How to Avoid Botulism with Garlic Honey: A Safety Guide

December 28, 2025 •

4 min read

According to the World Health Organization, botulism is a rare but serious paralytic illness caused by a nerve toxin produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. Making garlic honey at home carries a small but real risk of botulism if proper food safety protocols are not followed. This guide will walk you through the essential steps to ensure your fermented garlic honey is delicious and safe to consume.

Quick Summary

This article outlines the crucial safety precautions for making homemade garlic honey. Key practices involve using fresh, high-quality ingredients, proper fermentation techniques, and verifying acidity levels. Proper long-term storage and awareness of botulism signs are also vital.

Key Points

Use Raw Honey Only: The natural bacteria and yeasts in raw, unpasteurized honey are essential for fermentation and creating a low-pH environment.
Start with Fresh, Clean Garlic: Only use firm, unblemished, fresh garlic cloves to minimize the risk of introducing contaminants.
Sterilize Your Equipment: Ensure your jars and utensils are thoroughly sterilized to eliminate unwanted bacteria.
Submerge and Burp: Keep garlic cloves fully submerged in honey and 'burp' the jar daily for the first couple of weeks to release fermentation gases.
Monitor Acidity: For absolute certainty, use pH test strips to ensure the mixture stays below a pH of 4.6, adding apple cider vinegar if necessary.
Recognize Spoilage Signs: Always discard the product if you see mold or if it develops an off smell, taste, or slimy texture.

Understanding the Botulism Risk in Garlic Honey

Clostridium botulinum spores are naturally present in soil, and they can contaminate both honey and garlic. In most situations, these spores are harmless. However, they can produce a deadly toxin when placed in a low-oxygen, low-acid environment with the right temperature and moisture levels. A mixture of fresh garlic cloves (low-acid) and honey (which can be diluted by moisture from the garlic) creates a potentially hospitable environment for these spores if not managed correctly.

While honey itself is naturally acidic (with an average pH of 3.9), the moisture released from the garlic can raise the overall pH of the mixture. Botulism-causing bacteria can thrive in environments with a pH of 4.6 or higher. The fermentation process, when done correctly, can actually lower the pH, but it is not a guarantee. This is why careful and consistent monitoring is crucial.

Essential Steps for Safe Fermented Garlic Honey

Following these steps can significantly reduce the risk of botulism and ensure a safe, delicious product.

Ingredient Selection and Preparation

To start, the quality of your ingredients is paramount. Use the freshest, highest-quality garlic and raw honey you can find.

Garlic: Choose firm, blemish-free, and recently harvested garlic. Avoid using pre-peeled garlic from the store, which has a higher risk of contamination. Lightly crush or bruise the cloves to release their juices, which aids fermentation.
Honey: Opt for raw, unpasteurized honey. This type of honey contains the wild yeasts and bacteria necessary for the fermentation process, which helps to lower the pH. Pasteurized honey lacks these beneficial microorganisms and will not ferment properly.
Containers: Use clean, sterilized glass jars with lids. Boil jars and lids in water for at least 10 minutes to sterilize them before use.

The Fermentation Process

The fermentation stage is where the magic happens, but it also requires diligent monitoring.

Fill your sterilized jar no more than two-thirds full with peeled garlic cloves.
Pour raw honey over the garlic, ensuring all cloves are completely submerged. Leave an inch or two of headspace to account for bubbling and gas expansion.
Seal the jar loosely. The fermentation will produce carbon dioxide gas, so it is essential to allow this pressure to vent. You can use a fermentation lid or simply remember to 'burp' the jar daily for the first couple of weeks by briefly opening the lid.
Store the jar in a cool, dark place out of direct sunlight.
For the first two weeks, invert the jar once a day to ensure all garlic cloves remain coated in honey. This prevents any cloves from being exposed to air, which could increase the botulism risk. Over time, the garlic will stop floating.

Verifying pH and Acidity

If you want an extra layer of confidence, you can manually verify the acidity of your fermented garlic honey. A pH under 4.6 is considered safe from botulism.

Use pH test strips to check the mixture's acidity after the initial fermentation period (usually 3-4 weeks).
If the pH is too high, you can increase the acidity by adding a tablespoon of raw apple cider vinegar. Retest the pH to ensure it is below the 4.6 threshold. This is rarely needed with quality raw honey but provides peace of mind.

Comparison of Safe and Unsafe Garlic Preservation Methods

To put garlic honey into context, here is a comparison of various homemade garlic preservation methods and their associated botulism risks.


Method	Risk Profile	Key Safety Measures
Fermented Garlic Honey	Low risk, but requires careful fermentation and monitoring.	Use raw honey and fresh garlic, sterilize equipment, burp jar, and ensure garlic stays submerged. Consider testing pH.
Garlic in Oil (Homemade)	High risk, especially at room temperature. Creates an oxygen-free, low-acid environment.	Store in the refrigerator for no more than 4 days. Freeze for longer storage. NEVER keep at room temp.
Garlic Confit	High risk, as spores survive cooking. Oxygen-free environment.	Consumed immediately or frozen. NOT to be stored in the refrigerator.
Garlic in Vinegar (Pickled)	Low risk due to high acidity.	Use full-strength vinegar (undiluted). A proven, safe preservation method.
Home-Canned Garlic	High risk, requires professional pressure canning.	Not recommended for home canning due to the need for specific equipment to reach high temperatures.

Conclusion: Enjoying Garlic Honey Safely

Homemade fermented garlic honey offers a delicious and versatile ingredient with a host of health benefits. While the risk of botulism is low when prepared correctly, it is a serious enough threat to warrant taking every precaution. By using fresh, high-quality ingredients, maintaining proper fermentation practices, and ensuring a low pH, you can confidently enjoy your homemade creation. Remember to always listen to your senses—discard your honey garlic if it looks, smells, or tastes off, or if you see any mold growth. For anyone immunocompromised or for children under one year of age, it is safest to avoid consuming any type of honey, including fermented garlic honey, to prevent infant botulism. With these guidelines, you can savor this unique and flavorful condiment with complete peace of mind.

Frequently Asked Questions

Garlic is a low-acid food, and Clostridium botulinum spores, which cause botulism, are found in soil and can contaminate garlic. When submerged in a low-oxygen environment like honey, these spores can produce a dangerous toxin if the acidity isn't low enough to inhibit their growth.

No. Honey is not safe for infants under one year old due to the risk of infant botulism, as their digestive systems are not yet developed enough to handle botulism spores.

The critical pH level to prevent botulism is 4.6 or lower. Most raw honey is already well below this, but moisture from the garlic can raise the pH. Monitoring it with a pH strip and adding a splash of vinegar if needed can offer extra assurance.

Discard your garlic honey if you notice signs such as mold growth, a strange or foul odor, a slimy texture, or if the jar is bulging from built-up pressure.

While the active fermentation is typically complete within a month, you can start using it after a couple of weeks. The flavor will continue to mellow and deepen over several months.

No, if prepared correctly, fermented garlic honey is shelf-stable. Storing it in a cool, dark place is sufficient. Refrigerating it will slow down or halt the fermentation process and can cause the honey to crystallize.

It is not recommended. Store-bought peeled garlic poses a higher risk of contamination and may not contain the natural wild yeasts necessary for a successful and safe fermentation process.