DIY Garlic Honey: Easy Fermentation with Raw Local Honey

What happens when you put garlic cloves into honey, you ask? Magic, that’s what. It’s more like alchemy. It’s actually science, though—really easy science that happens in a dark closet while you forget about it for a while. If you’re new to fermentation, this garlic honey is a great place to start because it’s almost foolproof. You only need two ingredients and simple equipment you probably already have in your kitchen. This naturally probiotic recipe is delicious and good for you, and ridiculously easy to make. Keep reading to learn how it’s done. 

WHAT DOES IT TASTE LIKE?

During fermentation, the sharp bite of the garlic will mellow out and become soft, sweet, and a little mysterious. The honey will loosen up and become runnier. It also develops a rich, savoury umami flavour. 

CONDIMENT OR NATURAL REMEDY?

It’s both! There’s a reason fermented garlic honey is folk medicine that has been a home remedy for colds, coughs, and sore throats since the old days—it works. Honey and garlic are both known for their antibacterial and antiviral properties, and when you combine them you get a potent, easy-to-consume natural remedy for common ailments. You can add a spoonful of this honey to warm tea whenever you feel like you might be coming down with something. That, or this other Honey Cough Syrup Recipe.

Amazingly, it is also a 2-in-1 condiment because both the garlic cloves and the honey can be used in various ways. You can drizzle the honey on pizza, roasted vegetables, or over meats. The fermented cloves are great anywhere you would normally use garlic in your cooking. Maybe you’ll try mincing them into salad dressings, over stir-fries, or in dips and spreads like hummus.

BEGINNER-FRIENDLY FERMENTATION

Fermentation sounds fancy, but anyone can do it. After you set it up, you actually have to do very little, because most of the work will be done by the good-for-you beneficial bacteria and yeast that are already hanging out in the raw honey and on your organic or garden-grown garlic. 

IT’S GOTTA BE RAW HONEY 

For this to work well, you really need those yeasts and bacteria. It’s key to use garlic that hasn’t been treated with pesticide or herbicide, because they decrease the number of beneficial bacteria that are needed to perform the fermentation magic. Similarly, you need honey that hasn’t been pasteurized. Using non-organic cloves or pasteurized honey will lower your chances of a successful ferment. At best, it might take much longer to ferment, or at worst you might end up with a foul-smelling, or strange-looking science experiment gone wrong.

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HOW TO MAKE FERMENTED GARLIC HONEY

STEP 1

Peel garlic cloves and lightly crush them to release juices and speed up fermentation.

STEP 2

Combine the honey and garlic. Toss those cloves into a clean glass jar until it’s about half full. Flood them with raw honey until everything’s fully covered and swimming happily. Leave some headspace so it can breathe. 

STEP 3

Seal the jar loosely (so you can still open it easily with only your fingertips) and store it in a dark cupboard or pantry at room temperature or slightly cooler. Leave it for two weeks minimum, but honestly? It just gets better with age. Like a good cheese. Or your favourite flannel.

STEP 4

During the first week or two, "burp" the jar daily by opening the lid slightly to release built-up gas, and shake or flip the jar to keep the garlic submerged and coated in honey, which is crucial to prevent mold. 

STEP 5 

Use your senses to determine when it’s “done”. Good signs to watch for include bubbling, slight cloudiness, garlic turning blue/green/black (all of these colours are acceptable and normal), and a tangy, pickle-y smell. You can taste it at any point during the fermentation to check its progress and leave it until it reaches a flavour you’re happy with. 

FERMENTATION RED FLAGS

If your garlic honey shows any of these signs, you might want to think twice before tasting because you might be dealing with spoiled garlic honey that didn't ferment properly: 

• a truly foul, rotten smell (not just garlicky and funky like pickled goods are)

• fuzzy mold 

• pinkish colour

• smells rancid or like compost

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UNPASTEURIZED SASKATCHEWAN HONEY FERMENTS GARLIC NATURALLY

Fermented garlic honey is one of those rare kitchen projects that feels a little wild, a little old-world, and somehow very modern all at once. It asks almost nothing of you—just good ingredients, a jar, and a bit of patience—and rewards you with something deeply flavourful and useful. Whether you’re spooning it into tea at the first sniffle, drizzling it over dinner, or just admiring your bubbling jar like a proud fermentation nerd, this is the kind of food that reminds you how magical real honey can be when you let nature do its thing. 

If this sounds good to you and you’re interested in more culinary experiments with honey, check out our Easy Herb-Infused Honey in 7 Steps.