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 wondering if you can ferment garlic in avacado oil, and how you would safely do it
Thanks
Mindie
Hi Mindie. No, unfortunately, garlic won’t ferment in oil.
Oh darn i didn’t buy organic garlic :( can i use it anyhow for this recipe?
Hi Tammy. You can still try it with conventional garlic. The worst case scenario is that you end up with infused honey, which isn’t a bad thing to have.
Can you just put a little apple cider vinegar in it anyway just to be safe without testing the pH? Also will it work if I want to make just half a jar? Just doing the same process?
Yes and yes! That’s what I do.
Hi thank you for the recipe! Can I use frozen garlic?
Yup!
I finished the garlic but now I have thin honey left. What can I do with it?
I would just use it on toast, drizzled over pizza, veggies, meat, etc.
Hi I forgot to burp and flip mine. I just opened it no bubbles seems ok, garlic is dark. Is it ok? Thank you
Yup, sounds okay! You don’t always get bubbles right away. I leave the lid on mine loose so that the built up gases escape on their own.
Do you have to sterilize the jars first? And how long does this keep? Thanks
I just wash them with soapy warm water. It keeps for a year or longer.
I think my comment got deleted somehow. I am three weeks in and I don’t ever recall seeing bubbles but the honey is very thin. All of the garlic is still at the top I used organic garlic and raw honey. I did add an onion about a week after I started as well. I know you said not to add in more honey, but I’m curious if I need to add in more onion and if that’s the reason it didn’t ferment because I didn’t do the ratio correctly. thoughts?
Hi Lauren. It’s really hard to say for sure, but sometimes store bought honey says it’s raw when it isn’t. I seek out a local brands that say if it’s filtered or now. Worse case scenario is that you end up with infused garlic, which isn’t a bad thing.
It’s been over a month. It bubbled the first few days but nothing after. I used raw honey and organic garlic. I followed the instructions. I tested the ph and it is at 6.5. Should i toss the whole batch and start over of i can add acv and continue?
I would add a splash of ACV and let it keep going.
I started this about 10 days ago. When I turn the jar over, some honey tends to drip out. Can I add more honey in at this time? TY
Hi Lisa. It’s not a good idea to add more honey, as it can cause cross contamination. Are you closing the jar before you flip it? Honey shouldn’t be leaking out.
I absentmindedly stuck mine in the fridge after putting together about 3 weeks ago- the garlic is at the top with bubbly liquid honey but the bottom of the jar has normal consistency honey. Can I put it in my dark pantry to finish it out?
It won’t ferment in the fridge. You’ll need to let it sit out in a cool, dark pantry and follow my instructions for fermenting the honey.
I have to go on a trip unexpectedly and I’m about a week into the process. I’ll be gone for about 2 weeks. Can I put this in the fridge or freezer and resume the fermentation process when I get back or will the cold ruin it?
It should be okay in the fridge until you get back, but I would keep the lid slightly loose just in case it bubbles over.
I made this 2 weeks ago but still haven’t seen any bubbles.
Did you use raw honey and organic garlic?
I used whole garlic that I bought in the store, peeled it and cut in to small pieces. Is that the kind I needed?
I used raw, unfiltered honey
Correct!
I used fresh garlic that I bought at the grocery store, peeled it and cut it up.
Can I use pre peeled garlic
Yes, as long as it’s organic it should work.
How many days do I need to burp the jar? At what point will I be able to just put lid on and leave it.
Until bubbles stop coming to the surface. At least a month.
Can this cause gas?
It didn’t for me, but everyone is different.
Can I use a pickle pipe and a fermentation weight instead of burping daily?
Yup!
I see you have a picture of a metal spoon with the mixture on it. I read that stainless steel kills the beneficial enzymes in the fermentation and wood or plastic is best. Have you read about this? Thanks!
I’ve never heard that.
I made this a few weeks ago but I did not know that it was supposed to be in a dark place. Mine was in my kitchen window. Do I need to throw it away or put it on the cabinet now?
No, it’s totally fine. Just move it out of the window.
My honey was crystallized when I put it in with the garlic, it seems to be working but just wanted to see if that’s ok? I’m going to get some ph strips to check before anyone eats any as well.
It’s probably fine, but the pH strips are a good idea.
I wasn’t paying close enough attention and used pasteurized honey. Will it still be effective? …or do I need to throw it out and start from scratch?
You’ll end up with an infused garlic honey instead. Please do not throw it out.
Hi how much can i consume daily?
I have fibromyalgia and i want to see if this will help also.
As much as you want. It’s food!
What is the dose for single use?
As much as you want. It’s food!
Hi! I’m on day 4 of your recipe and my garlic cloves are still floating to the top and are not fully submerged. I’m not sure if this is due to the size of the garlic cloves as they are bigger than normal. I’ve been flipping the jar a couple times a day to make sure they are still being covered, however they just keep staying afloat. I noticed today there is some spots developing that look like bruising. Is this considered mold? If so, should I start over and use smaller cloves/cut them in half? Will this help them sink?
Hi Maddy. The dark spots aren’t mold. It’s just the honey soaking into them. It’s totally normal and safe. The garlic will float to the top. It’s best to keep flipping daily to keep them covered or use a glass fermentation weight to keep them under the honey.
Aftermarket honey is about gone can I add more honey to the the cloves? If so do I need to let it fermint again?
Hi Lori. It’s best to finish off the garlic in the jar and start a new batch to prevent cross contamination.
Hi, does this need refrigeration? I never done this before and some say it has to be refrigerated? Thanks Tamara
No, it doesn’t Honey is shelf stable. The fermentation process preserves the garlic.
Hi, I was wondering if it’s only during the fermenting process that I have to leave it slightly open and (close it and) flip it frequently or if I have to do it for the entire time until I finish the jar? Many thanks
Yes, you’re correct, only until it stops fermenting (no more bubbles).
I made this on 9/8/23 I sealed the lid and turned it every couple days. The recipe I used never mentioned burping it. I finally opened it 2 weeks later and it bubbled and overflowed out of the jar! Is it still good? If so, how can I salvage it?
Hi Heather. It’s fine. Just use whatever honey is left in the jar.
I have a question. I found this recipe after I finished my process. I have also never done anything like this. My honey had crystallized so I melted it (with a double boil method) and without thinking I put the honey over the garlic while it was still warm. How will this affect the process? I put it in the fridge to cool first before I put it in my cabinet. Should I just start over?? Try to use it all now?
Hi Ava. As long as the honey wasn’t too hot, it should be fine to ferment it following my recipe.
Hi there! I made mine a couple of days ago. Do you keep it flipped the whole process? I flipped mine back upright after it was leaking a bit. Is that ok? Also it’s very pungent! When I burp it it’s like woahh!! Is that normal? Haha new to this! Thank you!
Hi Elly. No, I do not keep it flipped over. I simply flip it for a second to recoat the garlic.