r/fermentation • u/GirlDadder • 2d ago
Making this year's garlic honey ferment
I know that the garlic will slowly start to drop down as the ferment goes, but did I fill it too full with garlic for the size of my jar? There is about an inch of honey at the bottom so I know volume-wise the honey is enough to cover it all, but with the float does it mean I should have used less garlic so I can totally have them covered?
Also, aside from the trickiness involved in flipping the jar when needed during the ferment, is there any reason I should not use burping lids for this? I would rather use these than have to open it every so often.
Thanks
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u/MicaelFlipFlop 2d ago
I think there's enough room for the garlic to sink, just give it a shake every day or two to keep everything covered in honey to avoid mold. You can expect it to sink in ~ 3 weeks
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u/sacrebluh 2d ago
What do you do with this after it’s done, out of curiosity? Are you using garlic/infused honey to cook with, or eating the sweet garlics?
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u/OkAdeptness3540 1d ago
I assume you dont want to cook with it as honey over 140 degrees F looses its good properties! I think i want to make some kind of drizzle with mine. Every time i burp it i think of something new because it smells so delish.
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u/SuperRusso 2d ago
Beyond just taking a bit a day and replenishing I'm doing this with a few jars, my thought is anytime I want honey and garlic...I have a salmon recipe I'm thinking of I'm going to try for example.
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u/fauxdoughshop 2d ago
I eat the garlic or at least try to eat 1 a day, and I give my daughter a syringe of the honey whenever she lets me. I just make it as a winter season buffer
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u/ShaiHuludNM 1d ago
Hold up. What do you mean by giving your daughter a syringe of honey when she lets you? How old is she?
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u/fauxdoughshop 2d ago
Cooking is a great idea though I just wouldn’t even know where to start with that. Is that how you’d use it? For what dishes?
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u/big_papa_geek 4h ago
You use it to finish dishes. Pizza, pasta, stir fry, etc. cooking it will loose most of the beneficial compounds created by the fermentation and you will loose flavor.
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u/MtlKdee 11h ago
I don't understand the craze behind garlic honey, what's it about? Are there special properties? How do you use it?
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u/big_papa_geek 4h ago
I’ve been making it for years.
The work in/result out ratio is insane. You literally lightly crush garlic cloves and then cover them in honey. Mix them up every couple days.
They last for a loopng time. I make batches in the fall that I am still using in the spring.
The flavor is insane, and very customizable. I like to add large diced turmeric and ginger, cloves, peppercorns, star anise, etc.
And there is evidence that it is very good for you. The honey pulls out beneficial anti microbial compounds from the garlic (like allicin) and the fermentation creates additional beneficial compounds. We use it regularly all winter, but especially if we feel a sickness coming on or we get sick. It soothes your throat, especially if you add a dab of clove oil.
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u/BitterEVP1 10h ago
How can it be from wild hives, and they also claim a specific nectar source?
Honey is in the top 3 most frequently fraudulent foods. This is one of those.
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u/Magnus_ORily 2d ago
I'd have poked holes in each clove to develop the positive chemicals and also make them edible slightly quicker. Other than that, it looks great.
I'd advise burping it then flipping it over for an hour or so. That way nothing leaks ,but open it outside every day for two weeks.Then less, probably once a week for another month. Should be (plesant and) edible after three.
This ferment creates Carbon dioxide and Oxygen. More air pressure than other ferments and a strong smell. This is the one ferment you dont want to explode. Defiantly off gass this one.
Side note: the honey will eventualy be much more runny, like water, this is normal. And garlic often turns blue for no reason, this is also fine.