Fermented Garlic Honey (Plus Benefits)
Fermented Garlic Honey is one of the easiest ferments to make at home. It’s as simple as peeling garlic and covering it in raw honey. You will need some patience though. While it’s fine to eat at any time during the fermentation process, leaving it for a month or longer produces the best results.
Eating it straight from the jar is one of my favorite ways to enjoy it, but it’s also perfect for adding to any number of savory dishes. It’s especially good in salads like this Fall Harvest Salad, this Peach Burrata Salad or even this Caesar Pasta Salad.
Recipe Overview: Fermented Garlic Honey
What Are The Benefits Of Fermented Garlic Honey?
Both garlic and honey have been studied extensively for their natural healing properties, and a study published in Food Science & Nutrition found that fermenting them together elevates the antioxidant content beyond what either ingredient offers alone. The authors of this study found that fermenting garlic in honey produced notably high antioxidant activity in addition to elevated polyphenol levels, which contribute to a diverse array of health benefits.
Honey also has a long history of traditional use, particularly through fall and winter where it’s been a great remedy for sore throats.
Is Honey Fermented Garlic Safe To Eat?
Something that causes a lot of concern with this ferment is the risk of botulism spores growing. However, to date, there has not been one single documented case of botulism contamination relating to honey-fermented garlic.
Clostridium botulinum (CB) can be found in soil and as a result can be present in foods like garlic and honey, though in honey it is mostly harmful to infants. CB needs a neutral pH, a moist environment, and no oxygen to thrive. Sugar inhibits it, and honey, being roughly 80% sugar and 20% water, qualifies as a high-sugar, low-moisture food. The small amount of moisture the garlic does produce isn’t enough to change that significantly.
With this in mind I feel this is a safe ferment to consume, but that’s a decision you need to make for yourself. If you have concerns, storing it in the refrigerator while it ferments is a good option too.
Key Ingredients
This ferment uses two simple ingredients, plenty of fresh garlic and raw honey. The only other thing you need is time. The longer your jar of honey and garlic sits, the more the flavors develop and the more mellow the garlic becomes.
- Whole Garlic Cloves – you’ll need several heads of garlic for this ferment. The amount used is dictated by the size of the jar used. I had a large jar, 25oz/750ml, which used roughly 12 small heads of garlic.
- Raw Honey – this is essential as it contains the bacteria and yeast needed for fermentation to occur. Local honey is worth seeking out if you can find it, as the flavor varies depending on the region and what the bees have been foraging on, which adds another layer of interest to the finished ferment.
When buying honey, check the label carefully. ‘Unfiltered’ and ‘unpasteurized’ don’t necessarily mean raw. Unfiltered honey is often heated to make filtering easier, which removes the live cultures you need. Unpasteurized honey has been heated at a lower temperature than pasteurized honey, but may still have been processed enough to affect fermentation.
Substitutions And Variations
Red pepper flakes or nigella seeds are popular additions to this ferment. Keep in mind that darker spices will change the color of the honey over time. Nigella in particular produces a very dark honey, and the seeds can make the ferment slightly bitter.
Use red pepper flakes sparingly too, as the heat will overpower the other flavors. Start with half a teaspoon in a large jar and less in a smaller one.
How To Make Fermented Garlic Honey
This ferment has a long history of traditional use in fall and winter. That means getting it started in mid to late summer, which coincides with the end of garlic season. I make one at the end of spring and another at the end of summer so I have one jar ready to use while the other is starting the fermentation process.
- Step 1: Peel all the garlic cloves.
- Step 2: Cut the bases off that were attached to the root
- Step 3: Place the peeled cloves into a very clean glass jar and pour honey over the top leaving roughly 2-inches (5cm) headroom.
- Step 4: Stir well to coat all the garlic cloves. A chopstick is great for this, as it’s the easiest way to move all the garlic around.
Once mixed, put the lid on the jar, but don’t seal it too tightly. Set it aside to ferment for a month at room temperature in a cool place out of the sun. Be sure to turn the jar a few times every day to help keep the garlic submerged in the honey, or use glass weights if you have them.
Note: Gases build up during fermentation that can lead to exploding jars. For the first week of fermentation, ‘burp’ the jar a few times a day by loosening the lid, then tighten it again. You may hear a pop as you do it, which is just the gas being released.
Fermented Garlic Honey Uses
You can use this ferment in any way you like once ready. The most traditional way is to take a garlic clove and a spoonful of honey straight from the jar. The garlic is much more mellow after fermenting for a month and the honey will take on a rich garlic flavor and syrupy texture.
If eating it straight from the jar isn’t for you, try drizzling the honey over this Air Fryer Halloumi, this Chickpea Flatbread or adding some garlic to this Eggplant Dip.
Expert Tips
- It’s worth peeling a generous amount of garlic cloves for this ferment, even though it can be a little laborious. A large batch will last for months, and once you have a jar on the go, you’ll find yourself reaching for it often.
- Look for heavy, firm bulbs of garlic wrapped in dry, intact skin. Avoid those that are bruised, have soft spots, or visible green sprouts. These are all indicators of old or damaged garlic, which will affect the fermentation process.
Storing
Store the jar in a cool dark place in your kitchen. On a shelf or in the pantry out of direct sunlight is perfect. It can also be stored in the fridge if preferred. The recipe is not suitable for freezing.
Fermented Garlic Honey FAQs
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Fermented Garlic Honey
Equipment
- 25oz/750ml glass jar
- Glass weights optional
Ingredients
- 12 small heads garlic (see note 1)
- 1 pint raw honey 500ml
Instructions
- Peel all the garlic cloves and cut the bases off that were attached to the root.
- Cut out any bruised bits or discard the whole clove in need.
- Put the peeled garlic cloves into your very clean glass jar and pour the honey over the top. Stop about halfway and give the jar a stir with a clean chopstick to ensure all the cloves are coated. Top up with the remaining honey leaving roughly 5cm (2 inch) headroom. A little more is OK too.
- Pop the lid on the jar and leave it to ferment for one month (important – see note 2 below).
- Be sure you turn the jar a few times every day, as this helps to keep the garlic coated in the honey. The garlic will eventually sink to the bottom of the jar and then there will be no need to keep doing this. You could also use glass weights if you have them.
How to use this fermented garlic honey
- When ready (you'll notice the honey has become much more liquid) – you can take a garlic clove and a spoonful of honey from the jar then eat it as is as a cold and flu remedy. It's great for sore throats this way! Immune-boosting at its best. You can also chop up the garlic cloves and add them to salad dressings with some of the honey or sprinkled over meals if you'd prefer that.
Hello, can I store this in the fridge after the fermentation process?
Hi Elaine, there’s no need to keep this in the fridge, but you can if you’d like to. Move it to the fridge only once its fermented for a couple of weeks and the hunny has become much thinner/runnier.
Thank you! 😊
Hi! thank you so much for the detailed steps, very helpful! The bubbles and the gas, etc, all happened as you mentioned…but one morning during week 1 I came to flip the jar around and had seen the top had popped off (lots of pressure!). I just had my first teaspoon after waiting the prescribed period you mentioned and it doesn’t taste “bad”? but was coming back to read your blog and other reviews/questions to see if any one had that same problem and maybe I shouldn’t eat anymore? thoughts?
thank you again!!!
Hi Nikki – I apologise for the late response, I missed the notification. It sounds to me like your ferment was still very active at that point, which is a good thing. You’re right in that the lid pop-off was due to gas build up. Better the lid pops off than the jar explodes! Sight, smell, and taste are our best guides with ferments. If you can’t see any visible mould (unlikely with a honey ferment), it smells sweet with a hint of pungency (like sweet garlic), and also tastes like that – your honey garlic ferment is perfect. I would continue to burp your jar for a few more days because it does sound quite active. It will eventually settle down and you won’t need to keep doing that. Just make sure all the garlic is submerged under the honey so it all ferments. Hope you enjoy it when you sart using it!
I’ll be trying this out real soon
I hope you enjoy it Robin! It’s super simple and full of flavour once it’s fermented.
Would it be ok to put other ground herbs/spices in the honey along with the garlic? Would it negatively affect the fermentation process?
Hi Angela – I’ve added nigella seed to one once before to test this out and I really don’t recommend it. For one, the honey can become very dark (in this case it went black), but two, it also ends up tasting very bitter.
Is it better to use wildflower or clover honey for this?
Hi Errin, the most important thing is using raw honey. After that it’s really up to you and which taste you prefer. Clover for something more mild and sweet or the wildflower for something a little stronger with floral and fruity notes. In the end the honey is infused with the garlic so it will be the base flavour of the honey you choose infused with a garlic essence. If you’re unsure perhaps start with the clover. Hope you enjoy it!
I have had some in the pantry for 2 weeks and its not bubbly….. should I start over? What did I do wrong?
Hi Laurin – it doesn’t remain bubbly for much longer than a day or two. That really big fizz of bubbles you see in my picture in the post above occurs when the initial fermentation is underway. It settles down and looks like garlic in slightly runnier honey after that. If you didn’t check on it in those first few days you might just have missed the bubbling. No need to start again. Just leave it for a few more weeks then open the jar, give it a sniff and a little taste. If you like it as is you can start using it. If you find the garlic is still a bit too strong to use raw leave it for a couple more weeks.
Hi Gabby 🥰. It’s been about 6 weeks since I started my garlic honey fermentation. I think I did it right. It looks good and I popped open lid and then I turned it over as it’s been floating awhile…. I used honey comb honey with a little honey 1 inch size “ comb” in it . Is that ok. Also there are pieces of the comb floating in it .? I think it be fine but not sure? Also how do you know when it’s ready to take. ? The Garlic has turned a beige color . Thank you. I don’t notice anything growing in it. I do see on some pieces the end parts on some pieces that are a little brown where I had cut but I think that is normal looking. Nothing growing on it…. Thank you.
Hi Roberta! I haven’t actually made this ferment with any honeycomb in it before. However, there isn’t anything on the comb that wouldn’t also be in the honey so I can’t see why there’s any issue with using it. As to when it’s ready – that’s really up to your tastes. Some people like to leave it a little longer because they find the garlic is too pungent when it hasn’t fermented for long. You can definitely start using the honey straight away but just take out one of the cloves, slice a bit off and have a taste. If you like it you can start using it. If you think it’s still a bit too strong leave it a few more weeks and try again. The garlic will darken over time as it takes on more honey. You can see an image of what it looks like if you scroll up to the ‘using the finished product’ section above. Hope you enjoy it!
Absolutely so delicious!
It’s quite possibly one of my favourite recipes of all time!
Hi! I’ve tried to make this but I believe I used too little garlic and have also kept the lid loose/burped. Can I save it by adding more garlic and closing the lid? Or do I need to start over?
Hi Danielle – I think this was just a repeat of your question above? As mentioned though – maybe just get this one in the fridge and start another one. The one in the fridge will still ferment but it will be slower so I’d leave it there a couple of months before starting to use it. That way the garlic will have started to mellow and the honey will have taken on the garlic flavour.
I started to make this, but I think I used too little garlic – and I’ve also kept the lid loose. Is there any saving it? Or so I need to start all over?
Hi Danielle – It’s hard to say without actually seeing the jar, but my suggestion would be to pop that one in the fridge where it does keep fermenting but at a much slower rate. Then start over with a new jar. Make sure you fill it at least 1/2, or better yet 3/4 of the way with garlic before covering it in honey. Whether the lid is tight or not is not as important as whether the garlic is kept submerged under the honey. I have glass weights that I will often use as a way to keep the garlic from floating. If that’s in the the jar I don’t tighten the lid much. If I don’t have any weights available to use then I do tighten the lid so I can turn the jar a few times a day. Turning it upside down then right side up a few times means the garlic is always being coated in the honey. And yes, this method does mean the jar needs to be burped every day to release the gas. Hope that helps. Happy fermenting!!
Hi, question, I just made this for the first time. Mine has caused my jar lid to bulge (despite being burped every day since made on Saturday) and when burped it almost pops and then bubbles like crazy and overflows the jar. The recipe I had used said to leave 1” at the top. My garlic was very potent and I slightly crushed it before putting in the jar. Is it normal for it to bubble this much? Did I overfill it? I am concerned about botulism, I saw a video about a woman warning about this because she didn’t burp it and her family all ingested it. Any help you could give would be great. Thanks!
Hi Kristin – Crushing the garlic has likely caused your mix to become extra bubbly. I assume it’s VERY active given it has made the lid bulge and caused it to overflow even when burped. With a ferment this active I would definitely recommend burping it several times a day. In saying that, it will only remain this active for a few days to a week and will then settle down. Was the lid of the jar rusty at all? If not I wouldn’t worry, but I would suggest decanting the entire mix into another (very clean!) jar with a lid that closes properly. Once the fermentation dies down you will want to keep the fermented garlic in honey airtight. If the lid was rusty – I personally would throw the entire batch away and start again. Not so much for safety reasons, but the rust can affect the taste of the honey making it quite metallic. I know others may opt to keep it but I always err on the side of caution with fermentation. As to botulism – I have a short – and I hope informative – paragraph on that towards the top of this post that is worth reading. Ultimately you will need to decide whether you think your ferment is safe – but again, when I was a novice fermenter (and certainly still to this day) if I ever have any doubts I toss it out and start again.
This article is great! But it needs to be noted that you have to loosen the lid to burp the jar once a day for a while, or it can explode.
Hi April – Thank you, I had to read back and see what you meant. I make this two ways depending on the jar I have. The way I’ve written it here – you’re quite right, the jar does need to be burped if you’re using a tight fitting lid. I’d use a jar like this if I need to turn the jar a few times a day to keep the garlic submerged (usually when I don’t have any fermentation weights available). Otherwise, the garlic goes in, then the honey, then a glass weight on top to keep the garlic under the honey and then I actually don’t close the lid too tightly at all to ensure the gases can escape. But given I have written ‘tight fitting lid’ here – you’re definitely correct and I’ll update accordingly! Cheers.
Hi, just made mine, however I didn’t leave as much room as I should have at the top and it’s bubbling and overflowing. Is it ok to remove some honey? It will it mess up the fermentation process
Hi Michelle – yes definitely remove some honey and it will be fine. I’d suggest pouring the garlic into a new, very clean jar, and tipping in as much of the honey from there as you can leaving sufficient space this time. It does get very bubbly in the first few days but settles down after that.
Can mold grow on garlic in the honey? I just turned my jar (I put it together about a week ago) and noticed 3-4 cloves with a green tinge on their tips. Is the whole batch ruined? Thank you in advance for your response.
Hi Jorge
I have never had mould growing in this particular ferment but it’s not impossible. Garlic can go quite neon green and/or blue due to a chemical reaction occurring during the fermentation process. When it’s like this it’s a simple colour change and safe to eat. I suggest Googling “green garlic fermentation”, which will return several images of what it looks like. I see this mostly in brine ferments but have heard others say it has appeared in their honey ferments too. I’ve been looking for a picture I had to share here but annoyingly I can’t find it so Google will be your best bet. If something in the ferment is mouldy it won’t simply have changed colour, you will also see a powdery like growth along with that colour (like green mould on bread for example, or green/pink mould in yoghurt). However, if you’re new to fermentation and you feel uncertain about whether the garlic has simply changed colour or has mouldy growth on it I would recommend discarding it. Safety always comes first!
Love this recipe, so good to have on hand for so many occasions. Have made it before.
That’s so wonderful to hear Fernanda! I love having it on the shelf too.
Hi Gabby! Elaine just opened her jar of fermenting garlic honey and we each ate a couple of cloves. Feel healthier already! Haha! Great (easy) recipe. Thank you. Keep well.
Oh amazing! I’m glad you love it. It’s honestly one of the most delicious things in my kitchen and the health benefits are an added bonus!