As the colder months roll in, I love stocking my pantry with simple, homemade remedies that not only taste amazing, but also support my family’s health through the winter season. One of my absolute favorites is fermented garlic in honey. It’s an old-fashioned, natural remedy that’s incredibly easy to make, and once you start using it, you’ll see why it’s such a powerhouse for wellness. This recipe AND MORE are included in my Edible and Herbal Food Forest Guide!

Why Garlic and Honey?

Both garlic and honey are well-known for their medicinal properties. When combined and fermented together, their benefits multiply, creating a potent, soothing, and immune-supporting remedy.

• Garlic is packed with allicin, a natural compound known to fight infections, boost the immune system, and reduce inflammation.
  
• Raw honey is antibacterial, antifungal, and full of enzymes, antioxidants, and minerals that strengthen the body and soothe sore throats.
  

When you ferment garlic in honey, the garlic mellows, becoming sweeter and easier to eat, while the honey transforms into a garlicky syrup that’s deeply nourishing.

The Benefits for Winter

Having a jar of fermented garlic and honey ready in your kitchen is like having a natural first-aid kit for winter wellness. Some of the ways I use it:

• Immune Support: Take a spoonful when you feel a cold or flu coming on.
  
• Soothing Relief: Add to warm (not boiling) tea to help with sore throats and coughs.
  
• Daily Boost: A small clove or spoonful in the morning can help ward off seasonal bugs and give your immune system a steady lift.
  
• Digestive Health: Fermented foods encourage a healthy gut, which is key to overall immunity.
  

A Sweet, Savory Tradition

What I love most about fermented garlic and honey is that it feels like both food and medicine. It’s sweet, savory, and comforting—and it connects me to the generations before us, who leaned on homemade, natural remedies to stay healthy through the long, cold months.

So, as winter approaches, I encourage you to try making your own batch. It doesn't take long, and you’ll have a jar of golden goodness ready to support your body all season long.

The Benefits of having an Edible & Herbal Food Forest:

One of the things I love most about living with an edible and herbal food forest in my suburban backyard is that nearly everything I need for my homemade remedies is right at my fingertips. I grow my own garlic, tucked between fruit trees, berries, and herbs. In the summer, when the garlic leaves are turning brownish/yellowish and starting to fall over, I pull up the bulbs, brush off the soil, and let them cure in the shed.

Later, I’ll sit at my kitchen table with a basket full of that garlic, peeling back the papery skins while a jar of local, raw honey waits beside me. I pour the honey over the cloves and watch as they slowly begin their fermentation dance. There’s something magical about knowing this jar came directly from the land I tend with love—garlic from my soil, and honey from the bees that pollinate my flowers.

When winter colds make their rounds, I don’t have to run to the store. Instead, I simply walk to the pantry, twist open a jar, and spoon out something my garden and my hands created. That’s the heart of self-sufficiency—nourishing your family from the abundance you’ve nurtured.

I have included my FERMENTED GARLIC IN HONEY RECIPE in my Edible & Herbal Food Forest Guide, but also, HERE IS THE LINK TO MY WEBSITE RECIPE PAGE, were you can PRINT this recipe as well. Just know, not all of my recipes are available on my recipe page, so don't miss out on the full guide!!

Always remember:

The Future Is Worth The Patience Of The Present

-Michele

The Homemade Gardener