The combination of honey, garlic, and cloves is a powerful natural remedy often referred to as a natural antibiotic. While it might sound like a strange mix, these three ingredients work together to boost your immune system and fight off seasonal illnesses.
Each ingredient brings a unique strength to the jar:
- Garlic: Contains allicin, which has strong antimicrobial and heart-health properties.
- Honey: Acts as a natural preservative and a soothing agent for the throat and digestive tract.
- Cloves: Packed with eugenol, cloves are highly anti-inflammatory and provide a massive dose of antioxidants.
When you let these sit together, the honey draws out the juices from the garlic and the essential oils from the cloves, creating a potent syrup that can last for months.
Why This Mix Works
This remedy is particularly famous for its ability to help with respiratory issues and blood circulation. Garlic helps thin the blood and lower cholesterol, while cloves help numb minor pains and kill bacteria in the mouth and gut. The honey makes the intense flavor of the garlic much more bearable, turning it into a fermented treat rather than a pungent chore.
Note: Using raw, unpasteurized honey is key here, as it contains the live enzymes needed for the fermentation process.
Fermented Honey Garlic and Cloves Recipe
This recipe is simple to make and follows the classic fermentation method. It gets better the longer it sits!
Ingredients:
- 1 cup Raw honey
- 12-15 cloves Fresh garlic (peeled and slightly smashed)
- 5-7 Whole cloves
- 1 Clean glass jar with a lid
Instructions:
- Prep the Garlic: Peel the garlic cloves and give them a gentle smash with the side of a knife. You don’t want to mince them; just crack them enough to release the allicin.
- Combine: Place the smashed garlic and the whole cloves into your glass jar.
- Pour: Pour the raw honey over the garlic and cloves. Make sure they are completely submerged.
- Wait: Close the lid and store the jar in a dark cupboard at room temperature.
- Burp the Jar: For the first week, open the jar once a day to let out any built-up gas (carbon dioxide) from the fermentation. You will notice the honey becoming much runnier.
- Usage: After about 2 to 4 weeks, it is ready. You can eat one clove of garlic a day or take a spoonful of the honey when you feel a cold coming on.
Safety and Storage
- Storage: This mixture can stay good for up to a year in a cool, dark place.
- Warning: Never give honey (especially raw honey) to infants under one year old due to the risk of botulism.
- Quality: If you see bubbles, don’t worry—that’s just the fermentation working! However, if you see mold or it smells “off” (like vinegar or rot), toss it out and start over.
