Honey Fermented Garlic

Have you noticed a theme? We’ve been experimenting with fermenting things in honey lately, to delicious effect.

Honey fermented garlic is a valuable example of food as medicine, good to have on hand as the weather cools and cold germs abound. Garlic is an excellent immunity booster, and honey is a soothing sweetener for sore throats. The long infusion of garlic cloves in honey flavors the honey strongly, so this is not the honey to drizzle on your breakfast oatmeal! It is, however, excellent as an ingredient in salad dressings or drizzled over pizza, roasted veg or meats. As with the honey fermented cranberries, the fermentation process makes the honey thinner. Pop a garlic clove in your mouth when you feel a cold coming on, or mince the sweet, fermented cloves and scatter them over salads or oven-based meals. For those already suffering from a seasonal cold, some of this garlic honey, along with cayenne and lemon juice in hot water makes a soothing beverage to sip and soothe.

We give amounts here, of garlic and honey, because we’re in the business of writing recipes. But really, any amount of garlic with honey to cover is fine. Choose a raw, unpasteurized honey that pours easily and is not crystallized for this recipe.

Makes about a pint

Directions

Peel the garlic cloves and remove the heel at the bottom of each clove. Lightly crush, but do not completely smash each clove, so that the honey can penetrate more easily. The juice from the garlic also helps thin the honey enough to begin fermentation.
In a pint jar, layer the peeled garlic until the jar is nearly full. Leave about an inch and a half of headspace from the top of the lid.

Pour raw liquid honey over the garlic cloves, enough to cover the garlic, shaking the jar now and then to settle out air bubbles. Cover the garlic completely, but leave at least 1/2” headspace, to allow space for fermentation.
Secure a lid on the pint jar and allow it to sit out on the counter for about 4 weeks. Burp the jar, releasing any built-up gasses every few days, more frequently in the first two weeks.

The garlic cloves will darken slightly, and the honey becomes runnier as it ferments.

It’s fun rolled in sushi, in a ramen bowl, or over rice. The longer it sits, the more pronounced the turnip flavor becomes. At that stage, it would be a delicious contrast to a dish of roasted roots.

Over to You

It’s part of our mission here at Mountain Feed to help you make delicious, sustainable, homemade food more often. Stop by and say hello on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or Pinterest. Or, as always, you can do it the old-fashioned way and come by the store to speak with one of our in-house experts.