How to Make (and Use) Fermented Garlic Honey
Fermented Garlic Honey
Garlic honey was introduced to the world decades ago by herbalist Rosemary Gladstar, and it continues to be a favorite for natural health seekers. Honey and garlic each have antimicrobial properties, and combined together they make a powerful duo for both taste and healing benefits.
This is not something to wait to prepare until you are feeling under the weather. It takes a month or longer to reach maximum potency, so make it up now to have ready when needed.
Like many herbal remedies, this works best as an illness prevention rather than healer. To use, eat a clove every day during the flu season. If you feel like you are beginning to fight an illness, take a spoon of the honey with a clove every hour or as needed. Most people can tolerate the raw garlic, but if you have any stomach issues or reactions, stop use.
But you do not have to use garlic honey only medicinally. It makes a nice flavoring (and general health boost) in a number of dishes. My favorite way to use garlic honey in everyday cooking is as a sweetener in salad dressing. I’ll share a favorite recipe at the end of this blog. Thanks for reading!
How to Make Fermented Garlic Honey
Sterilize a glass jar in a hot water bath and dry thoroughly. Peel enough garlic cloves to fill your jar. (While there are faster methods for peeling a lot of garlic, it is best not to soak your cloves in water during the peeling process to avoid introducing mold to your ferment). Place peeled garlic cloves into your sterilized jar. Fill with raw honey to at least 1” above the cloves. Seal with a lid. Set on counter at room temperature out of direct sunlight. Rotate placing the jar on its lid and its base every 12 hours for 3 days to make sure honey coats the garlic well. Open the lid briefly after 3 days to release any built-up gases. Place jar in fridge. Begin using at about 1 month. Can be kept in fridge for up to a year.
Peas and Bacon Tossed Salad
There is probably not been a trip our family has taken in the past 12 years that I have not taken along this salad. I think of it as our “travel salad”, and my husband takes it for granted that there will be one of these salads in the ice chest for him when we pull over for lunch the first day of travel. It is so easy to prepare ahead of time, and I also love the immune boost from it thanks to the fermented garlic honey in the dressing.
How to Make Salad
Dressing:
~ 1/2 cup mayonnaise
~1/4 tsp. sea salt
~1/4 tsp. black pepper
~1-2 tsp. fermented garlic honey
Combine in small bowl and stir well with a fork.
In a large bowl, layer chopped greens, frozen peas, and grated Swiss cheese. Add a dollop of dressing to taste. Repeat layers. Top with cooked, crumbled bacon if desired. Refrigerate until serving. Right before eating, toss with a fork to mix all ingredients.