Honey-Garlic Goodness: Boosting Your Immune System

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Honey and garlic have been a staple in people’s homes for thousands of years, not only because of the flavour they add to the food but also because they are considered to have wonderful health benefits that help boost the immune system. So when you get to combine the two of them in a fermented process, the results are not only great for your kitchen but also for your health, and if you are not a fan of garlic, you’ll be amazed at how much more mellow it tastes after the fermentation time is given.

Honey-Garlic Recipe

For the recipe, you’ll need:

•Glass Jar (the size you choose will determine the amount of garlic and honey that you will need)

Ingredients:

• Honey (preferably unpasteurized)

• Garlic (preferably organic), peeled and minced

Preparation:

1: Place the minced garlic in the glass jar and fill it about 3/4 full.

2: Slowly pour the honey over the garlic to cover it.

3: Close the lid tightly and let the process begin.

4: Leave the glass jar in a dark, dry cupboard for thirty days.

During this time, you’ll have to slightly open the lid every night to let the pressure out and avoid the jar from exploding. The pressure will ease day by day.

After thirty days, your honey and garlic will be ready! Whether you want to use it in a recipe (honey garlic chicken anyone?), take a spoonful once in a while as an immune booster, or take it like my family does: every time we feel we are coming down with a cold, the choice is yours.

Things to note:

• This is a month-long process to let the garlic ferment in the honey. You can leave it for longer, and the longer it sits, the sweeter the flavour of the garlic will be.

• Bubbles are going to happen, and they are okay and normal.

• Sometimes the garlic will turn blue or dark green; this is normal too and is due to the chemical reactions that are happening.

• The honey and garlic are safe to eat before the thirty days; we just think it is tastier after.

• When you "burp" the glass jar (slightly open the lid to release pressure), the garlic smell will be rather strong. If you’re not okay with that, I suggest you do the burping of your glass jar in an open space.

• Everyone who has no allergies to both honey and garlic and is over a year old or older can enjoy their benefits.

• Botulism spores reproduce at a PH greater than 4.6. Raw honey is acidic, so botulism concerns are low. But if you are concerned and want to be on the safe side, you can use a PH test strip before consuming your honey garlic.

If you enjoy honey and garlic, I sure hope you try and delight in this recipe! Let us know what you think.