Fermented Garlic Honey

Fermented garlic honey sounds strange, but it’s a really simple way to amp up your next vinaigrette or marinade. Five minutes of prep and one month of patience are all it takes!

As we cook at home more often, I am always looking for ways to make the food interesting. I mean, how much plain steamed broccoli can one woman eat? No, seriously… how much? Am I there yet? Plus, winter is approaching and anything to boost my immune system is a bonus. So, bring on the garlic.

Fermented garlic softens to a texture and flavor somewhere between raw garlic and roasted, yet still firm enough to chop. Its harsh flavor gives way to sweet, pungent aromas.

Now, some people may suggest that you eat a clove a day to boost that immunity. By all means, please give it a try if that’s your thing. I love fermented garlic, but a spoonful of pure garlic, fermented or not, does not help the medicine go down.

How to Use Fermented Garlic Honey

I prefer fermented garlic cloves chopped up in a vinaigrette and the honey reserved for the most garlicky of marinades.

For using the honey I add it to salad dressings and vinaigrettes.  Again it makes a wonderful marinade addition. Or my favorite is to drizzle it over grilled meat or roasted vegetables. Just a little bit gives a unique flavor that only fermented garlic honey can give. There just is no substitute!

Here are a few recipes that we recommend substituting fermented garlic honey for raw honey:

Sweet Potato and Kale Salad with Walnut Vinaigrette
Acorn Squash & Pork Chops with Cranberries 
Rainbow Potato Salad with Cilantro- Olive Vinaigrette

How to Make Fermented Garlic Honey

So, let’s get started… put everything in the jar… wait a month. Yep, that is about all it takes to make fermented garlic honey. I know – you were expecting something way more dramatic.

Oh, wait! Hang on. Pro tip: put the garlic in first and the honey in second. Did you know garlic floats in honey? Me neither!

You can use a regular jar and lid, but you must remember to burp the jar every few days. I, for one, never intend to burp anything (or anyone) in this lifetime. So, I highly recommend a Pickle Pipe from Masontops. Weights are purchased separately, we like these glass weights. You can purchase the pipe and weights as a package deal here.

After a few days, check to ensure the weight is holding down all the garlic and the honey is starting to bubble. It should take about a month to fully ferment. At that point, you can remove the pipe and use a regular lid.

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Print Recipe

Fermented Garlic in Honey

Amp up the garlic in your next sauce or marinade with this no-work recipe.

Prep Time5 mins

Total Time5 mins

Course: Canning, Snacks

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Fermented Foods, Garlic, Honey

Ingredients

• garlic, peeled
• raw local honey

Special Equipment

• wide mouth mason jars
• Masontops weight and pickle pipe, optional

Instructions

• Place garlic in clean, dry mason jar and leave a good amount of headspace – things are going to get frothy
• Cover your garlic with honey without infringing on that headspace (I have warned you twice, so...)
•  Add weight to keep garlic submerged and install your pickle pipe
• Set in a cool, dark place and wait impatiently for four weeks, but do check on it to ensure the garlic stays submerged

Notes

1. For the large jar in the photo, we used six bulbs of garlic and two cups of honey. Be sure your honey is raw and local is always best!
2. If you don't have a pickle pipe, you can use a regular lid. Just be sure to burp the jar every few days.