I’m sure you’ve seen the videos floating around social media about starting this wonderful home remedy this time of year. It is time! Honey Fermented Garlic is a beautiful immune-boosting tool to add to your medicine cabinet this winter. I’m going to walk you through why you should add this to your medicinal arsenal and how to make your very own Honey Fermented Garlic to combat winter illnesses, among other things. First, I will break down each of the components and discuss their individual benefits. Then, we will discuss how these two herbals when combined, offer a powerhouse of health benefits. Lastly, I’ll walk you through the simple process so you can get your own started.

DISCLAIMER: The information provided should not be used for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, and those seeking personal medical advice should consult with a licensed physician. Always seek the advice of your doctor or other qualified health provider regarding a medical condition.

Honey

I don’t think there is a single person in the world who hasn’t at least heard of honey. But, most of the world treats this liquid gold as nothing more than a sweetener. While honey is primarily sugar, it is also “a mix of amino acids, vitamins, minerals, iron, zinc, and antioxidants.”¹

Historically, mankind used honey in a variety of ways since the beginning of time. The first Biblical reference, found in Genesis, involves honey given as a gift from one leader to another.² The considered honey precious and a honored gift, a form of liquid gold, if you will.

The ancient Egyptians used honey to heal their sick and to embalm their dead. Ancient Indian medicine (Ayurvedic), used honey to treat coughs, skin issues, insomnia, and even apply to the eyes to improve eyesight. Hippocrates favored various applications of honey to treat pain, thirst, and fevers.

In 1892 a Dutch scientist discovered the antibacterial properties of honey, confirming thousands of years of use in folk medicine.³ Through further study, scientists discovered that the low, consistent dosage of hydrogen peroxide in honey contributes to the healing process. Not only is it antibacterial, but it is antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, has antioxidant properties and aids in cellular growth.⁴ As you can see, honey is a pretty powerful substance with a rich history of use in both culinary and medical applications. Now, let’s see what garlic has to offer.

Garlic

Almost every country in the world cultivates Garlic (Allium sativum) on commercial and local scales. (I happen to have planted about 300 cloves in my garden just a couple of months ago and can’t wait to get to use it in our home apothecary. I planted this variety.) Garlic is one of the oldest cultivated plants and is well documented throughout history in various cultures. It is known throughout the world for it’s potent flavor and aroma and has been used not only for culinary enjoyment, but also in a variety of medical applications. In fact, throughout history, garlic was the first treatment to arrive on the scene during epidemics.⁵

Apparently there is a debate over where garlic originated. Some believe it is native to Asia and most historians pinpoint it’s country of origin as China. However, the Sumerians used garlic for it’s healing properties and some scholars believe the Sumerians introduced garlic to China. Regardless of exactly where garlic originated, the fact remain that it spread throughout the Old World and quickly made it’s way to the New World.

Chinese culture utilized garlic as a stimulant and recommended it to those suffering from depression. Indian medicine used garlic as a cure for a poor appetite, cough, skin disease, and joint inflammation. The Ancient Egyptians fed garlic to their slaves to make them strong and capable of hard work. (Archaeologists even found garlic in King Tut’s tomb!) Ancient Israelis used garlic as an anti-parasitic, among other things. Pliny the Elder, a Roman physician from the 1st century AD, considered garlic a ‘universal remedy’. I happen to agree with him.

Garlic continued to make its way throughout the world and eventually made it to Great Britain by the 16th century, (though some historians argue garlic may have been present in England before that time). Russians used garlic for its antibiotic properties long after antibiotics were available, earning it the name ‘Russian penicillin’. Through the centuries, garlic has gained recognition as not only a delicious ingredient, but also a powerful medicine.

Garlic’s primary health component is allicin. Scientists know allicin inhibits the growth of bacteria and fungi and can completely kill the cells. This includes MRSA. ⁶ While I will refrain form making other health claims I’m sure you can understand why this humble food is such a powerhouse medicinal. Let’s talk about the process of fermentation.

Fermentation

Simply put, fermentation is “is the process of sugars being broken down by enzymes of microorganisms in the absence of oxygen.”⁷

Examples of common fermented foods include kombucha, yogurt, sauerkraut, kimchi, kefir, and sourdough breads. The process of fermentation is well documented throughout human history and served as a preservation method for perishable foods long before the advent of refrigeration. One of the benefits of fermentation is that while it partially breaks down a food, it also preserves it, or slows down their spoilage factor AND make the nutrients more bioavailable for their consumer. This process makes a huge different in gut health and the use of homemade probiotics.

Honey Fermented Garlic

I’ve told you about the wonders of both of these ingredients and what fermentation does. Now, let me explain why these wonderful foods, combined and then fermented, offer a powerhouse remedy for a wide range of illnesses. It may seem strange to combine garlic with something sweet, but honey pair quite well with garlic for culinary purposes. Add the fermentation element and the benefits of both the garlic and honey become more readily available for your body to use. Fermenting this mixture increases the potency of the nutritional benefits and activates enzymes unavailable in its raw form.

Honey Fermented Garlic may aid in digestion, address sinus congestion, fight viral and bacterial infections, and boost the immune system.

Are you ready to make you Honey Fermented Garlic?

The process of making honey fermented garlic is very simple! Peel enough garlic cloves to fill half your jar (or a little more, it doesn’t have to be exact). You can slightly crush the cloves if you want, but there is no need to mince or chop the garlic. Keeping the cloves mostly intact makes it easier to consume.

After you add your desire amount of garlic in your jar, fill the jar mostly to the top with honey. You can stir it up or put a lid on the jar and tip it back and forth until the garlic is coated in honey. Then put on a loose lid and let it sit in a cool dark place. Fermentation is complete after only 48 hours, but you can let it sit longer. I let mine sit for a couple of weeks in a cabinet, before putting it in the fridge. Once the fermentation process if complete, you can keep your jar in the fridge for when you need it. It’s really that simple!

If you aren’t comfortable fermenting it on the counter or in a cabinet, do the same process but store it in the fridge. It will take several weeks for fermentation to complete with this method.

How to Use Your Honey Fermented Garlic

Eat it! (haha) Seriously though, if you are starting to feel under the weather, grab a clove of garlic out of your jar and eat it. The sweetness of the honey will temper some of the spice of the garlic and the benefits of the garlic are infused in the honey so if you don’t want to chew on a clove of garlic, you can eat a spoonful of the honey.

I dose my children the same way. I’m not saying they are huge fans, but it makes the difference in fighting off illness and keeps up out of the doctor’s office. I reward them with a treat after. Personally, I think it tastes amazing! I can totally see cooking chicken with it or smearing it on a piece of fresh bread. Heating will decrease the medicinal benefit slightly.

NOTE: Children under 1 year old should not consume honey.

One last thing before you go. I want to share a personal testimony, I really do use this stuff. A few weeks ago, I felt the tingles of post nasal drainage and sinuses filling up. Exhausted and without time to spare for illness (who ever has time to be sick), I reached for my jar of honey fermented garlic in the fridge. After 36 hours of eating a clove or two every 4-6 hours, I had no more symptoms and felt amazing!

I hope you enjoy this delicious and nutritious food/medicine. It really does works!

Sources

1. https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements-honey/ ↩︎
2. Genesis 43:11-Jacob sends honey with his sons to Pharaoh’s right hand man, Joseph, though he didn’t know at the time, Pharaoh’s right hand man was his son Jospeh who had been sold into slavery by his brothers 20 years earlier. ↩︎
3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3758027/#:~:text=The%20ancient%20Egyptians%20offered%20honey,a%20topical%20ointment%20(31). ↩︎
4. https://touroscholar.touro.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1129&context=sjlcas#:~:text=The%20Antimicrobial%20Activity%20of%20Honey&text=In%201882%2C%20a%20Dutch%20scientist,was%20increased%20by%20limited%20dilution. ↩︎
5. There is documentation that doctors used garlic on citizens of Marseille during the plague of 1720, sparing over 1,000 people. Garlic was used against cholera, typhoid fever, diphtheria, and influenza. It worked well in the infamous Spanish Flu of 1917-1918. ↩︎
6. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4103721/#:~:text=Furthermore%2C%20allicin%20inhibits%20proliferation%20of,proliferative%20effect%20of%20garlic%20derivatives. ↩︎
7. https://www.labmanager.com/the-science-of-fermentation-1432 ↩︎