Easy Fermented Garlic Honey Recipe + Benefits and Uses
Fermented garlic honey is a fantastic herbal remedy to have on hand, especially during the cold and flu season! Come learn how to make delicious fermented garlic honey in this simple step-by-step guide. It’s a great way to preserve garlic and incredibly easy to make – the perfect project for beginners or experienced fermenters alike. This article will also explore the stellar health benefits of honey fermented garlic, highlight many different ways to use it, and address concerns about botulism.
RELATED: Wanna make it homegrown? Learn how to grow garlic in this guide, and get essential tips on when and how to harvest garlic (plus curing and storage best practices). Or try our similar easy hot pepper honey recipe!
What is fermented garlic honey?
Fermented garlic honey is a simple natural health remedy commonly used to support the immune system, cardiovascular system, and digestive health as well as alleviate cold and flu symptoms such as coughs or sore throats. It is made by infusing cloves of raw garlic in honey, allowing them to ferment together over time.
Unlike many other fermented concoctions, this honey fermented garlic recipe doesn’t require a starter culture or brine. The honey itself has acidic antimicrobial and prebiotic properties that safely ferment the garlic, limiting the growth of harmful pathogens while encouraging gut-healthy probiotics to form.
If you’re looking for other ways to support your immune system, don’t miss our elderberry syrup recipe, fire cider recipe, homemade cough drops recipe, or homemade elderberry gummies!
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What are the benefits of fermented garlic in honey?
On their own, honey and garlic each offer incredible health and nutritional benefits. Combined, fermented honey garlic is a true medicinal powerhouse – much like homemade fire cider! Not to mention the added benefits of fermentation. Hellooo probiotics.
The health benefits of honey fermented garlic include:
- Garlic contains allicin, a potent immune-stimulating sulfur compound that’s activated when garlic is crushed or fermented. Studies show that allicin helps to increase circulation and white blood cell counts, and boasts anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-protozoal AND anti-viral properties! Meaning, fermented garlic honey can help your body better prevent or fight off a wide variety of infections, colds, and flu bugs.
- Garlic and honey both contain impressive levels of antioxidants that help reduce inflammation, oxidative stress, cancer, and other chronic health conditions. Garlic can also improve blood pressure and cholesterol levels, simultaneously reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease and events.
- Thick and sweet, honey is excellent at soothing sore throats and naturally suppressing coughs. Like garlic, honey is also highly antimicrobial. Honey can help ward off internal pathogens when ingested, and can even be used topically to heal wounds too!
- Rich in both prebiotics and probiotics, fermented honey garlic can help soothe an upset stomach, improve digestion and overall gastrointestinal health. Both garlic and honey contain natural prebiotics that work to balance your gut’s microbiome. Fermented together, those prebiotics also interact with the wild yeasts and beneficial bacteria found on garlic to form gut-friendly probiotics too.
Supplies Needed
- A mason jar or other container with a lid
- Fresh raw garlic cloves or green garlic (enough to fill your container at least halfway)
- Raw honey (enough to fill your container). We love to use raw local honey when possible!
- Optional: To give your fermented honey an extra special kick, feel free to add a small handful of fresh thyme, sage leaves, and/or slices of fresh ginger or jalapenos to the jar as well!
To make a pint-size batch of fermented garlic honey, you’ll need approximately 4 large bulbs (heads) of garlic and about 1.25 to 1.5 cups (300 – 350 mLs) of honey.
How to Make Fermented Garlic Honey
- Begin by peeling the cloves of raw garlic.
- Next, add the peeled cloves of garlic to a clean jar or other glass container with a lid. Add enough garlic to fill the jar at least one-half to two-thirds full.
- Pour the honey over the garlic until it’s completely full.* It usually takes a few minutes for the honey to seep and settle between all the cloves of garlic, which will then start to float. Top off the jar with more honey as needed after settling.
*Tip: If your honey is cold and difficult to pour, warm it up first by placing the jar of honey in a bowl of hot water. Avoid heating the honey directly however, as that can destroy some of the medicinal compounds and health benefits of the honey.
Instructions continued
- Loosely add a lid, but don’t tighten it completely. It’s important that fermentation gasses can escape from the jar.
- Set the jar of garlic honey in a cool dark location to ferment, such as a cupboard or pantry. I recommend setting the jar on a plate since it’s possible it may overflow and can be very sticky.
- During the first week of fermentation, either stir or gently turn/shake the jar every day (but be sure to tighten the lid first, and then re-loosen it after!) I usually tighten the lid, flip the jar upside down for a few minutes, turn it back right-side up, and then loosen the lid again. This helps to prevent mold by rotating and coating the garlic cloves that are floating on top.
- Within a few days, you’ll likely see bubbles forming within the jar, though it’s okay if you don’t. The honey will also start to become increasingly runny over time – that’s normal! As the honey draws moisture out of the garlic, the cloves get smaller and slightly crispy over time too.
- It takes about a month for the garlic honey to fully ferment, though you can get into the jar to enjoy it sooner too.
How to take or use fermented garlic honey
Take 1 tablespoon (15 mL) of fermented honey or eat 1 full clove of garlic when you feel a sickness coming on, up to 3 times daily. It can also be consumed daily for general health and prevention, even when you’re feeling fine!
Fermented garlic honey is considered safe for children ages 2 years and older.
Ways to use fermented garlic honey
- Take a spoonful straight from the jar to support your immune system, digestion, or general health (as described above)
- Use it in homemade salad dressings or marinades.
- Drizzle it over savory snacks like crackers and cheese, goat cheese stuffed dates, herb and cheese puffed pastries, or even over pizza!
- Spread it over toast, sourdough focaccia, English muffins, sourdough cornbread or other bread.
- Add a drizzle of honey or garlic clove to soup, pasta, rice, potato salad, or egg dishes.
- Use it in garlicky dips like hummus, tzatziki, homemade veggie dip or ranch dressing, or this dill lemon yogurt sauce.
- Drizzle it over roasted or sauteed vegetables.
No matter what you do, it’s best to use fermented garlic honey raw as a finishing touch or topping when possible. Avoid heating it in order to preserve the maximum healing potential.
How long does fermented garlic honey last or stay good for?
Honey fermented garlic is shelf-stable and lasts for many, many years. Stored in a cool dark location (like a pantry or cupboard), it lasts almost indefinitely… until you use it all up! As long as no mold occurs, it’s likely still good.
Note that it’s normal for the honey and garlic to darken over time. The garlic cloves may turn slightly green or blue, or even almost black after a few years.
RELATED: Don’t miss our guide on how to preserve garlic including how to freeze, dry, pickle, and more!
Should I worry about botulism in honey fermented garlic?
No, I wouldn’t – and I’m a retired health inspector! Botulism is a common concern when it comes to preserving garlic (such as garlic in oil) but not so much with fermented honey garlic.
First of all, honey is naturally acidic. With an average pH of 3.2 to 4.5, the acidic nature of honey will prevent the growth of bacteria, mold, or other harmful pathogens – including botulism. Botulism cannot grow below a pH of 4.6.
Second, though it’s often fretted over, botulism is pretty darn rare! In fact, the CDC reports that from 1996 to 2004, there were only 145 cases of botulism in the United States from home-prepared foods. 43 of those cases were linked to preserved vegetables – mostly involved with improper canning of high pH foods (not what we are doing here).
Honey pH variations and botulism
The pH of honey can vary slightly depending on the source of pollen. For instance, orange blossom, rosemary, lavender, acacia, rhododendron, thyme and sunflower honey consistently have an average pH of 3.5 to 3.9, while eucalyptus, dandelion, heather, honeydew, chestnut and manuka honey can range up to 4.5 in some cases. Therefore if you’re concerned about botulism, you could choose a lower pH honey in this fermented garlic honey recipe.
It’s also easy (and inexpensive) to test the pH of your finished fermented honey at home using a basic litmus paper test strip. If the pH is bordering close to 4.6 (or you just want to play it safe) simply add a little splash of raw apple cider vinegar to the honey mixture to lower the pH a tad.
Again, I wouldn’t worry too much about it! I just wanted to address this common question.
And that’s how it’s done.
I hope you enjoyed this lesson, and are excited to make some garlic honey of your own! Please let us know if you have any questions in the comments below, and leave a review or share this post if you found it useful. Cheers to strong a immune system and good health!
You may also like:
- Fire Cider Recipe: How to Make Fire Cider for Immune Health
- How to Make Homemade Elderberry Syrup (Immune Health & Allergy Relief)
- Fermented Pickles Recipe: How to Make Crunchy Brined Cucumber Pickles
- Easy Stuffed Dates with Goat Cheese, Nuts, Honey and Thyme
- How to Make Medicinal Herb Infused Oil: Two Ways
- 7 Awesome Fire Cider Benefits, According to a Nutritionist
Easy Fermented Honey Garlic
Equipment
- 1 pint jar and lid (or similiar)
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups raw honey
- 3-4 large bulbs (heads) of raw garlic, separated into cloves and peeled
Instructions
- Begin by peeling the cloves of raw garlic.
- Add the peeled cloves of garlic to a clean jar or other glass container with a lid. Add enough garlic to fill the jar at least one-half to two-thirds full.
- Pour the honey over the garlic until it’s completely full.* It usually takes a few minutes for the honey to seep and settle between all the cloves of garlic, which will then start to float. Top off the jar with more honey as needed after settling.
- Loosely add a lid on top, but don’t tighten it completely. It’s important that fermentation gasses can escape from the jar.
- Set the jar of garlic honey in a cool dark location to ferment, such as a cupboard or pantry. I recommend setting the jar on a plate since it’s possible it may overflow and can be very sticky.
- During the first week of fermentation, either stir or gently turn/shake the jar every day (but be sure to tighten the lid first, and then re-loosen it after!) This helps to prevent mold by rotating and coating the garlic cloves that are floating on top.
- Within a few days, you’ll likely see bubbles forming within the jar, though it’s okay if you don’t. The honey will also start to become increasingly runny over time – that’s normal!
- It takes about a month for the garlic honey to fully ferment, though you can get into the jar to enjoy it sooner too.
- To use: take 1 tablespoon (15 mL) of fermented honey or eat 1 full clove of garlic when you feel a sickness coming on, up to 3 times daily. It can also be consumed daily for general health and prevention, even when you’re feeling fine! You can also drizzle it over breads, salads, cheesy and savory snacks, and more.
- Store in a cool dark location. Fermented honey garlic will stay good for many, many years. It is normal for it to darken in color over time. The cloves of garlic may also turn slightly blue to green.
Notes
76 Comments
Savana
Your recipe made this so easy, and definitely eased my worries about the botulism aspect of this process. I’ve watched a lot of videos online to make sure I am doing this correctly, and this is what I decided to follow. I just finished up my first batch, so I am curious. Your instructions say to stir/mix it for the first week…do we need to continue burping it daily for the entire 30 days? Or, is it just that first week it needs to be done? Thanks!
Aaron (Mr. DeannaCat)
Hi Savana, we typically only worry about stirring or turning the jar upside down to coat the garlic with honey during the first week to prevent mold and that is typically when you will see the most fermentation. After the first week, we still keep the lid on loosely on top of the jar so gasses can still escape but you don’t need to worry about stirring or rotating the jar as much. After about 30 days or so, there is less worry about gasses building up as most of the activity has already taken place. Hope that helps and good luck!
Savana
Thanks Aaron! Today marks 7 days, so I will leave it alone for the rest of the time! I cannot wait to try it after the initial 30 days is up, especially with cold and flu season ramping up. I appreciate your help & easy to follow instructions!
Aaron (Mr. DeannaCat)
You are very welcome, we hope you enjoy your fermented garlic honey and find it to be useful this winter!
Erin Jordan
Hello! Can I keep the jar with fermented garlic and honey in the refrigerator at any time (beginning of the process, middle or end)? Or is the pantry better? Thanks!
Aaron (Mr. DeannaCat)
Hi Erin, keeping it at room temperature will allow for the fermentation process to take place and honey in general shouldn’t be refrigerated. Hope that helps and good luck!
Tyler Witt
Hi
I know you’ve already answered the question about whether it was necessary to crush the garlic to start the ferment but I was still curious if chopping or grating would change the process at all. What about roasting the garlic before fermenting? Does this trick work with other alliums? Please let me know.
Thanks.
Aaron (Mr. DeannaCat)
Hi Tyler, you never want to cook or roast anything that you are going to be fermenting as that will kill the beneficial bacteria that are essential to the ferment process. You could chop or grate the garlic if you wish but that is just more work than necessary for this recipe. Plus it may make it more difficult to separate the garlic from the honey if you just wanted one or the other after the fermentation is complete. Hope that helps and good luck!
Sheri
Can you keep adding honey to the jar as you use it up, or should I use one jar and always have another fermenting?
Aaron (Mr. DeannaCat)
Hi Sheri, you should probably just ferment another fresh jar as the benefits from the fermentation will dissipate as the original honey that was used during the fermentation disappears. The added honey wouldn’t contain the same benefits as the fermented garlic honey. Hope that helps and enjoy!
Sam
Can I use last years garlic that has been cured & is hanging in my pantry ? Or is that not considered fresh? Thank you !!
Deanna Talerico
Hey there – sure thing! As long as it hasn’t started go soft or rot, it’s still good to use.
Elizabeth
Do you need to crush the garlic to release the allicin prior to adding honey.
Aaron (Mr. DeannaCat)
Hi Elizabeth, no need to crush the garlic cloves before adding the honey as the cloves will ferment just fine as is.
Gail Carucci
Just a quick question can you use a canning jar with a lid and rim?
Aaron (Mr. DeannaCat)
Hi Gail, yes you can and that is what we use. Just be sure to keep the lid on loosely so it can breathe while it ferments but tighten it fully if and when you tip the jar upside down to make sure all of the cloves get coated in honey. Good luck!
Karen
I would like to print this whole article with all of the information is there any way of getting that
Aaron (Mr. DeannaCat)
Hi Karen, thanks for your interest, we do have a printable recipe summary at the bottom of the article. However, there isn’t a way to print the entire article the way it shows up on your screen, hope that helps and you enjoy your fermented garlic honey!
Richelle
Hi, can I tighten the lid after the 30 days or is it recommended to keep the lid loose for its shelf life?
Thank you!
Aaron (Mr. DeannaCat)
Hi Richelle, you can more tightly close your lid, just be sure the contents aren’t still actively producing gases within a few days of closing the lid. Hope that helps and good luck!
Pete
How would you go about adding lemon to this mixture? Shave some of the peel or maybe chunks of the peel?
Thank you!
Aaron (Mr. DeannaCat)
Hi Pete, you can thinly slice the lemon using the peel as well as the inside of the fruit, add a few slices to the bottom of the jar, then add your peeled garlic before covering everything with honey. Most people recommend putting the fermented lemon honey in the refrigerator after 2-4 weeks of fermentation to slow the fermentation process down and in time, some bitterness from the lemon peel could come through in the honey as well. Hope that helps and good luck!
Pete
Awesome, thank you! I think I’ll give that a try the next batch. The two I have a looking nice, the honey has thinned, and I added rosemary to one. Thanks again!
Aaron (Mr. DeannaCat)
Sounds tasty, enjoy!
Cassi
Hi!
I’m so glad you have a post about this now! However, I made my fermented garlic honey months ago but I’m uneasy about it. It has a weird film on top…the bubbles have come and gone but it just seems off to me. I did not use fresh garlic that I needed to peel, I used already peeled garlic from Costco 🫣 could that be where my mistake was?
Aaron (Mr. DeannaCat)
Hi Cassi, that is weird and I understand your uneasiness about it, I can’t say for certain whether you should use it or not but I wouldn’t think that using fresh, pre-peeled garlic would be an issue. Also, as long as you don’t see any mold, there shouldn’t be much ability for anything bad to grow inside your honey. I found this site which talks about FAQ’s in regards to garlic in ferments and it seems to have a tendency to produce more white, possibly filmy layers in its ferments that are fairly normal. Hope that helps and good luck!
Janet Howard
Hi Deannacat.
We already have this process completed. I was wondering when all the garlic has been eaten, do we add more garlic to the honey or start the process again with fresh honey. Thank you in advance.
Aaron (Mr. DeannaCat)
Hi Janet, we haven’t tried adding fresh garlic to a batch of garlic fermented honey but I don’t see why there would be an issue with it. We typically just start a fresh one as we use the honey itself just as fast as eating the cloves, let us know how it turns out and enjoy!
Ananda Janowiak
Deanna – After the honey is fermented, should you still store it with the lid slightly ajar?
Aaron (Mr. DeannaCat)
Hi Ananda, once the initial fermentation process is complete, you don’t need to worry about keeping the lid ajar as the amount of gases from the fermentation process should be at a minimum by that point. Hope that helps and good luck!
Holly
Thanks for the great recipe! Do we know that the fermentation process is complete after a month or should we look for specific signs before tightening the lid?
Aaron (Mr. DeannaCat)
Hi Holly, the garlic honey will produce some bubbles or foam during the fermentation process although it can at times be difficult to tell, however, the honey will become increasingly more runny as it ferments as well but one month is a good estimate that the fermentation process is complete. Hope that helps and enjoy!
John
What a great recipe! I think I might use this for Christmas presents for our friends next year!
We grow our own garlic. Do you think we can use the garlic that’s freshly picked from the ground? Or should I wait until after it’s been cured (i.e., sitting in the garage for a month)?
Many thanks!
Aaron (Mr. DeannaCat)
Hi John, using homegrown uncured garlic will be just fine for this recipe and it sounds like a great gift for friends as well!