Fermented Garlic Honey Recipe

I would consider myself a beginner when it comes to fermenting. I’ve messed around with a few experiments, but I’m not one to have bubbling jars on my kitchen shelf. That said, I will always make room in my pantry for fermented garlic honey—it’s easy to make, calls for only two ingredients, stores well, and is SO delicious. This is a great beginner fermenting project. 

I find myself sneaking a spoonful of this sweet, garlicky, spicy honey throughout the day. Once you try it, you’ll wonder why anyone bothers eating honey that isn’t infused with garlic. 

How to Safely Ferment Garlic Honey

Let’s get the important stuff out of the way first. Anytime you store garlic, there is a chance of botulism. This recipe adds fresh cloves of garlic into raw honey, which is naturally acidic and stops bacterial growth. 

That said, if you have concerns, test the honey before eating it. If the pH level is above 4.6, you can add some apple cider vinegar to raise the acidity. It will speed up the fermenting process and will water down the honey, but it’ll be just as delicious. 

Use Raw Honey

This recipe is about as easy as it gets. First you need a lot of garlic. How much? Well, 15 to 20 cloves. That’s about two heads of garlic. You could do less and get plenty of garlic flavor, but it tastes better with more.  

Add the garlic cloves to a clean jar along with some crushed red pepper flakes. Then, cover with raw honey. It is important to use raw honey for this recipe or it will not ferment. You can find raw honey at most major grocery stores these days. The label should say raw honey on it. 

Seal the jar and store it in a cool place. Now the hardest part: WAIT.

Shake and Burp the Garlic Honey

Keep an eye on the jar for the first few days. Give it a shake once a day to make sure the garlic is covered in the honey. Also, open the jar once a day to “burp” it and let off any built-up gas. Exploding honey jars aren’t fun. 

After five days, your honey will be ready and you can slather it on whatever your heart desires!

Can You Eat the Garlic?

While the honey is the star of the show, I’m not one to waste garlic. It’s definitely good—milder than raw garlic, but not as mild as roasted garlic. I tried a clove straight out of the jar—for science—and found it to be pretty tasty, although it was a little bitter.

That said, I'd cook with the garlic—add them to these delicious mini pretzels! You can rinse off the cloves, if the honey won’t mesh with the recipe, or use them as is. Another way I love using the garlic? Mince a clove and mash it with softened butter. Put that on toast with a drizzle of the fermented garlic honey and it’s a next-level garlic toast. 

More Ideas for Using This Garlic Honey

This garlic honey might be the most versatile condiment out there. I’m having a hard time thinking of things you couldn’t put this on.  

• This honey is made for pizza—a must-try!
• Smeared on toast or dip for bread 
• Drizzled on grilled meats like lamb, pork chops, or even burgers
• Drizzled on grain salads
• In an egg or breakfast sandwich
• Drizzled on ice cream

 For the Love of Garlic

• Roasted Garlic
• Garlic Confit
• Garlic Bread
• Roasted Garlic Chicken
• Roasted Garlic White Pizza Sauce

Start the ferment: 

Add the garlic into a clean pint jar along with red pepper flakes, if using. Add the honey and stir. Seal the jar and store in a cool dry place.

Burp and shake the jar: 

At least once a day for 5 days, shake the jar to make sure the garlic is covered with honey. Once bubbles start to form in the honey, open the jar once a day to release any built-up gas.

Store: 

Allow the garlic honey to ferment for 5 days before enjoying. You can then keep the honey in your pantry for 6 months. After 3 to 4 weeks, I remove the garlic from the honey and transfer the garlic to the fridge for cooking. You might see some discoloration in the garlic—that is fine. 

Use the honey drizzled on pizza, breads, toast, meats, or pretty much anything.

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