Easy DIY Fermented Garlic Honey Recipe For Cold & Flu
With cold and flu season right around the corner, it’s the perfect time to start getting your winter wellness kit together. This super easy DIY fermented garlic honey recipe is perfect for those pesky coughs, colds and flu! All you need is 2 ingredients and 5 minutes!
Growing up in an Eastern European household, garlic and honey were absolute staples in our diet all year round. But, especially during winter time when the body is more susceptible to viruses and illnesses.
I really didn’t understand why my parents were so fixed on consuming these ingredients, but then when I grew up and started studying health and the world of natural remedies, it all made sense. Looking back, my family was rarely sick… ever. So, thanks, Mom and Dad, for keeping us so healthy!
This fermented garlic honey recipe is one of those perfect, easy-to-make, natural remedies that are effective and awesome for illness prevention.
With its potent combination of garlic and honey, this simple recipe creates a healing elixir that is sure to give your family some extra comfort this winter. By harnessing the power of garlic’s antiviral properties and honey’s antibiotic effects, you are giving yourself one of nature’s ancient gifts – plus it tastes great too!
“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”? Right!?
So, what exactly is garlic and honey good for?
Both garlic and honey help keep your immune system in tip-top shape.
This fermented garlic honey powerhouse concoction uses the natural antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal properties of garlic and raw honey to ward off colds and flu while also boosting overall energy levels.
Besides being packed full of nutrients, fermenting these two simple ingredients together also makes them easier for your body to absorb and utilize in order to get maximum benefit.
Raw honey (honey that hasn’t been filtered or processed in any way) is one of the most magnificent natural remedies in and of itself.
It possesses antiviral, antibacterial, antifungal and anti-inflammatory properties.
It is also a source of natural antioxidants supporting optimal health and wellness. This makes it the perfect natural ingredient for illness prevention and remedy for fighting off seasonal illnesses.
Garlic (Allium sativum) is a potent vegetable that has powerful antimicrobial and antioxidant abilities. It is also helpful in stimulating and enhancing immune function, supporting the cardiovascular system and its anti-cancer properties.
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DIY Fermented Garlic Honey Recipe
This recipe is incredibly easy to make, which is great if you’re short on time and need a no-fuss recipe that actually works.
Make sure to use raw, unpasteurized honey for this recipe!
Raw honey has all of the wild yeast and bacteria that are necessary for fermentation. The majority of honey sold in grocery stores is filtered and pasteurized to the point of just being sugar, as all beneficial microbes have been killed off with high heat.
This will neither ferment nor give you the health benefits you’re hoping for. You can find raw honey in your area’s health stores, farmers’ markets, and local farms.
For garlic, use the freshest you can find. You can even start a fermented honey during late summer when garlic is as fresh as you can find it.
This way, the honey can ferment with high-quality garlic for 3-4 months and be ready just in time for flu season!
Ingredients:
- Raw, unpasteurized honey
- 2-3 heads of garlic (or enough to fill your jar)
1. Peel Your Garlic
This is the most time-consuming step in the whole recipe. Depending on the size of your glass jar, peel enough garlic cloves to fill about 3/4 of the jar.
The easiest way to peel cloves quickly is with this fast 20-second shake method – all you need are 2 bowls! The traditional knife method is also great.
Gently press the flat part of your knife over a clove (be careful not to smush it too hard!) until you hear the skin crunching. Remove your knife and easily peel off the loosened skin.
Once you have all of your garlic cloves peeled, just add them all to your clean glass jar.
2. Cover With Honey
Grab your raw honey and pour it over your garlic cloves, leaving a little bit of space at the top of your jar. Some of your garlic cloves may float, but that’s totally okay!
3. Cover & Ferment
Once your honey is added, loosely seal your glass jar to allow for gasses to escape and flip it upside down onto a plate or napkin.
For the fermentation process, you’ll want to store it in a cool, dry, dark area such as a pantry or kitchen cabinet.
Every couple of days, gently flip the ja, ensuring allf the garlic stays coated with honey. (You’ll want to tighten the lid when doing this, just to prevent any spills. Re-loosen the lid when returned to its upright position).
If you’re using a jar with a round clip lid, you’ll need to ‘burp’ your honey every couple of days, releasing the gasses that form from the fermentation process.
Let the garlic and honey ferment for at least a month. During this time you’ll notice bubbles forming on the surface of your honey. That’s what we want!
You can eat the garlic before the month’s timeline, but the longer you allow it to ferment, the more potent the flavour will be.
How do you eat fermented garlic honey?
This fermented honey recipe is versatile and can be eaten in several fun ways.
Take it straight up
If you feel a cold or flu, take a spoonful of the fermented honey.
You can eat a clove as well if you want! You can also take it like this every day all winter long as a preventative wellness remedy.
Add it to your tea
Adding this fermented honey is another great way to use it in your tea.
It gives tea a nice flavour kick and is a great way to take it when sick to warm you up!
Just be sure to add your fermented honey once your tea has cooled slightly – adding honey to boiling temperatures degrades the nutritional value and health benefits.
Add to homemade salad vinaigrette
It is an easy and delicious addition to your homemade salad vinaigrette.
Combine 1 Tbsp of the fermented honey, 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar, and 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil. Mix and drizzle over any salad!
Use as a marinade
Garlic and honey are always winners when it comes to delicious meat recipes. Use this fermented honey recipe as a marinade over any type of meat or fish for a sweet and savoury flavour.
Use as a glaze for roasting veggie
I use this fermented honey all the time when roasting vegetables!
Add your raw veggies to a bowl, pour over some of the fermented honey, mix to coat everything and roast in the oven.
It’s super tasty and works well with carrots, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, sweet potatoes and squash!
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Fermented Honey FAQs:
My garlic turned blue. Is that okay?
During fermentation, you may notice your garlic turning a blue or greenish colour.
Although this may look alarming, it’s not harmful, and the garlic is safe to continue using. This colour change may happen due to a reaction during the fermentation process.
What’s the shelf life of fermented garlic honey?
Fermented honey garlic stores well and lasts for months to even years! Just store it in a cool, dry, dark area for the best quality. You do not need to refrigerate fermented honey.
The natural acidity in honey prevents bacteria from growing or multiplying, practically making honey shelf-stable for years and years as long as the lid is on tight when not in use.
Can I take fermented garlic honey every day?
Yes, you can take this fermented honey every day! Use during seasons of illness or during winter time for prevention.
Can kids eat this fermented garlic honey?
Yes, kids can eat this fermented garlic in honey.
Take it as a preventative measure or during periods of illness such as colds, coughs and flu. As with all natural remedies, use it wisely and in moderation. 🙂
However, honey of any kind (including fermented honey) should not be given to babies under one year of age.
Can I let it ferment over one month?
Absolutely!
The longer you ferment, the better, in my opinion! The ‘main ferment’ takes about 4-6 weeks.
At this time, you can most definitely use your honey. You’ll know it’s at this stage when you notice that your garlic has sunk, and the honey appears darker and thinner than when you started.
However, if you’re patient and start your ferment early, waiting three months to even one year will give you an extra potent and incredible remedy!
Don’t worry if you don’t have time for that this year. You can start this easy DIY garlic honey recipe early next year, so it’s just in time for the onset of cold and flu season.
Does it matter what type of honey I use?
Not at all!
I highly encourage you to experiment and test different kinds of honey (as long as they are raw and unpasteurized!).
My favourite is buckwheat honey – its dark brown, rich, nutty flavour gives this remedy a unique twist.
Experiment with wildflower, buckwheat, lavender and see which one you love best! Each honey is unique in its yeast and beneficial bacteria, so you’ll get a different health boost every time.
I hope you love this seriously easy DIY fermented garlic honey recipe! It’s a real game-changer for speeding up cold and flu recovery and helping your whole family stay healthy year-round.
How does your family like to take this fermented garlic honey?