How to Make:
Garlic Honey
Honey has long been used as a preservative, as medicine, and a simple sweetener for millions of years. References to this golden nectar have been found in ancient texts from as far back as the Vedic, Sumerian and Egyptian times.
That’s some serious history.
Honey comes in all different colours and flavours, and it’s taste changes from place to place. From dark amber to pale yellow, each bottle can be different than the next. This is part of the magic of a food being harvested by bees.
This autumn, I bought a very large bag of local Ontario garlic. Big enough for my love to comment on how we’ll never run out of garlic. Except for the fact that it’s hard to keep fresh in our house, where it’s too warm in the winter and everything dries up.
I had to figure out how to preserve this garlic for the months to come and voila, Garlic Honey!
Perfect for Cold and Flu Season
This combination brings out the best in each ingredient. Garlic is anti-microbial, anti-viral, and an antibiotic. Pair that with honey’s anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties and you have a potent double hitter cold and flu fighter.
Honey is everlasting, never goes bad and you need not worry about botulism with this combination. Honey isn’t known to cause botulism. Some people keep a jar of honey garlic around for years with no issues. It can be stored on the counter or in a cupboard away from heat and light.
I found the garlic caused bubbles and fermentation like activity in the honey after a few days. Be sure to let the gas out every day or so. Also, the garlic will naturally float up to the top, try flipping the jar over to help keep the garlic covered in honey, but don’t worry about it too much.
As with all honey products, this recipe isn’t for children under 12 months old. If you are allergic to bees and bee products, please do not use.
When to take:
- First sign of a sore throat, sniffles or not feeling well
- Whenever you want!
Add to:
- Tea
- Salad dressings (Like in my Wild Rice Salad)
- Sauces/marinades for meats, tofu or veg
- or take it by the spoonful!
- Raw, unpasteurized, local honey (can be any kind: buckwheat, clover, wildflower, etc.)
- 3-4 heads of garlic
- Using a small or medium sized mason jar, break open heads of garlic to reveal individual cloves. Leave the inner skin on, brush off any outer skin.
- Take unpeeled garlic and pack into the jar.
- Pour honey over garlic and gently poke at the garlic until all cloves are fully submerged.
- Some of the cloves will float over time. You can turn the jar upside down for a few minutes to recover all the garlic with honey.
- Let it sit for at least 24 hours but longer (like a month) is better.
- The honey will darken over time and the garlic will become less pungent.
- Take by the spoonful as soon as you feel a cold coming on. Great for sore throats too!
- Add to salad dressing, hot tea or anything else you'd like the garlic honey flavour.
- Eat the cloves after a while! They are delicious!
- Can be stored on the counter at room temperature. Placing honey in the fridge will cause it to crystallize.
Lindsay Gamester
Certified Nutritional Practitioner & Yoga Teacher
Lindsay is a Certified Nutritional Practitioner, with a passion for whole body/mind care. She believes that supporting wellness through nutrition is more than following a diet. Lindsay's years as a yoga teacher and mindfulness practitioner lead to a compassionate multi-dimensional approach to your health and wellness.
