Fermented Garlic Honey
What is fermented Garlic Honey
With garlic and honey being two of my favorite foods, it is no wonder I was excited to try this recipe. To be honest, I saw fermented honey and automatically thought mead… I know I have issues, but I digress.
Honey is an amazing superfood that was found, still edible, after being stored for 3000 years in King Tutankhamun’s tomb. Combine honeys’ nutrient rich superpowers with garlic, another superfood, and we just made a new superhero, Harlic! Harlic has many benefits including fending off vampires while you sleep if you use it as a face mask however, I don’t recommend this if you have a dog.
Joking aside, this combination of garlic and honey has immune boosting properties. Spoiler alert, we are experimenting with a threesome… honey, garlic, and lavender. Please put any name suggestions in the comments below. This is a perfect recipe to have around for flu season and well, just because I like it.
Fermented Garlic in Honey Recipe
preparing the ingredients
Garlic Preparation
Now I wanted to say this was a fool proof recipe however, some of my buddies can burn water so I won’t go that far. If you are able to spell your name, you can make this recipe. I do wonder if qualifies as a recipe as it only has two ingredients. Is coffee with cream a recipe? Maybe not a recipe but definitely a necessity!
Ingredients list:
1. Garlic (Raw and Fresh)
2. Honey (Raw and no more than 3000 years old please)
If you are forgetful and forget some of the ingredients at the store, try spelling your name and then continue.
- Lay each bulb on the cutting board, lay a large knife across it and give it a small bump. This breaks the outer surface of the protective layer and makes it easier to remove the bulb. Please keep in mind that if you can’t spell your name as referenced above, please leave this to a professional. Carefully cut the root end of the bulb off and remove it from the protective wrapping. *Keep in mind you don’t want to “mash” the bulbs to see if you can kill Harlic, the superhero food. If you are trying to kill a superhero, you are going to drown him in a minute anyways, so go easy.
- Wrap all bulbs, protective layer still on, in a damp towel or paper cloth. Microwave for 10 to 15 seconds, remove and peel. This is not my preferred method, and I don’t own a microwave anymore, but it is a handy trick if you believe in the technology.
- My favorite hack: use elephant garlic. One clove and you’re done! Elephant garlic has a subtle taste and is less peppery. If you love garlic as I do, cut some slits all the way around which opens it up and allows more of the oils to escape.
- My least favorite hack: Buy it pre peeled garlic. Now I know this saves an enormous amount of time however, tens of thousands of bees slaved away to make this sweet nectar we have come to love. This would be an insult to them, and we don’t want to piss off the Bee Union now do we? It didn’t work out so well in 2007 as documented by the “Bee Movie”. With the cost of honey being so high, just spend the 10 minutes and peel fresh, you forget about it in a months’ time.
Honey Preparation
Do I even need to cover this? Remove from cupboard, place on counter and wait with anticipation.
If you have crystalized honey, this is an excellent recipe to use it up. Place crystalized jar of honey in a warm to hot bath of water, do not cover the jar with water and do not add bubbles to “Future” Harlics bath. Let it sit for a few hours while stirring occasionally. The crystals will dissolve back into the honey, and you will never know the difference.
Some people will say that this no longer “Raw Honey” as it was heated. Don’t boil it but for heaven sakes but the inside of a beehives get to over 100 deg in the heat of summer. Is that still raw?
Grab the kiddos, it’s time to mix
This is the appropriate
time to involve everyone that can’t spell their name. Fill the jar ½ to ¾ of the way full of garlic and then pour in the honey.
Loosely cover the jar with a lid, we WANT the co2 to escape. We are not making frizzante Fermented Garlic Honey. You will be rotating the jar every few days to make sure the garlic stays coated in honey. It’s a good idea to let it sit on a plate, just in case.
The process:
Crack open the lid to make sure co2 is gone, look inside
and glisten with anticipation.
Tighten the jars lid and flip upside down for 10 to 30 seconds, then put it back on the counter with the lids position upward. The goal is to coat the garlic, the garlic will not be “submerged” because it floats. Keep in mind it will be a lot less messy if you bleed the co2 off first, then flip. Doing it in the reverse order coats the lid with honey and will make a mess… ask me how I know? And yes, I can spell my name lol.
Put Harlic in the Phantom Zone (dark humane prison) for his 30-day sentence, only letting him out to rotate and breathe. Believe it or not, I have never read a comic book.
Foaming at the mouth of the jar will start to occur in about 1 day if kept warm. Don’t worry, Harlic does not have rabies… bees are not carriers.
You can start to use Harlic day one however, like wine, the longer you let it sit, the better it gets.
How To (and not) Use Fermented Garlic Honey
There are a ton of recipes that you can use this for. Pretty much remember anytime that you want a sweet garlicy taste, this is an excellent choice. Vegetables like potatoes, carrots, and zucchini all pair well with Fermented Garlic Honey. Another fun idea is a meat glaze however, I would not recommend this for your Christmas Ham… well, unless you are worried about Santa being a vampire. Also, I would not recommend using this to sweeten your morning tea or coffee. I don’t think your spouse would kiss you goodbye on the way to work.
How long will Fermented Garlic Honey Last?
We know honey can last for 3000 years unrefrigerated. Garlic has a long shelf life if left in the protective layer and correct conditions but unfortunately, King Tutankhamun didn’t have any Fermented Garlic Honey in his tomb. Apparently, vampires aren’t 3000 years old. Doing a quick google search shows results of Fermented Garlic Honey lasting 10 or more years. The consensus is, if there is no mold growing on top and it tastes fine, go for it. Mine has not lasted 10 years, heck, mine doesn’t last 6 months but that’s because we use it.
Thank you so much for reading, I am working on some new recipes and would love to hear your ideas on how to use Fermented Garlic Honey (Harlic).
Happy Homesteading
Ben