Garlic is full of awesome health benefits including lowering blood pressure and boosting your immune system. Fermented foods are essential for gut health, digestion, and overall well being. And I can’t think of a better marriage than combining garlic and fermentation!

Health Benefits of Garlic

• High in antioxidants
• Boosts Immune System
• Thins blood and prevents blood clots
• Decongestant
• Promotes healthy joints
• Antibacterial and antiviral
• Treats fungal skin infections (like ringworm and athlete’s foot)
• Lowers blood pressure and cholesterol
• Reduces risk of heart attacks
• Anti-inflammatory
• Prevents cancer
• Increases insulin release and regulates blood sugar levels in diabetics
• Relieve toothaches

Health Benefits of Fermented Foods

Fermenting food is one of the first things I recommend to people that are beginning their journey to a healthy lifestyle. Here are the benefits of fermented foods:

• Probiotics are essential for a healthy gut and fermented foods are full of them. Probiotics are beneficial bacteria. It is very important to have more beneficial bacteria in your system than bad bacteria to stay healthy.
• Probiotics improve digestion, enhance your immune system, and lower your cholesterol.
• Fermented foods are very nutrient dense. The fermentation preserves the vitamins & enzymes of the raw foods and new vitamins & enzymes are created during the process.

Find out more about the benefits of fermented food & how to get started here.

How to Ferment Garlic Using Kefir Grains

Kefir grains are a culture of yeast and bacteria used to make kefir (see how easy it is to make kefir here). They are live and look like little cauliflower.

Milk kefir grains

Kefir grains grow and multiply with each batch of kefir. I started with about a tablespoon of grains a couple months ago. I have split & shared my grains twice and I still have close to half a cup of grains. So I decided to start using my grains to ferment vegetables. Many lacto-fermentation recipes use whey (the clear liquid at the top of the container when your kefir separates). You can also use the grains, which is what I do now since I have an abundance of grains. The grains ferment faster than whey, so you will only need to ferment for 2-3 days using grains. Find kefir grains here.

How to Make Probiotic-Rich Fermented Garlic Using Kefir Grains

Probiotic-Rich Fermented Garlic

• Author: The Crunchy Moose

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Ingredients

• 5 Bulbs of Garlic
• 1 Teaspoon Milk Kefir Grains
• 1 Teaspoon Sea Salt
• Filtered Water (Non-chlorinated)
• 1 Pint Size Mason Jar

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Instructions

1. Peel the garlic, leave the cloves whole.
2. Put the kefir grains in the bottom of the jar.
3. Add the garlic to the jar.
4. Add the salt to the jar.
5. Cover with water. Leave 1-2 inches at the top of the jar empty. VERY IMPORTANT.
6. Put the lid on the jar. Leave at room temperature for 48-72 hours. Store in the refrigerator and use within 6 months.

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Notes

• Use the garlic in cooking just as you would raw garlic.
• This fermentation process using grains will produce a natural carbonation. This is why you need to leave space at the top of the jar. If your ferment gets too bubbly, the jar could explode.
• You can leave your grains in the jar when you store them. When you make kefir, you can reuse your grains. The grains are not reusable after this fermentation process.

Garlic and Kefir Grains

Notice the carbonation and bubbles.

Read more about fermented garlic here:

• Fermented Garlic – Oh Lardy
• Fermented Garlic – The Sprouting Seed
• Preserving the Garlic Harvest – Homemade Mommy
• Pickled Garlic – The Coconut Mama
• Fermented Garlic – Yogi Mami

Find out more about the benefits of fermented food & how to get started here.