Fermented Garlic in Honey
These two pantry staples are taken to new heights with the ancient technique of fermentation. Not only will fermentation lengthen the shelf life of perishable food, but by eating fermented food you will be introducing probiotics to your diet, which are known to aid with digestion. It smells and tastes pretty incredible too.
Ingredients
- 1 cup honey (or more, as needed to cover garlic.)
- 1 cup whole garlic cloves (peeled and slightly crushed)
Instructions
- Add the peeled garlic cloves into a wide-mouth jar (500ml is ideal). Pour over honey, making sure all the garlic is submerged.
- Screw on the lid loosely, and store in a dark place. The back of the pantry always works well! By not screwing the lid on completely you are allowing wild yeast to interact with the mix (aiding in fermentation) and to release some of the gases that will be forming.
- Every two days, flip the jar upside down. This helps to ensure that every clove of garlic is covered with honey. When you do this don't forget to tighten the lid first.
- Return to an upright position, loosen the lid and store back in the dark pantry.
- Within a few days to a week, small bubbles start to form on the surface of the honey. Hello fermentation!
- The honey garlic will ferment for about a month. The flavour will have really developed, the garlic will mellow and the honey will be much runnier.
- Store in a cool place for many months, up to a year.
To use
- You can eat the garlic and honey as is, or add it to other dishes like stir fries and marinades.
Notes
It’s important to use Beechworth Honey, as natural honey is essential in this recipe as it will still have all the bacteria and wild yeast that is necessary for fermentation. Just as important as the natural honey, you must use fresh garlic with no signs of rotting or mould. The small amount of juice from the garlic will create just enough liquid for fermentation to happen.Â
