Discover an ancient remedy- fermented garlic honey- to naturally boost your immunity and support overall wellness. Powerful and all-natural.

When it comes to immunity boosting foods, you don’t have to look too far. Your very own kitchen is a storehouse of ingredients that can help you nourish every day.

I have been giving garlic honey to my little one since he was 3 years old, especially when there’s a change in season. This is one of the brilliant immunity boosting foods for kids. I have suggested this remedy to many mothers and the feedback has been amazing. It is an effective home remedy for cough for kids. It can also be used as night cough syrup which helps you sleep peacefully.

Garlic infused honey is a combination that has been used in many cultures for centuries and is still popular today. In Ancient Egypt, honey was often combined with garlic to create a remedy for a variety of ailments.
In many parts of Asia, garlic and honey were combined to make a remedy for sore throat. In India, garlic and honey are used to treat asthma and other respiratory problems.

Benefits of Honey and Garlic

Garlic contains a compound called allicin which makes it anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-viral. Cooked garlic is beneficial but nothing, I repeat, nothing compares to raw garlic. Garlic when cooked loses some of its beneficial enzymes.

Honey is a sweetener made from nectar collected from flowers. It is a natural preservative and is used in many recipes for its sweet flavour. Raw honey is full of enzymes, vitamins, and minerals, and acts as an antioxidant to fight off free radicals. It is antibiotic, antiviral, antiseptic, anti-inflammatory and anti-fungal. It is rich in vitamins, minerals and enzymes to boost immunity which is especially important when fighting an illness.

When combined, the two provide powerful anti-bacterial, anti-viral, and immune-boosting properties. This makes this fermented garlic perfect for enjoying during cold/flu season!

Ingredients

Raw honey: It is imperative that you use raw, unpasteurized honey for this recipe.

Note: To find out more about what kind of honey you should buy and how you should consume it, check out this post Everything You Should Know About Honey

Garlic: It is best to use the freshest garlic you can find for the quickest and best fermentation results.

How To Prepare Fermented Garlic Honey

1. First, you need to peel the garlic and then transfer the peeled garlic into a sterilized jar which has an airtight lid.

Note: I like to crush the garlic before mixing it in honey. My child can’t eat whole garlic. He might puke his bile juices out. 🙂 Also, crushed garlic helps to speed up the fermentation. You can add whole garlic if you like or you can lightly crush or cut it into half.

2. Now fill the jar with raw honey. Mix it well and seal it.

3. Once sealed, turn the jar upside down (this is why a good seal is essential) and set it aside. Place a plate beneath the jar, just in case, though I’ve never had issues with overspill/leaks.

4. For a week, you’ll need to ‘burp’ the jar daily. To do this, open the lid to allow any build-up of gases (CO₂) to release and then close, shake (or stir it), turn upside down, and set aside again.

Note: Do not leave the jar open for long as too much oxygen introduced to the honey and garlic at this stage can impact the fermentation process. Just a quick release and close the lid.

5. After about a week, you will notice slight activity in the jar. There’ll be tiny bubbles forming in the jar. The amount can vary, and it won’t always be majorly noticeable. The honey will become watery too as the garlic will release it’s juices in honey.

6. This might take a week or 10 days depending upon the climate. If it is cold it might take longer. Once the bubbling stage reaches, the fermented garlic is ready to enjoy.

Note: If you don’t plan to use it that often then you might require to occasionally release the gas.

How to Store Garlic Honey

Store the jar of fermented garlic and honey in a cool dark place away from direct sunshine – like a kitchen cupboard or pantry. As long as you store the honey with an airtight lid and don’t allow any moisture to enter the jar, then the garlic honey can last for years!

How to Consume

You can have it either first thing in the morning or before bed time. In the Middle East, locals take a glass jar, fill it with honey and add slivers of garlic to it. They eat one or two pieces every morning.

What You Should Know Before Consuming It

If garlic on an empty stomach gives you a burning sensation, try having it 30 minutes after your breakfast or at night.
If raw garlic makes you feel gassy and acidic then this may not be for you.
If you have IBS, check with your doctor before consuming raw garlic.

Pro Tips

Make sure the garlic is completely submerged in honey. If it is not, then it will catch mold. The trick is to add 1 or 2 tbsps of water on top. This will ensure that garlic doesn’t come on top.
Stick to the quantity mentioned in the recipe or else your infusion will not ferment. Too much honey or too less garlic could be the reason that the infusion did not ferment well.
You can easily double or triple the recipe depending upon your requirement.
The flavor will continue to develop overtime. The pungent taste of garlic will mellow down and honey will become runnier than before.

Enjoy good health! 🙂