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Fermentation of garlic #822985

Asked March 20, 2023, 11:09 PM EDT

Can you safely ferment garlic in honey, there are numerous sources online raving about this. Peal raw garlic and fill with pure raw honey, ferments for atleast a month with airlock and turning frequently. We have done numerous batches and consistently test ph between 3.6 and 4.1

Boise County Idaho

Expert Response

There are no research-based recipes to prove that fermenting garlic in raw honey is a safe practice or how to do it safely. This may risky for several reasons. Garlic is a low acid plant food (pH ~5.8), and honey varies from low to high acidity (pH 3.4 - 6.1). Therefore, one batch of honey may have a low pH while another may have a higher pH. Using a pH strip to test the pH is not an accurate measure. An accurate pH meter tends to be expensive.  

The water activity of honey is low due to high sugar content. But when the two are combined, what is the final water activity? It depends on the ratio of garlic to honey, plus other factors.

Other concerns are the risk of botulism, due to the fact that botulism has occurred in garlic in oil. Honey can also be a source of infant botulism in children under age one. So we know that botulism is present in both garlic and honey. If the right conditions become present, it could very well germinate and produce the botulism toxin. 

An Ask Extension Expert Replied March 21, 2023, 11:21 AM EDT

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