4 Tips to Reduce the Risk of Botulism in Fermented Honey Garlic (see description)

4 Tips to Prevent Botulism ⬇️

I’ve been seeing A LOT of content circulating on how to make fermented honey garlic, but not a lot of discussion on some key steps to prevent botulism. Let’s chat about it!💫

Clostridium botulinum is a bacteria that can be found in honey but it needs a pH ABOVE 4.6 in order to grow, so taking measures to ensure the pH stays below this is important.

Thankfully, honey is generally acidic, but it can range from 3.2-5.4! It all depends on where the bees are collecting their nectar from.
🍯Lowest pH (3.5-3.9): acacia, orange blossom, rosemary, sunflower, thyme
🍯Highest pH (4.3-5.4): chestnut, dandelion, eucalyptus, honeydew, manuka

Garlic, on the other hand, has a slightly higher pH at 5.3-6.3, so it’s important to make note of that as well.

🍯Tip #1: Choose RAW honey from low PH sources (I like orange blossom!)

🍯Tip #2: ALWAYS use raw honey. Raw honey contains the essential bacteria and wild yeasts that are needed for fermentation, which will protect and preserve the contents. Most honey out there is heat treated, which kills these off.

🍯Tip #3: If you want to be cautious, you can easily test the pH of your fermented honey garlic solution using a litmus test.

🍯Tip #4: If the pH is nearing 4.6 (or if you just want to play it safe), add a splash of raw ACV to bring the pH down a notch.

While the overall risk is low, it’s still a good idea to take these steps (and doing some pH testing would be a fun family experiment! 🙌🏼).

[judiahjudiah]

I forgot about this, thnk u for remind me, my mother used to do this❤

[HusnaImaan]

That's really good for you as well

[faff]

Garlic also can carry clostridium, not just honey

[chindo_translator]

Litmus test for honey? Does it work for syrup?