shouldn’t!
I tried this and every time I turned it over, the honey oozed out. I used 3 different types of jars. Will it be ok if I don’t turn it?
Hi Karol. Did you close the lid on the jar before turning it over?
Do you need a lid that isn’t metal?
You can use a metal lid, but I would keep a piece of parchment paper beneath it to prevent rust.
Do I have to sterilize my jar first or just make sure it’s a clean jar ?
Hi Linda. I like to wash the jar with soap and hot water.
I bought some garlic for this recipe and all of the garlic has sprouted. Can you use sprouted garlic?
By the way, I’m glad I came to this website! You have answered all the questions I had and had great tips I never would have thought of.
Thanks!
Hi Lisa, I would use fresh, young garlic. Sprouted garlic can be dried out and may not ferment.
Can I ferment this with jalapenos honey in the same jar?
Yup!
do I need to put a weight on the garlic and what about a airlock?
No, as long as you flip the garlic honey jar every day or so, it doesn’t need a weight or an airlock. Just keep the jar unsealed.
How often should I take a tblsp of the fermented honey/garlic?
You can eat it whenever you want, however many times as you want.
Hi! I made a batch and it was really fermenting, even popped the lid even though I was opening it daily, but then all of a sudden it stopped fermenting. No more bubbles, no more excess air when I pop the lid. Did something go wrong or this normal and expected? I heard the cloves will turn black eventually too, and that is good…do you know about this? Thanks!
This is totally normal. It just means it’s done fermenting. I would watch it over a few days to be sure and then close the lid and store in a cool, dark place. I’ve only seen the cloves turn dark after a year or longer, but never black. Black garlic is caused by the Maillard reaction, which only occurs with heat.
Question- If you want this for long term storage, when do you tighten the lid? Or do you?
After a least a month or until there are no more bubbles.
I was wondering if there are anything besides eating it raw that you can use it for? i’ve seen an option of using it with mustard to make honey mustard but i don’t really have a taste for mustard, in that regards is there anything you can suggest making with it perhaps? it has been going on for a week or two and it looks pretty fermented smelling funky as garlic does and the honey has become runny, so i assume it’s done anyway not to babble on for too long, i hope there is something you could possibly have in mind, if not, eating it as it is, is also an excellent idea
I just use it the same way as fresh garlic. Minced in various dishes.
Have you ever added anything additional such as ginger or turmeric? I was wondering if that would effect its shelf stability.
Hi Ken. I haven’t but you totally could.
What to do when honey gets low in the jar can you add more
I finish the jar before starting another one, that way there’s no chance of cross contamination.
I cut my garlic and half is that going to be a problem?
Nope!
I am growing elephant garlic this year. Can I use that in the same way?
Hi Shannon. Yes, you can totally do that!
Can this be stored in the refrigerator?
No. Honey is shelf stable and should be stored in a cool, dark place.
What if you live in the south w no ac and 90+ degree days.
Whatbdo you suggest?
You’ll just need to release the gases more frequently or wait for cooler weather.
Hello! I initially didn’t add enough honey, and added some more after it started smelling funky in a week. Now it’s been another week and the honey separated! The honey in the bottom doesn’t budge. Should I be concerned?
Hi Meg. I would give it all a stir and move it to a warmer location.