The fermentation world is a never ending wonderland filled with good bacteria transforming foods into funky fermented goodies for us to enjoy. Good bacteria lives in many forms and in many places but one of the most fascinating ones for me is honey.  Raw honey contains good bacteria and microorganisms that come from pollen, the digestive tract of bees, flowers and more. When kept unpasteurized and bought from a reputable source, honey can act as a wonderful form of bacteria added to your diet as well as a starter for fermented goods such as honey garlic.

What is honey garlic you ask? Well, honey garlic is exactly what it sounds like… its honey and garlic. By combining an equal ratio of fresh raw garlic to raw unpasteurized honey and allowing it to ferment for at least 2 weeks to 1 month you’ll end up with garlic that is now sweet with no raw garlic kick. The real bonus is that as the garlic starts to ferment it will secrete enough liquid to thin out the honey. The liquid you are left with is a honey infused garlic that goes amazing with tons of different dishes like dressings, marinades, pizza, glazes, veggie stir fries, dips, cheeses, and sandwiches! YUM, RIGHT?! 

Now, before you mention botulism to me, dont. I can already hear the emails coming but let me tell you a little fact about botulism. It only grows in environments with low oxygen and low sugar but most importantly a less acidic environment. Honey contains enough acid to keep the botulism spores from spreading. However, I can understand the fear so there are a few things you can do. One is to buy a ph tester for food, one like this will work, to test the ph level of the honey garlic. Anything below 4.6 is perfect. Honey typically has a pH of 3.9 but that can vary between brands. The second thing you can do, is to add a splash of apple cider vinegar which will bring the pH level down.  

With most recipes that have very few ingredients, it's important to purchase the highest quality ingredients. So for honey you want to get unpasteurized raw honey (otherwise this recipe wont work!) and for the garlic you want to get fresh organic ones. I would recommend going to a health food store like Whole Foods or your local farmers market to purchase these two ingredients. With that being said, let's get to this recipe!

Fermented Honey Garlic

PRINT

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of organic garlic (about 3 -  4 heads) 
• 1 cup of raw unpasteurized honey 
• 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar, optional 

Instructions:

1. Grab a large jar, about 16 - 20 oz will do it, along with its lid and wash them both with warm water and soap. Let the air dry.
2. In the meantime, peel the skin off all the garlic and slice off the hard knob. Place all the garlic into the jar. If you didn't use a 16 - 20 oz jar, just be sure to leave about ½ - ¼ of the jar empty to allow for bubbling and fermentation. 
3. Pour over 1 cup of honey and let gravity do its thing. After 2 - 3 hours check on the honey garlic. If there is any exposure garlic after the honey has settled add 1/4 cup more. 
4. Seal the jar (you don't want any moisture) and store in a cool dark location like your cupboard or pantry. 
5. Every day for two weeks, you will turn the jar upside down and then right side up to mix everything together and ensure that the garlic stays evenly coated. 
6. Every 2 days, you will need to open up the jar to burp the jar aka release the fermentation bubbles so nothing explodes on you. You will also start to see the honey become more liquidy rather than its usual thick consistency. If you are afraid of botulism, you can add splash of apple cider vinegar to increase the acidity levels here.  
7. This process can be as short as 2 weeks or as long as a year. The flavor of the garlic and honey will only get better over time. Just be sure to keep the lid tight and store in a dark cool place. You'll have honey garlic for years to come… that is if you don't eat it all in one shot.