TikTok Is Obsessed With This Ancient Cold Remedy (2024)

There's no avoiding it: Flu season is coming. Are you ready?

You likely have a medicine cabinet stocked cold remedies to fight the dreaded crud that cold weather often brings. But what if I were to tell you that two ingredients in your kitchen (not the drug store) could help get you through this flu and cold season?

What are the benefits of fermented garlic honey?

When taken separately, garlic and honey both have immune-boosting properties when eaten. Garlic, for one, has been used since 1550 B.C. as an antibiotic during epidemics, and today is known for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, which are key to helping to improve immune function and fight off infections. As for honey, it's not only soothing for a sore throat in tea, but it also is known to impart antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and even anti-bacterial effects.

Once combined, fermented garlic honey is a true powerhouse that helps to support the immune system while also relieve symptoms of colds, the flu, sore throats, and coughs.

How do you make fermented garlic honey?

While fermented garlic honey is very easy to make, it does require some patience. If you're hesitant to follow a TikTok guide, Bon Appétit's fermented garlic honey recipe is a great resource, and Brad Leone has a corresponding video as well.

According to a recipe from blogger and wellness creator Mckenzie Wheeler, all you need is raw, unfiltered honey and peeled garlic cloves from 2 to 3 heads of garlic. In a clean, dry jar (after sterilizing them like we did for our canned peaches), add your garlic cloves. Poking each clove with a knife will maximize how much garlic is infused into the honey, but you can also add them as-is. Add your honey to the same jar, covering the garlic cloves completely so that your jar is about 2/3 full.

Once it's all mixed, seal your jar and allow the contents to settle for 3 to 4 weeks. As you'll notice, bubbles will start to form in the honey, and you'll need to periodically "burp" the jar every 1 to 2 days. To burp it, let gas out of the jar like you might when making kombucha or a sourdough. You'll know the honey is ready when it's noticeably thinner and less viscous. This is because it's drawing out the liquid in the garlic gloves. That will start to happen at the 3 to 4 week mark.

Pro-tip: It might seem tempting to store this in the fridge, but resist the urge! It does not need to be refrigerated, either before or after it's ready. The chill will cause the honey to crystallize and slow down the fermentation process.

How do you use fermented garlic honey?

Eating the garlic right out of the jar (a couple cloves a day will do the trick) and using the honey in your tea or other drinks is the most common way to use fermented garlic honey as a cold season remedy.

But you don't have to stop there! Keep your immune system strong (and your tastebuds very happy) by adding it to vinaigrettes or stirring into any dish that needs a garlicky punch, like marinating shrimp or chicken, or drizzling over baked brie and goat cheese on a cheeseboard.