When any of my little ones start to come down with any sort of illness that could potentially lead to an infection, one of the ways I approach the situation naturally is to head to the kitchen and whip up some homemade garlic honey (or garlic syrup for younger kids)! Sure their breath eventually smells a bit garlicky; however, the benefits of increasing garlic during an illness far outway the risk of garlic-breath so it’s definitely worth it!
Today, I’d like to briefly tell you why garlic honey (or syrup) is one of my favorite things to use for potential and current infections… no matter where they are in the body. I’ll also briefly share some benefits of using garlic for illness and infection (as well as some ways to increase it in the diet). You’ll also find a simple recipe for garlic honey and syrup below in case you want to use it the next time you need it.
Garlic Honey Is An Easy Remedy For Kids (And Adults) To Take
One of my favorite ways to use herbs is to use them as a food, and garlic honey is an easy way to do just that. Sure, if I want to increase the amount of garlic in our diet when someone is ill, I can easily add extra garlic to broths and soups or add an extra clove or two to the meals I prepare. But sometimes, we still need additional garlic in our diet if we’re trying to get a good amount of therapeutic value out of it.
During times of illness, it’s recommended that the average adult eats 5-10 cloves of garlic a day. Yes… daily. When it comes to kids, this amount would be smaller, depending on the age of the child, but 2-3 cloves a day would be close to what they should receive. This amount of garlic ensures that you have a consistent amount of the antimicrobial chemicals found in garlic in your body.
Garlic is generally, a very safe herb. However, some people don’t tolerate it well because it is hot and spicy and can leave their stomachs feeling “hot,” maybe even with a “burning” sensation. I’ve found that mixing garlic with honey helps to minimize this effect. I’ve also found that it’s best to take small, frequent amounts of garlic rather than larger, less frequent amounts in order to minimize this. If your stomach is really sensitive, you can even take your garlic after you’ve eaten so you have food on your stomach in order to minimize this effect from happening.
Like I said earlier, whenever I use garlic honey with my kids, depending on their ages, they average around 2-3 cloves a day, and I’ve never heard them complain about their stomach hurting. No matter, it’s a side effect worth being aware of and trying to prevent.
CAUTION: Those on cardiovascular and blood-thinning medications should talk with their doctors before using large amounts of garlic daily as garlic can affect these medications. Pregnant women should talk with their OB or midwife before taking large amounts of garlic as well just to make sure it’s safe for them. Garlic is safe for nursing mamas, but it can make your milk taste garlicky which oftentimes decreases what your baby will eat.
What Exactly Is Garlic Honey (And Syrup)?
Garlic honey is so easy to make. All you need are two ingredients: fresh garlic cloves and honey (preferably raw honey). All you do is blend these two ingredients together in some way, and you have garlic honey (or syrup)! It’s as easy as that!
When To Use Garlic Honey
I personally use garlic honey anytime we come down with some sort of viral or bacterial illness that could potentially lead to an infection. Garlic has both antibacterial and antiviral properties. It works really well to increase heat in the body and to stimulate blood flow and immune activity. It also helps to thin thick secretions so they can be expelled easily.
If my kids come down with a cough or some sort of respiratory illness, if they complain of their ears or throat hurting, or if they have some sort of cut or wound that could potentially develop into something worse, we use garlic honey internally. I also use it if they have an active infection going on. Garlic honey has been a large part of our herbal therapy when we’ve dealt with strep throat, whooping cough, and even ingrown toenails.
Now, I’m not saying that garlic is a cure-all. Many infections can be serious, and they need to be dealt with promptly whether you’re using a natural approach or a more modern, medical approach. If you’re unfamiliar with using herbs and other natural methods when approaching active infections, it’s best to seek the help of a clinical herbalist or a doctor who’s willing to work with you. You may even want to consider taking a class that will teach you more about using herbs for infections before an infection occurs.
Where Garlic Honey Can Be Used
My preferred way to use garlic honey is to take it internally by the spoonful. We often take it 3-4 times a day when sickness is going around and we’re trying to discourage something from getting worse, but we take it every hour or so when someone has an active infection.
Garlic syrup can be made and used externally on wounds as well as taken internally.
I’ve found that my younger kids prefer garlic syrup where my older kids prefer garlic honey. Both work well, but garlic syrup is stronger in flavor so we use more honey when making it in order to tone the flavor down a bit.
How To Make Garlic Honey (And Syrup)
Below you’ll find a recipe for garlic honey along with a variation for garlic syrup. This recipe should be made fresh daily and contain as many garlic cloves as you need each day.
You’ll also find a YouTube video of me explaining the benefits of this preparation and showing you how to make and dose it below as well!
Garlic Honey
Ingredients:
- fresh garlic cloves
- raw honey (maple syrup and food-grade glycerin for babies under 1 year)
- sharp knife and cutting board
Directions:
- Finely mince garlic with a sharp knife.
- Pour just enough honey over the garlic to cover it. Allow this to sit for 10-15 minutes.
- Stir well. Cover and use as needed. Store at room temperature, and use within 24 hours.
Garlic Syrup
Ingredients:
- fresh garlic cloves
- raw honey (maple syrup and food-grade glycerin for babies under 1 year)
- small blender or food processor
Directions:
- Combine all ingredients together and blend until garlic is fully chopped.
- Bottle, cover, and use as needed. Store at room temperature, and use within 24 hours.
Dosage:
To prevent an infection from taking hold, I like to eat 1 teaspoon of garlic honey 3-4 times a day (1/2 teaspoon for children).
During an active infection, eating 3-4 cloves of garlic is recommended for adults, so it would be half that for children (1-2 cloves). Try to make sure all of this is eaten each day so that you or your child is getting an adequate amount of garlic to help fight those nasty germs!
Feel free to check out my YouTube video below where I explain more of the benefits of this preparation, show you how I make it, and give more specifics on dosing as well!
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Oh wow, this looks AWESOME!!! I am a huge proponent for garlic use when sick, and this just makes it so much easier to stomach. Not to even mention the awesome benefits of honey. My husband actually has just come down with a sinus infection – I wonder if this would help. Thanks for sharing <3
This would be a great fit for the sinuses, Savannah. I’ve personally used it before when I’ve gotten a cold and my face and sinus area starts to feel painful. I take this along with echinacea internally and then I use an herbal sinus rinse in my neti pot. I’ve always been able to avoid serious sinus infections that way.
I feel like if you arm a natural momma with honey, garlic, and lavender EO she can cure anything. Well that might be a slight exaggeration – but only slight. Haha.
LOL! I totally agree, Katie!
My question would be why does it have to be used with 24 hours? I’m a huge proponent of garlic and honey. Just wondering why 24 hpurs.
It doesn’t HAVE to be… it’s just recommended so that you ingest it quickly and the garlic is used as fresh as possible.
Hi Meagan, new member here from the UK so looking for advice and comments. I ferment stuff, kraut, kimchi etc and make Kombucha and milk kefir which I take daily. My latest ferment is garlic in honey, it’s been on the go for a few weeks now and I blended it this morning and bottled it. This should have a good long shelf life. Will this, in your oppinion, have the same benefits as the freshly made garlic and honey syrup above or will I lose something in the ferment. Thankyou I’m really enjoying your site and recipes.
I’ve personally never fermented garlic, so I have no personal experience to draw from. I do think that fresh garlic honey could be more beneficial simply because the garlic is fresh and the properties have not degraded. However, fermentation has benefits all on its own, so it wouldn’t be a bad thing. With that said, I’m not sure that I’d rely on fermented garlic honey for an acute condition, but I think it would be great for a preventative.
Love this! We have a lot of honey right now from our hive so this is a good way to use it:-) Just wondering though if you make one batch for the whole family and then how many cloves do you use ?
Thanks! Jean
Making a large batch for the whole family will depend on what you’re using the garlic syrup for and the ages of your family members. Since children will use less garlic than an adult will, I’d suggest making two batches… one for kids and one for adults. If you’re using it as a general preventative, then you can average children having 1 clove a day and adults having 3 cloves a day. If you’re using it for an active acute condition, then the amounts of cloves for adults and children are mentioned in the post. When making bulk batches, you’ll want to make sure each batch is labeled “kids” or “adults” so you don’t mix them up. You’ll also want to calculate the total number of garlic cloves you need, chop those, cover them in honey, and figure out how much each person will be each day. For example, if I were to make a bulk batch for my kids for an acute condition, I’d use 12 cloves of garlic (3 cloves x 4 boys), finely chop them, and cover them in honey. If my total garlic syrup was 1/2 cup, I’d divide that by 4 (1/8 cup for each kid), and split that up over the course of the day. Does all that make sense?
5
Hi My name is May,
i just using 3 times garlic small 2-3pcs with honey to steam about 5 minutes and give to my daughter 5years old drink.
heard other said can prevent cough and could.
please advise is it correct way for kids?
thanks
This is how I give my little ones garlic and honey, May. They don’t mind it. It’s best to let it sit at least 10 minutes after you make it so the constituents in the garlic have time to activate and make it into the honey, though.
Hello,
Thank you for this article! Could I keep my garlic honey for longer than 24 hours? Im not so fussed about the medicinal properties, in this case. I just love the taste, haha!
Thank you,
Lara
Yes! If you’re doing it for flavor, you can let the garlic infuse into the honey for a week or so. Any longer than that, and it could start fermenting. Fermented honey also has some wellness benefits.
4.5
Hi Meagan,
Im in love with your site!! lovely work.
I chop three cloves, add enough raw honey to cover the garlic and steam for about ten minutes. I give my son the garlic infused honey using a spoon and have the chopped garlic for myself (chased with water).
We do this four mornings a week just to maintain good health.
Cia
Thanks for the kind words and sharing how you use this preparation, Cia!
Hello
Is this good to help prevent respiratory issues?
When my son gets a cold it leads to respiratory problems and so he ends up on steroids and antibiotics every few months which I do not want for him! Do you think this recipe could help?
Thanks for any advice!
Absolutely! Garlic is a great herb with antimicrobial properties, and I love using it to keep colds from becoming something bigger. When my kiddos have colds or coughs, I give them this syrup 3-4 times a day. If it worsens, I increase the dosage to every 2 hours while they’re awake. Hope that helps!
I mistakenly put too much honey on my garlic. About 3” over garlic. It fermented for a few days but that was all. Is this a wasted batch or usable?
Hmm, I’ve never made fermented garlic before, so I’m not sure what to tell you. When I make garlic honey, we usually use it in a few days and them make a new batch. You could use it to make some sweetened veggies for a side dish or a stir fry, or you could try adding more garlic to it as well.
Love your video. I have so many antibiotic allergies and just got off a zpack but my infection has not cleared. My PCP told me to make some garlic & honey. I made a good size batch and put in frig by mistake. I just took it out to leave out for 3 days after that will it stay good in the frig indefinitely so I can have on hand if I feel like it’s needed?
Hi Kathy. If you’re using garlic honey for an active infection, you’ll need to use quite a bit of it (several cloves a day), so chances are you’ll be using all you have and needing a fresh batch again soon. You should smell like garlic — that’s how you know you are taking enough! With that said, you can keep garlic honey on the counter, but the warmth can cause it to start to ferment. Fermentation can have its own health benefits, but the flavor will change, and then there’s always the risk of botulism (which is a bigger deal for small children, older adults, or those with compromised immune systems). Personally, I make garlic honey in 1-2 day batches and remake it regularly. It’s never failed us!