Small Batch Artisanal Raw Honey Infused With Sprouted Garlic

Brought to you by the “Because plain artisanal raw honey is too mainstream” department

I got the idea for this from a post on David Wolfe’s blog about the health benefits of combining raw honey and garlic. I like garlic and I like honey, so I decided to see if they go great together like peanut butter and chocolate, or if they’re a bad combination like alcohol and bitter tears. Which is it? Let’s find out!

The Ingredients

• Garlic bulb(s)
• Raw honey, preferably made locally

I didn’t want to go shopping, so I decided to use what I had on hand. Luckily, I have high quality local raw honey because I use it as a sweetener. I also happened to have about half a garlic bulb handy, which had been sitting in my fridge’s vegetable crisper long enough for some of the cloves to start sprouting.

For the record, I have no idea whether “sprouted” garlic is more healthy than the non-sprouted kind, it’s just what I had on hand so I went with it. Plus, “sprouted garlic” has a nice trendy ring to it, doesn’t it?

The Equipment

• Small bowl for mixing
• Small glass jar for storing
• Good quality garlic press
• Butter knife
• Spoon
• Work surface (I use a plastic cutting board)

Pretty much every garlic and honey recipe I’ve read calls for whole or partial cloves to be added to the honey. However, I figured it would be better to crush the cloves to increase the surface area of the garlic in contact with honey for maximum infusion-ness. Is that even a word? Anyway, you could also mince the garlic if you don’t have a press.

The Instructions

Take as many garlic bulbs as you want and crush them using the garlic press (or mince them if you don’t have a press). Use the butter knife to scrape the crushed garlic off the press and into the bowl.

Side note, It’s worth paying a few extra bucks for a quality garlic press. The cheap one I had on hand broke while I was pressing my last clove, obviously due to the strength of my mighty kung fu grip! It also helps to clear out the pulp after pressing each clove so it doesn’t build up and put extra stress on the handle. Live and learn.

Kung Fu grip vs Garlic Press. Kung Fu grip wins!

Cover the garlic in the bowl with raw honey. Use enough to completely cover all the cloves. Thoroughly mix the honey and the garlic with the spoon. It should look a bit like orange marmalade in terms of consistency. Add more honey if necessary.

Mixed like a boss

Scoop the mixture into a jar with the spoon. Cover the jar and you’re done! The garlic will infuse into the honey over the next several days. I only used half a garlic bulb since that’s what I had available and it didn’t make very much. However, the recipe scales easily to make as much as you want.

Shoulda gone shopping after all

The Taste Test

So how does this goop taste? Actually, it tastes pretty good! I had a small spoonful right after I made it and I was pleasantly surprised. The taste comes across as a garlicky sweet-and-sour which I find very appealing. The mix is tasty enough to eat by itself, and a small spoonful a day would be perfect if I was just interested in the health benefits.

However, I find it to be a great spread that can be used as an alternative to jelly. I like to spread it across buttered toast for a delicious treat. Give it a try, let me know what you think in the comments below!

Hot buttered garlic honey toast! Wait, what?