Have you heard about how awesome local honey is? What about garlic? Did you know you can mix them together? It’s called Garlic Honey, and it’s super tasty while being great at fighting off viruses. I have been brewing a batch since 2018. It has helped me as well as a multitude of friends and family avoid illnesses over the years. Want to learn how to make your own? It only takes a few minutes and lasts a really long time! Let me show you how!
A Friend’s Winter Savior:
“Last winter, my friend Sarah was constantly battling colds. I gave her a jar of my garlic honey, and she started taking a spoonful every morning. She told me it was like a miracle—she didn’t get sick once for the rest of the season! Now, she swears by it and even makes her own batches.”
What you need:
1) A beautiful jar.
Choose a pretty one not just an old pickle jar. You want it to make you happy every time you pick it up to use it. Since you will be using it when you aren’t feeling the greatest, why not choose something like a pretty quilted jar that will bring you some cheer? If this is not your style how about something with interesting designs? What ever your style, pick something that will turn your frown upside down and bring you a bit of joy.
2) HEALTHY GARLIC
You will also need some garlic. I grew mine, which is extremely easy to do and I will write about that soon. Choose some nice big, preferably organic, preferably from a local farmer (check with your local farmers market vendors!), garlic cloves. My late but great Italian Aunt Irene tutored me on how to choose the purple cloves. She was sure that they were superior.
Family Flu Fighter:
“My cousin Jake, who usually catches every bug that goes around, tried my garlic honey when the flu hit his household. While everyone else was bedridden, he only had mild symptoms and bounced back in a day or two. He credits the garlic honey for keeping him on his feet.”
3) A SHARP KNIFE
To smash and chop your amazing garlic you will want to use a fabulously sharp knife. My favorite knives come straight from Japan with a razor sharp edge to them. I once gifted my husband with a really nice knife sharpening stone. He had mentioned how he remembered his grandfather sharpening knives on the farm. After months of waiting in vain for him to show an interest in sharpening our knives, I gave up. I pulled up some YouTube videos and learned the skill myself. Now I can have freshly sharpened knives whenever I have the desire (AND have the time AND the energy).
4) A WOODEN CUTTING BOARD
Wooden cutting boards are my jam for a variety of reasons, the biggest being that wood is naturally anti-bacterial. But, also because they are natural and some of them are down right gorgeous! We have several artisans at our farmers market who create stunning cutting and charcuterie boards from logs on their property. I need another life so I can pick up wood working!
I keep three beautiful, hand crafted wooden cutting boards in my kitchen. The first one is strictly for meats. Then there is one for fruits and a separate one for veggies. This is because no one wants their watermelon to taste like garlic and onions. And yes, wood is naturally anti-bacterial, but I still don’t want to put fresh produce on the meat board.
5) HONEY
All of that glorious garlic needs to be covered with some healthy honey. Not just any honey will do! If at all possible, you want to find a local bee keeper. Check out facebook. Ask a friend. Give your county’s extension office a call to find out who has the best honey local to you!
I consider myself to be very fortunate to know quite a few bee keepers in our area. One even has hives on our ranch. These hives are overflowing with bees. They stay busy pollinating all of the fruits, vegetables and flowers growing on our 130 acres.
Most of the honey sold in stores has been processed and quite a few even have additives in them. As tasty as they may be, they are not the type of honey that has health benefits. Some of the health benefits of local honey are:
- Allergy Relief: Consuming local honey helps reduce seasonal allergies. It has small amounts of pollen. This can help your body build a tolerance over time. It works like how allergy shots work.
- Antioxidants: Honey is rich in antioxidants, which can help protect your body from cell damage caused by free radicals. This may reduce the risk of chronic diseases like heart disease and cancer.
- Cough Suppressant: Honey can soothe a sore throat and reduce coughing. This makes it a natural remedy for colds and respiratory infections. (Garlic honey is great for this!)
- Wound Healing: Applying honey to cuts or burns can promote faster healing. It has antibacterial properties that help prevent infection and speed up recovery.
- Digestive Health: Honey can aid in digestion. It soothes the stomach. Honey also promotes the growth of good bacteria in the gut.
- Energy Boost: Honey is a natural source of carbohydrates, providing a quick energy boost. It’s often used by athletes for sustained energy during exercise.
- Skin Health: Honey is often used in skincare products due to its moisturizing and antibacterial properties. These properties can help with acne. They also help with dry skin.
- Immune Support: The natural enzymes and nutrients in honey can help strengthen the immune system. This makes it easier to fight off illnesses. (Even better with the addition of garlic).
A Quick Recovery:
“My sister Emily felt a sore throat coming on and was worried she’d be sick for her big presentation at work. She took a spoonful of garlic honey every few hours, and by the next day, her throat felt much better. She was able to give her presentation without a hitch and now keeps a jar of garlic honey on hand for emergencies.”
Directions for making Garlic Honey:
- A) Take the flat side of your knife blade, place it on top of a garlic clove and give it a good whack with the palm of your hand. Do this with all of your cloves.
- B) Take that beautiful, sharp edged knife and “rough chop” all of the “smashed” garlic. (I use a nice sharpening stone on a regular basis to keep a nice edge on my knives).
- C) Toss the garlic into your beautiful, thoughtfully chosen vessel. You want your jar to be approximately 3/4 full of garlic.
- D) Pour your local honey over the garlic, covering it, filling the jar to the lip. Place the lid on. Shake a bit to get the garlic well coated with the honey. Allow the air bubbles to escape to the top. It’s at this point that you want to give your goodness a name. Alternatively, you can continue to just call it your “garlic honey”.
- E) Stick the garlic honey goodness in a dark cupboard. Every day for the next moon cycle (fancy term for a lunar month) take your pretty out and give it a gentle shake. That’s it! You’ve just created your very own wonderful anti-viral, homeopathic medicine! It’s not rocket science, don’t over think it, your ancestors didn’t use measurements to fill their natural medicine cabinets! You have this! Really you HAVE THIS!
DIRECTIONS FOR USE:
- 1) When you feel a tickle in your throat, an itch in your ear, a stuffy nose or any other indication that your body is fighting off an unwanted nasty, pull your pretty out. Using a clean spoon, remove a piece of garlic, fill the rest of the spoon with honey. Place it in your pie hole (our family term for mouth), chew on the garlic piece. Let the honey slowly drizzle down your throat. Repeat a few times a day until you are feeling better.
- 2) When you’ve used a quarter of the jar, more or less (MOL), add some more garlic and honey and keep your goodness going. Much like a sourdough starter, which also should have a proper name, it can last for generations! And that is why you want to be choosey about the vessel for your homeopathic remedy.
Travel Health Hack:
“Before a big trip overseas, my friend Tom started taking garlic honey daily to boost his immune system. He’s prone to getting sick when he travels, but this time he came back feeling great, with no signs of the usual travel bugs. He’s convinced the garlic honey made all the difference.”
WHAT CAN GO WRONG?
Making garlic honey is relatively simple, but there are a few potential challenges to be aware of:
- Fermentation: Garlic contains moisture, which can lead to fermentation when mixed with honey. While some fermentation is normal and can add beneficial probiotics, too much can cause the mixture to bubble or overflow, especially if not stored properly.
- Botulism Risk: There is a small risk of botulism, particularly if using raw garlic and honey. This risk is low, but it’s important to use fresh garlic and store the garlic honey in the refrigerator to minimize the chances.
- Strong Flavor: Garlic has a potent flavor that can become more intense over time as it infuses into the honey. Some people might find the taste too strong, especially if they’re not used to raw garlic.
- Sticky Mess: Honey is very sticky, so mixing and handling the garlic honey can be a bit messy. It’s important to use clean utensils and containers to avoid contamination.
- Storage: Proper storage is essential. Garlic honey should be stored in a cool, dark place or the refrigerator to prevent spoilage. Using a clean, airtight container is crucial to maintaining its freshness.
- Patience: Garlic honey takes time to develop its full flavor and potency. It may need to sit for several weeks before it’s ready to use, requiring patience from the maker.
If you have underlying health conditions, always check with your physician before taking any type of supplement. This applies no matter how natural the supplement. I am not a physician but do use nature to help keep me and my tribe healthy.
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