What does garlic and honey do for you when fermented?

Once combined, fermented garlic honey is a true powerhouse that helps to support the immune system while also relieve symptoms of colds, the flu, sore throats, and coughs .

How long can you keep fermented garlic in honey?

Because honey is shelf stable and garlic has so many antibacterial & antimicrobial properties, honey garlic does not need to be refrigerated. Garlic honey lasts up 12 months – although I've heard of folks continuing to add garlic to the same honey for YEARS.

What happens when you mix honey and garlic?

The study tested each food separately and also as a mixture to determine their antibacterial benefits. The researchers found that garlic and honey were both able to kill bacteria when tested alone. And when creating a combination of garlic and honey, it has a better antibacterial effect than when used alone .

What does soaking garlic in honey do?

Researchers found that garlic and honey were both able to kill the bacteria when tested alone. A combination of garlic and honey worked even better. The garlic and honey combination slowed or stopped the growth of bacteria that cause illness and infections including pneumonia and a kind of food poisoning.

What happens if you eat garlic and honey everyday?

Garlic and honey are super foods that combined form an excellent natural remedy to combat conditions such as colds, flu, and other illnesses. The sulfur compounds in garlic and the nutrients in honey exert an anticoagulant and toning effect on the veins, preventing the formation of thrombosis and varicose veins.

Does fermented garlic in honey spoil?

Shelf Life. As long as you store it correctly, in an airtight container in a dark place, the fermented honey and garlic can stay good for years. It is normal for the mixture to darken over time.

Should fermented garlic in honey be refrigerated?

Unless you want to halt the fermentation process, it doesn't need to be refrigerated . Instead, store your fermented garlic honey in a cool, dark place away from sunlight such as in a pantry or cupboard.

Can fermented garlic go bad?

Fermented garlic can be stored for many years at room temperature . In fact, the longer it is left to ferment, the more delicious it becomes! Traditional Korean recipes recommend letting garlic ferment for up to 7 years!

Should fermented garlic be refrigerated?

The garlic paste will turn golden brown once it is fermented and ready to use. It will taste mild and somewhat caramelized, as pictured below, when it is ready for use. Once it is ready, place it in the fridge with a regular ball jar lid . It keeps forever and tastes better with age.

What does fermented garlic do for the body?

As garlic and ginger go through the fermentation process, the number of probiotic bacteria in them increases. Consuming probiotic bacteria has many benefits including improving your digestive system and immune system . In the winter, it is especially important to consume probiotics to help avoid colds and the flu.

Is fermented garlic and honey an antibiotic?

Both honey and garlic are excellent antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral agents. Traditionally they have been used to treat skin infections and prevent sepsis in wounded areas.

What is the benefit of fermenting garlic?

Studies have shown that the fermentation process increases the amount of nutrients in garlic and makes them easier to absorb by the body . The highest protein content was available after 60 days of fermentation while the highest fat and carbohydrate content was found after 90 days of fermentation.

Does honey and garlic help gut health?

If you mix raw honey and garlic together and leave it at room temp for a bit, it'll ferment, turning it into and absolutely brilliant source of vitamins and good bacteria . This makes both the honey AND the garlic excellent foods to eat in Autumn & Winter to help boost your gut health and immune system.

A Simple Recipe for Fermented Garlic Honey For Drizzling On Everything (2024)

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When you combine fresh garlic and raw honey, you get this magical fermented garlic honey that’s perfect for drizzling on pizza, fried chicken, grilled pork, and by the spoonful just as is.

Nick Evans

Nick has been creating recipes for home cooks for almost 15 years. He is the author of Love Your Leftovers and has contributed to Simply Recipes since 2017.

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Published October 03, 2022

How to Safely Ferment Garlic Honey

Let’s get the important stuff out of the way first. Anytime you store garlic, there is a chance of botulism. This recipe adds fresh cloves of garlic into raw honey, which is naturally acidic and stops bacterial growth.

That said, if you have concerns, test the honey before eating it. If the pH level is above 4.6, you can add some apple cider vinegar to raise the acidity. It will speed up the fermenting process and will water down the honey, but it’ll be just as delicious.

A Simple Recipe for Fermented Garlic Honey For Drizzling On Everything (4)

Use Raw Honey

This recipe is about as easy as it gets. First you need a lot of garlic. How much? Well, 15 to 20 cloves. That’s about two heads of garlic. You could do less and get plenty of garlic flavor, but it tastes better with more.

Add the garlic cloves to a clean jar along with some crushed red pepper flakes. Then, cover with raw honey. It is important to use raw honey for this recipe or it will not ferment. You can find raw honey at most major grocery stores these days. The label should say raw honey on it.

Seal the jar and store it in a cool place. Now the hardest part: WAIT.

Shake and Burp the Garlic Honey

Keep an eye on the jar for the first few days. Give it a shake once a day to make sure the garlic is covered in the honey. Also, open the jar once a day to “burp” it and let off any built-up gas. Exploding honey jars aren’t fun.

After five days, your honey will be ready and you can slather it on whatever your heart desires!

A Simple Recipe for Fermented Garlic Honey For Drizzling On Everything (5)

Can You Eat the Garlic?

While the honey is the star of the show, I’m not one to waste garlic. It’s definitely good—milder than raw garlic, but not as mild as roasted garlic. I tried a clove straight out of the jar—for science—and found it to be pretty tasty, although it was a little bitter.

That said, I'd cook with the garlic—add them to these delicious mini pretzels! You can rinse off the cloves, if the honey won’t mesh with the recipe, or use them as is. Another way I love using the garlic? Mince a clove and mash it with softened butter. Put that on toast with a drizzle of the fermented garlic honey and it’s a next-level garlic toast.

More Ideas for Using This Garlic Honey

This garlic honey might be the most versatile condiment out there. I’m having a hard time thinking of things you couldn’t put this on.

This honey is made for pizza—a must-try!
Smeared on toast or dip for bread
Drizzled on grilled meats like lamb, pork chops, or even burgers
Drizzled on grain salads
In an egg or breakfast sandwich
Drizzled on ice cream

A Simple Recipe for Fermented Garlic Honey For Drizzling On Everything (6)

For the Love of Garlic

Roasted Garlic
Garlic Confit
Garlic Bread
Roasted Garlic Chicken
Roasted Garlic White Pizza Sauce

Fermented Garlic Honey

Prep Time10 mins

Fermenting Time120 hrs

Total Time120 hrs 10 mins

Servings32 servings

Yield1 pint

To speed up the fermenting, lightly crush the cloves, but don’t chop them.

You need to use raw honey (not pasteurized honey) for this recipe to ferment. If you’re unsure if the honey is raw or not, just look at the label of the jar.

Honey is acidic enough to stop bacterial growth—botulism is a concern with storing garlic. If you are concerned, you can test the pH level of the honey with a pH litmus strip. If it is above a 4.6, stir in a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar to increase the acidity.

Ingredients

15 to 20 cloves of garlic (about 2 heads), peeled (see recipe note)
1 1/2 cups raw honey (see recipe note)
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes(optional)

Special Equipment

1pint glass jar

Method

Start the ferment:
Add the garlic into a clean pint jar along with red pepper flakes, if using. Add the honey and stir. Seal the jar and store in a cool dry place.
Burp and shake the jar:
At least once a day for 5 days, shake the jar to make sure the garlic is covered with honey. Once bubbles start to form in the honey, open the jar once a day to release any built-up gas.
Store:
Allow the garlic honey to ferment for 5 days before enjoying. You can then keep the honey in your pantry for 6 months. After 3 to 4 weeks, I remove the garlic from the honey and transfer the garlic to the fridge for cooking. You might see some discoloration in the garlic—that is fine.
Use the honey drizzled on pizza, breads, toast, meats, or pretty much anything.
Did you love the recipe? Leave us stars below!

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
51	Calories
0g	Fat
14g	Carbs
0g	Protein

Show Full Nutrition Label

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 32
Amount per serving
Calories	51
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g	0%
Saturated Fat 0g	0%
Cholesterol 0mg	0%
Sodium 1mg	0%
Total Carbohydrate 14g	5%
Dietary Fiber 0g	0%
Total Sugars 13g
Protein 0g
Vitamin C 1mg	3%
Calcium 4mg	0%
Iron 0mg	1%
Potassium 16mg	0%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.