Fermented Garlic Honey

This recipe depends on the natural wild yeasts and enzymes in both the raw honey and on the garlic skins. Peel the garlic cloves carefully, keeping them completely intact — any bruising will cause them to turn green (a harmless but visually unappealing reaction). Ensure cloves are completely dry — a single drop of water can introduce unwanted bacteria. Place garlic cloves in a clean, dry glass jar (sterilized, no residual soap or water). Pour raw honey over the garlic to submerge all cloves, leaving 2cm of headspace at the top. Stir gently with a clean dry spoon to remove air pockets.

Loosely seal the jar (do not seal airtight — CO2 gas must be able to escape). Place in a warm spot at room temperature (18–25°C), away from direct sunlight. For the first 1–2 weeks, flip the jar upside down daily to ensure the garlic stays submerged and the honey is evenly distributed. Burp the jar every 1–2 days by briefly loosening the lid to release any built-up CO2. After 2 weeks, the daily flipping can stop.

Continue fermenting for a total of 4–6 weeks, tasting the honey (not the garlic) weekly from week 3 onwards. The honey is ready when it has thinned to approximately the consistency of warm maple syrup, turned a deep amber to brown color, and developed a complex flavor: still sweet, but with a mellow tang, a warm fermented depth, and clear garlic and honey notes woven together. The garlic is ready when a clove, tasted, has lost most of its sharp raw pungency and tastes mellow, slightly sweet, and almost candied.

Refrigerate when fermentation has reached your desired depth of flavor. The cold halts fermentation and stabilizes the product. Use the fermented honey as a glaze for roasted meats and vegetables, in salad dressings, as a sweetener in cocktails, or eaten directly from a spoon as a health remedy. The garlic cloves can be eaten whole, sliced into charcuterie boards, chopped into compound butter, or blended into sauces. Always use clean, dry utensils to remove cloves — introduce no water.