How To Make Garlic Syrup
Guest post: by ‘Halfkin’
GARLIC SYRUP
I learned to make this from the book, Elementary Treatise in Herbology
My first batch was in 1978.
I have made it the same way for over Thirty years and it has not failed me.
I altered the original recipe from day one, replacing sugar with Honey. I believe this has made it even more potent, as Honey also has antibiotic properties. It can actual kill some forms of bacteria.
Forbes magazine, 02/02/2012
“Last year, some research was published evidencing some effectiveness against MRSA. Now a team from the Cardiff School of Health Sciences has demonstrated the effectiveness of this honey against Streptococcus pyogenes, an antibiotic resistant bacteria that often infects wounds and can prevent skin grafts from forming.”
According to Dr. Edward Shook:
‘During WWII, the British government, purchased the worlds Garlic crop, thousands of tons, and used it to treat the wounds of their soldiers on the front line. From the thousands treated, not one case of septic poison was produced.’
No Gangrene!
That is to say, that it is antiseptic – it eats pus , so that new cells can form and grow.
Those being External uses, I must say, I first made it to treat my family internally.
For colds, coughs, pneumonia and possible exposure to tuberculosis. It has always been THE Lung Remedy in my home.
Know now, that this does not necessarily soothe a cough. It does not mask a symptom, but rather goes after the cause. It can act as an expectorant.
With a syrup made of organic garlic, clean local honey, organic apple cider vinegar, and pure water, one can treat a variety of conditions.
I got up to the point that I used to make ten gallons at a time from twenty-five pounds of garlic.
It is not inexpensive, however, I feel it is more valuable than gold.
(And it is really, really, sticky to make, even before the honey is added.)
The garlic oil attaches to everything!
And the entire house will reek on the day you grind the garlic.
Or open the bucket later….
Gotta Love It!
Pass this recipe to everyone you know, Please.
Break apart the garlic cloves. Remove loose peels, but don’t sweat the ones that cling.
Run them through a meat mincer/grinder. I use a hand crank one.
A blender might work, but that is all you will ever use it for. I have destroyed juicers, don’t go there. A garlic press is not enough. MINCE or GRIND the Garlic.
Add Equal amounts of water and vinegar. Enough to cover the garlic. Use a glass container preferably, or plastic if you have to, but Never metal to soak the garlic.
Dr. Shook only soaked his for four hours. I always soaked it, at the very least, over night. However I usually soaked it like a tincture and let it sit for two weeks. I have also left it in this state for over a year and it has not spoiled. I call this stage ‘Garlic broth’. (un-strained.)
The pulp is strained through layers of cheese cloth or linen or cotton and a sieve. The resulting product is the strained broth.
Always add 1 and 1/2 times as much honey as broth.
Example:
1 lb of garlic
2 cups of water
2 cups of vinegar
equals 4 – 1/2 cups of broth.
You actually get more liquid back because of the oil in the garlic that comes out.
Add one and a half times as much honey as broth.
So – 4.5 cups of broth, multiplied by 1.5 times the amount of honey, equals = 6.75, (6 and 3/4 cups), of honey.
Warm the honey on low heat and add it to the broth. Never heat the Garlic.
Stir, drink to good health!
Internally:
1 tablespoon 3-4 x a day adults.
1 teaspoon, 3-4 x a day for children.
Externally:
Apply to lint, cotton, gauze, and place on wound.
I have also used this in cold environments to warm the body and blood. It used to be part of our wood gathering, chainsaw, tool box.
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I also want to add that the medicinal virtues of organic vinegar are many and it is worth your time to Google that information.
Garlic Syrup makes a delicious meat marinade although the medicinal properties are reduced with cooking,
And a delicious salad dressing if you add olive oil and more vinegar.
Healthy eating!
Does it make a difference what kind of vinager you use?
Organic Apple Cider Vinegar that contains “The Mother” is by far the most nutritious and medicinal.
However, I believe that any vinegar would extract the oil from the garlic pulp.
How long will it keep???
Another topical solution for the usual cuts and grazes is fermented Paw Paw ointment – which you can make your own if you have the time.
I’ve been using it here in Aus ‘Lucas Papaw Ointment – http://www.lucaspapaw.com.au‘ on quiet a few cute and insect bights like from Horse Flies and noticed that it calms sores down very fast.
I have never had it spoil. Just don’t scrimp on the amount of honey called for in the recipe. As long as one does not drink out of the bottle it should last for a very long time.
Some people refrigerate it but that is not necessary.
Having it chilled can be more soothing to a sore throat and makes it a little thicker.
Should the syrup be strained through cheesecloth and also a sieve, or just choose either? Also, would refrigeration lessen the strength of the tonic?
I strain it through old thin sterilised diaper material, or cheese cloth and a sieve.
It depends on how ‘clean’ you want your finished product. I prefer not to have any pulp particles.
refrigeration does not lesson the strength. It makes it cooler obviously, so when the batch is newly made it can be hotter than after it ages. So being cooler, it can seem more soothing to a sore throat or other condition.
I am glad that you are interested in making it.
I just purchased 8 #’s of garlic and a ‘new’ antique meat grinder yesterday still in its original brown box. Now I have choices of sizes I can grind it into, Yeah!
Thanks so much for this recipe. I am going to make a big batch this year to give as Solstice/holiday gifts!
I’m really glad to see that some one else is taking up this cause as I call it!
I beleive everyone should know how to make this and use it! It lasts indefinitely and saved me from pnuemonia many years ago.
I’m not sure if I’m making this right. I am only doing half the measures of your recipe.
I used my magic bullet to blend up the garlic and now have it soaking in the water and apple cider vinegar.
Is this right?
I am letting it soak over night (hoping I have the right idea here) and will strain it tmrw morning.
If my honey is already soft do I still need to warm it? Or is that only if the honey has crystallized?
It sounds as if you are doing it correctly.
Make sure the water/vinegar covers the garlic pulp and then maybe even a little more.
I personally let it soak longer, 3-14 days. However, when I needed it sooner I have also just done the over night thing.
The honey does not have to warm, but I think having it a little thinner by having added a little heat makes it easier to blend into the broth that you have strained from the pulp.
Try adding it without heating and get back to us and tell us how easily it mixed..
Good Work! Glad you are trying it.
HalfKin
Ok, so i let it soak for 10 days and it seems to be fine, except for the color. My garlic, water, vinegar mix is tuorquise! Is that normal?
I don’t want to add the honey and find out after that there is some thing wrong with my mixture. Lol
Fawn – I have never had tuquoise syrup, however I have had violet colored and almost red colored. I beleive that it depends on the type of garlic used. The skins can be used for creating dyes. And then it may have to do with the vinegar type you used. I can not beleive that it would be bad if all you used was water and vinegar and garlic. What water did you use? Is there something in it that could have reacted with the vinegar? Regardless if the different ingredients are all someting you would ingest seperately, then I see no problem eating them after mixed!
Keep me posted on how this turns out for you,
HalfKin
What # or brand meat grinder do you use?
I am making my first batch of garlic syrup and have let it sit for 15 days in a big gallon jar with the lid on. Am I doing this right as the color looks a little weird ( greenish ) Should it sit at a certain temp ? I have heard of botulism possible occuring and my health is already compromised so I don’t want to take any chances.
Let me know what you think ?
Thank you,
Rebecca.