Fermented garlic in honey?

[Jayjay1976]

TBH I came here to troll, but this is a great thread and I'm learning alot. Thanks to all who have contributed. Sorry I'm a wang.

 

[Miraculix]

I had that concern when I chose this jar but I think the article suggests this type.

I just went back and read through it again and found this note. "Cover it loosely with a lid to let the gasses escape." I guess I should do that.

That's not a good solution, it allows for too much oxygen exposure, greetings from Mr. Mold. Just buy a nice glass and fill it into the new one.

 

[bernardsmith]

That's not a good solution, it allows for too much oxygen exposure, greetings from Mr. Mold. Just buy a nice glass and fill it into the new one.

But I wonder: if you are routinely inverting the jar to ensure that the garlic is always submerged then while there is exposure to O2 there is really very little opportunity for mold to build up. Is there?

 

[Miraculix]

But I wonder: if you are routinely inverting the jar to ensure that the garlic is always submerged then while there is exposure to O2 there is really very little opportunity for mold to build up. Is there?

There will be a sticky layer of liquid all over the lid and everywhere else inside. Those areas basically ask for mold if enough oxygen is present.

 

[renrutle]

That's not a good solution, it allows for too much oxygen exposure, greetings from Mr. Mold. Just buy a nice glass and fill it into the new one.

But I wonder: if you are routinely inverting the jar to ensure that the garlic is always submerged then while there is exposure to O2 there is really very little opportunity for mold to build up. Is there?

There will be a sticky layer of liquid all over the lid and everywhere else inside. Those areas basically ask for mold if enough oxygen is present.

All good observations. I thought about using a standard airlock at first but was unsure how to keep it from getting gummed up with honey when I invert the jar. Does any one have a suggestion? My initial plan was to follow the article as closely as possible and see what happens. I do know that vinters commonly open the fermenter to punch-the-cap or submerge the floating grape skins to prevent the growth of mold.

One option would be to use fermenting weights to keep the garlic submerged so the jar does not need to be inverted and an airlock can be used. I don't have any so I will continue with my current procedure with the addition of keeping it in a hopefully bottle-bomb-proof box.

I'm not recommending for or against this item; it is just the first example I found.

https://www.amazon.com/fermentation-fermenting-vegetables-Dishwasher-safe-Premium/dp/B078KDJCNG


On a procedural note I have been burping the jar a few times a day and inverting for a few seconds after doing so. I am trying to keep the lid only loosely closed. The honey is noticeably more runny. Burps still smells of lots of garlic.

 

[Tartan1]

All good observations. I thought about using a standard airlock at first but was unsure how to keep it from getting gummed up with honey when I invert the jar. Does any one have a suggestion? My initial plan was to follow the article as closely as possible and see what happens. I do know that vinters commonly open the fermenter to punch-the-cap or submerge the floating grape skins to prevent the growth of mold.

One option would be to use fermenting weights to keep the garlic submerged so the jar does not need to be inverted and an airlock can be used. I don't have any so I will continue with my current procedure with the addition of keeping it in a hopefully bottle-bomb-proof box.

I'm not recommending for or against this item; it is just the first example I found.

https://www.amazon.com/fermentation-fermenting-vegetables-Dishwasher-safe-Premium/dp/B078KDJCNG


On a procedural note I have been burping the jar a few times a day and inverting for a few seconds after doing so. I am trying to keep the lid only loosely closed. The honey is noticeably more runny. Burps still smells of lots of garlic.

I thought about using these https://www.norcalbrewingsolutions.com/store/Wide-Mouth-Canning-Jar-Perf-Pusher.html to make my fermented pickles. I've tried glass weights before, but found its tough keeping the pickle slices, spices, and the currant leaves submerged. The weights tend to shift as the ferment starts to develop. Not sure how imperative it is to rotate the jar with your fermented garlic, I've never tried the honey garlic ferment before but looks interesting. With these you add the airlock and the pusher screen keeps things submerged.

 

[OpenSights]

I thought about using these https://www.norcalbrewingsolutions.com/store/Wide-Mouth-Canning-Jar-Perf-Pusher.html to make my fermented pickles. I've tried glass weights before, but found its tough keeping the pickle slices, spices, and the currant leaves submerged. The weights tend to shift as the ferment starts to develop. Not sure how imperative it is to rotate the jar with your fermented garlic, I've never tried the honey garlic ferment before but looks interesting. With these you add the airlock and the pusher screen keeps things submerged.

Thanks for the link! I’ll have to order some of those!

That's not a good solution, it allows for too much oxygen exposure, greetings from Mr. Mold. Just buy a nice glass and fill it into the new one.

What would make a good vessel? Maybe a small crock? But then you can’t flip it... sorry other than pickles, eggs I’m not a newbie. Is flipping really needed, and if so, why?

I have a decent idea about the ins and outs of brewing, but fermenting food, no clue.

 

[renrutle]

What would make a good vessel? Maybe a small crock? But then you can’t flip it... sorry other than pickles, eggs I’m not a newbie. Is flipping really needed, and if so, why?

I have a decent idea about the ins and outs of brewing, but fermenting food, no clue.

The key is to keep the food to be fermented submerged in the brine; or in this case the honey. This helps to prevent mold from growing on the exposed vegetables. Unfortunately the garlic wants to float quite high in the honey. The initial article mentioned flipping the jar to keep everything coated in honey so I'm doing this. The devices mentioned would keep everything submerged so flipping would not be necessary.

 

[Miraculix]

All good observations. I thought about using a standard airlock at first but was unsure how to keep it from getting gummed up with honey when I invert the jar. Does any one have a suggestion? My initial plan was to follow the article as closely as possible and see what happens. I do know that vinters commonly open the fermenter to punch-the-cap or submerge the floating grape skins to prevent the growth of mold.

One option would be to use fermenting weights to keep the garlic submerged so the jar does not need to be inverted and an airlock can be used. I don't have any so I will continue with my current procedure with the addition of keeping it in a hopefully bottle-bomb-proof box.

I'm not recommending for or against this item; it is just the first example I found.

https://www.amazon.com/fermentation-fermenting-vegetables-Dishwasher-safe-Premium/dp/B078KDJCNG


On a procedural note I have been burping the jar a few times a day and inverting for a few seconds after doing so. I am trying to keep the lid only loosely closed. The honey is noticeably more runny. Burps still smells of lots of garlic.

Mate just buy a standard glass with rubber sealing and be done with it. No need to overcomplicate things. Fido is a good brand top look for.

 

[Miraculix]

I thought about using these https://www.norcalbrewingsolutions.com/store/Wide-Mouth-Canning-Jar-Perf-Pusher.html to make my fermented pickles. I've tried glass weights before, but found its tough keeping the pickle slices, spices, and the currant leaves submerged. The weights tend to shift as the ferment starts to develop. Not sure how imperative it is to rotate the jar with your fermented garlic, I've never tried the honey garlic ferment before but looks interesting. With these you add the airlock and the pusher screen keeps things submerged.

This is what I meant with overcomplicating. An air lock might look fancy but is not necessary. The pressure will be released along the rubber sealing, if a good glass is being used, while air is not allowed to get in.

This is fancy stuff they sell to brewers who want to have fancy stuff. Money making, but no point using it.


Something like this does the job:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bormioli-C...keywords=fido+glass+jar&qid=1575364349&sr=8-4

 

[zahir.husein]

Infection is a relative term. Grain (so beer) is very susceptible to lactobacterial infection and lactic bacteria will compete with the yeast for the sugars in the grain and will produce lactic acids which will make your beer sour. There are also other bacteria and molds that love grain and are in the air and because your beer is at a relatively high pH (around 5.2) your wort and beer are party houses. Honey is not as inviting and it is not entirely obvious (to me, at least) that this fermentation is about mead making as much as it may be about the use of lacto-bacteria to ferment the honey. I am thinking that what the garlic bring to the table are these bacteria and so you are creating a lactic fermentation - in much the same way you might pickle cucumbers or cabbage by adding enough brine to prevent any mold or spoilage bacteria from thriving but which encourages lactic bacteria on the vegetables to multiply. I am thinking that the bacteria on the garlic multiply in the presence of honey at a concentration that inhibits or restricts other mold and other unpleasant bacteria that would otherwise "spoil" the honey in ways you and I would not like. The lacto-spoilage we do like almost as much as we love the way that yeast infect and spoil fruit.

Of course, I could be completely mistaken but I suspect this has nothing to do with alcoholic fermentation...

Does fermented garlic and honey produce alcohol

 

[bernardsmith]

Hi zahir.husein and welcome.
I don't know that garlic has enough (or any) simple sugars to allow the yeast to ferment it* but honey will ferment 100% (or as near as) to ethanol... Fermented honey - and you need to dilute the honey so that around 1.5 K is dissolved in water to make about 4 L of solution for the concentration of sugar to be such that the yeast can easily transport the honey through their cell walls. Lower concentrations work better but higher concentrations work too although you really need to know what you are doing and you really need to have on hand the yeast that can handle that kind of syrup - is called mead and mead was perhaps one of the earliest wines ever drunk in human history (all you need is a hive that has been drenched by rain or flooded by river water and the honey will self ferment because it is so full of yeast carried by the bees to their hives (but under normal conditions the honey is just too lacking moisture to ferment).
* I can see how you can enable lactic bacteria to grow and "pickle" honey but that kind of fermentation does not result in alcohol but in the production of lactic acid.

 

[LuukGx]

I know i'm bumping an old thread but be careful with garlic & honey from a botulism perspective..

 

[Frusty]

@LuukGx I'm wondering how you would tell if there is a problem with this stuff. I have a batch of garlic-fermented honey that's about 2 years old and still smells and tastes great. Is there reason for concern?

 

[Miraculix]

@LuukGx I'm wondering how you would tell if there is a problem with this stuff. I have a batch of garlic-fermented honey that's about 2 years old and still smells and tastes great. Is there reason for concern?

No Problem!

 

[Frusty]

I like your confidence @Miraculix . I think it's a great project for people who are new to fermentation - pretty hard to screw up.

 

[Miraculix]

Thanks. It's like that with almost all fermented foods. If it looks wrong (mold for example) or smells wrong (like vomit or other unpleasant smell), don't eat it.

 

[user 263363]

I just happened to stumble upon this thread while browsing. I made a batch of this about a month ago and it is so dang good. I put it on a lot of different foods with pizza being my favorite!

The next batch I make I plan to put some dried chili flakes in for some heat.