I know, it's only September... but, it is never too early to plan for flu season! This homemade garlic-honey immune booster is shelf-stable, so making it early does no harm and saves you some work later on. Also, the longer this sits, the more potent it becomes, making for a powerhouse of a health tonic.
Last year, unfortunately, my husband brought home a nasty bug and we were fumbling to keep it contained. I had some elderberry syrup and this amazing garlic-honey ferment, so I started taking them religiously. Long story short, I didn't get sick! I was a little exhausted by the end of the week from taking care of my husband and my youngest son (who did not take my concoctions), but I came out better than I expected.
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| Peel your garlic with the two-bowl method! |
- about 3 large bulbs garlic
- 2 cups raw, unfiltered honey
- 1 qt. mason jar with lid
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| Garlic-Honey, ready for fermentation |
To make this ferment, all you need to do is peel the garlic (here is a video on how to easily peel large amounts of garlic). Then, place the garlic in your mason jar and cover with honey.
The honey will sit for about 4 days before fermenting (depending on the temperature of your kitchen). It will not ferment completely, meaning that it will never be alcoholic, but it will release the medicinal, antiviral, antibacterial juices from the garlic cloves and produce lactic acid, which has immune-boosting properties!
Be sure to "burp" your jar at least once a day after fermenting has begun! The gasses from fermentation need to escape so your jar doesn't explode.
When the ferment is done bubbling and the garlic has fallen to the bottom of the jar, it is ready to go! When needed, adults can take a 1 teaspoon dose, three times daily. More of this ferment will not hurt you, since the ingredients are also food! This ferment is also safe for children over 1. Just check for dosage on this handy chart-and remember, an adult dose is 1 teaspoon.
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| Bubbles mean fermentation! |
You CAN enjoy health this winter, with a little help from God's herbal pharmacy!
Coming up, how to make elderberry syrup... :)
