How to Make Fermented Ginger Honey (Immune Boosting Recipe)
I first came across honey fermentation back in 2017 through a fermentation group online, though this simple practice actually dates back to ancient times. Fermenting ginger in honey couldn’t be easier—just two ingredients and a jar with a lid—yet the result is a powerful tonic you can keep on hand to support your family through colds, flu, or even the occasional stomach upset during the winter months. In this post, I’ll walk you through the benefits of fermented ginger honey, how to make it step by step, the best way to store it for a long shelf life, and plenty of ideas for using it both as an immune booster and a flavorful addition to your cooking and baking.
What Happens If You Mix Ginger and Honey?
Raw honey is naturally high in sugar and very low in moisture, which makes it antimicrobial by nature. Even so, it carries its own colonies of wild yeasts and beneficial bacteria. When you add fresh ginger—also rich in its own microbes—the moisture from the ginger dilutes the honey just enough to “wake up” those bacteria and yeasts. They begin feeding on the honey’s sugars, and a gentle fermentation process takes place.
As it ferments, the honey thins and takes on the warm, spicy flavor of ginger, while also becoming rich in probiotic bacteria. It won’t reach the same levels of probiotics as sauerkraut or kefir, because honey’s antimicrobial nature limits how much bacteria can thrive, but it still adds a beneficial boost. The beauty of this ferment is that it’s largely self-preserving: raw honey, combined with lactic acid bacteria, helps the ginger honey stay safe and stable for months—and some people report keeping it for years. In my own kitchen, it rarely lasts that long because we use it so quickly!
I usually let my ginger honey ferment at room temperature for at least a week, sometimes up to four weeks, before moving it to the fridge. This is mostly precaution, since I live in a hot climate and want to avoid the small risk of over-fermentation. That said, many people store it at room temperature for months without any problems.
It’s worth noting that fermented ginger honey is very different from a simple ginger-honey syrup. While syrup does give you the medicinal benefits of ginger, it lacks the living probiotic bacteria, vitamins, and enzymes that make this traditional ferment so unique and healing.
Fermented Ginger Honey Benefits (What Is It Good For?)
As Rosalee de la Forêt explains in Alchemy of Herbs, ginger has been used in Southeast Asia for more than 5,000 years—not only as a spice in cooking but also as a trusted medicine. It’s particularly known for supporting the respiratory, digestive, and circulatory systems, which makes it a wonderful ally for so many of the everyday complaints we deal with as mothers: colds, flu, upset tummies, nausea, or indigestion.
I personally notice its benefits most in the wintertime. I tend to feel chilled during the colder months, and a steaming cup of ginger tea is my go-to for warming up. My children love it too, which makes ginger one of those rare herbs that they are actually willing to take when they are ill. I don’t have to coax them into taking ginger honey or sipping ginger tea—they actually ask for it. Sometimes, especially when they’re recovering from a stomach bug, I’ll also make a lemon and ginger infused jelly.
Rosemary Gladstar, in Medicinal Herbs: A Beginner’s Guide, describes ginger as a warming and decongesting herb. It has been used by herbalists for generations to ease colds, sore throats, congestion, and nausea. Truly, I’ve yet to find a guide to home remedies that doesn’t list ginger as one of its essentials!
And then, of course, there’s honey. Raw honey is a healing food in its own right. It is brimming with enzymes, minerals, and natural compounds that support digestion and immunity. When you combine raw honey with fresh ginger, you bring together two powerful, time-tested remedies. And fermentation takes it one step further, adding probiotic bacteria and the beneficial nutrients they create.
Ingredients
This is all you need!
This 2-ingredient recipe only requires raw honey and a large piece of fresh ginger root.
How to Make Fermented Ginger Honey (Recipe)
Step 1
First, peel the ginger. You can do this in two simple ways:
With a paring knife: Use light downward strokes to scrape off the thin papery peel, removing as little of the flesh as possible.
With a spoon: Hold the ginger firmly and scrape the edge of a teaspoon against the skin. This method works especially well around the ginger’s curves and knobs and is a safe option if you don’t feel confident using a knife.
Step 2
Once your ginger is peeled, chop it into small pieces—about ¼ inch is just right. You don’t need to be exact here; the main goal is to have the pieces small enough to release their juices into the honey. When you’re done chopping, you should have about ½ cup of ginger, lightly packed into the measuring cup.
Step 3
Place the 1/2 cup chopped ginger in the clean, dry 8 oz jar. It should fill about half of the jar.
Step 4
Pour raw honey over the top until the pieces of ginger are fully covered. Keep filling until the honey reaches the neck of the jar, leaving about ½ inch of headspace. This little bit of space is important—it allows the honey to expand slightly as it begins to ferment.
Step 5
Give the ginger and honey a good stir to make sure all the pieces are coated and to release any trapped air bubbles. Once everything is well mixed, close the jar tightly with a lid. This helps create the right environment for the fermentation to begin.
Step 6
Set the jar of ginger honey on your kitchen counter or another spot where you’ll see it often—you don’t want to forget about it during the first few days. For the first week, give the jar a gentle shake or stir once or twice a day. By the second day, you’ll likely notice the honey becoming thinner as the ginger releases its juices into the mix. You can continue fermenting the honey at room temperature for up to a month, but after the first week there’s no need to keep shaking it. After a month has passed, you can move it to the refrigerator (or a cool pantry) for longer-term storage.
How to Use Fermented Ginger Honey
- As a natural sweetener in herbal teas, smoothies, lemonades, or in switchel.
- Drizzled over pancakes and waffles.
- Added on top of Greek yogurt with some nuts and berries.
- With butter or peanut butter on a warm slice of sourdough bread.
- As an ingredient in glazes, marinades, and salad dressings.
- On a spoonful for colds, sore throats, and indigestion.
- It makes a great natural cold and flu remedy especially for children. It is so delicious that you won’t have your kids object to taking it. Next to elderberry syrup it is my top flu and cold remedy for kids.
Important Note: While you can use fermented ginger honey in hot drinks or cooking, you’ll get the most benefits from raw honey when you consume it unheated. Heating destroys many of the beneficial enzymes and reduces its overall healing properties. Since raw honey is also quite precious (and often pricey), I like to save it for ways that keep those benefits intact. For example I love drizzling it over yogurt, waffles, or even a slice of buttered sourdough toast.
How Long Does Fermented Ginger Honey Last?
If you store your fermented ginger honey in the refrigerator or on a cool pantry shelf, it should easily last a year or more. I’ve never had a batch spoil. If anything, it would be more likely to continue fermenting and take on a slightly alcoholic note than to grow mold.
Personally, I prefer to keep mine in the fridge and I try to use it within a year—but truthfully, it never lasts that long in our house. It’s so delicious that we usually finish the jar within just a few months!
Recipe FAQ
Conclusion
I hope you’ll give this simple yet powerful ferment a try! I’d love to hear your favorite ways to use it — whether stirred into tea, drizzled over food, or kept on hand as a cozy winter remedy. I’ve made many infused honeys over the years, but this one remains my favorite. There’s just something about ginger’s spicy warmth and hint of citrus that makes it irresistible.
If you enjoyed this recipe, I’d love for you to subscribe to my newsletter. You’ll be the first to know when new traditional recipes and fermentation projects go live. You will also get access to my exclusive library of subscriber-only resources. You can also follow me on Pinterest for daily inspiration and homestead kitchen tips!
More Fermented Ginger Recipes You’ll Love
Fermented Turmeric and Ginger Honey
Fermented Ginger Honey
Equipment
- 1 8oz glass jar with a lid
Ingredients
- 1 large fresh ginger root
- ½ – ⅔ cup raw honey
Instructions
- Peel the ginger root and chop into approximately ¼ inch cubes. Measure out ½ packed cup of ginger and place it in a clean and dry glass jar.
- Pour enough honey into the jar to cover the ginger and reach the neck of the jar, leaving ½ inch headspace.
- Close the jar tightly, label with a date, and leave somewhere warm and dry, out of direct sunglight.
- For the first week, give the jar a gentle shake or stir once or twice a day. By the second day, you’ll likely notice the honey becoming thinner as the ginger releases its juices into the mix.
- You can continue fermenting the honey at room temperature for up to a month, but after the first week there’s no need to keep shaking it. After a month has passed, you can move it to the refrigerator (or a cool pantry) for longer-term storage.
- This fermented honey can be used in pancake and waffle toppings, in herbal teas, or drizzled over yogurt or oatmeal. It can also be eaten off the spoon as an immune boost- it makes a great cold and flu remedy.
