Learn how to make this probiotic-rich fermented garlic recipe at home with this simple, powerful recipe. Easy to prepare and packed with probiotics, prebiotics, and natural antibiotics, fermented garlic is a fantastic way to boost your well-being.
What is Fermented Garlic?
Fermented garlic is a nutritious lacto-fermented vegetable that combines the health benefits of garlic with the power of probiotics. This simple recipe involves fermenting garlic cloves in a salt brine, allowing beneficial bacteria to create lactic acid and transform the cloves into bite-sized probiotic-rich powerhouses.
The fermentation process increases digestibility and amplifies its healing properties – perfect for people dealing with acid reflux, constipation, diarrhea, food intolerances, and other digestive complaints.
Fermenting garlic mellows and softens the sharp and pungent flavour of raw garlic and it almost tastes like the combination of raw garlic and roasted garlic.
No meal is complete in our house without some type of fermented food (like some pickles, sauerkraut, or red onions). You will absolutely love this GAPS-approved fermented garlic recipe.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Naturally probiotic – Supports your digestive health with a delicious way to consume probiotics.
It’s budget-friendly – Nourish your gut without breaking the bank! A few affordable ingredients you can have billions of probiotics to help support a diverse microbiome.
Is fermented garlic good for you?
Yes. Regular garlic is nutrient dense and rich in nutrients like B vitamins, vitamin C, selenium, manganese, and antioxidants. It’s known for its natural antibiotic, antiviral, and antibacterial properties (source).
Garlic’s active ingredients work together inside the body in intricate ways to fight infections such as cold and flus (source) and support the immune system (source).
And the fermentation process allows the nutrients naturally present in garlic to become more bio-available to the body and the probiotics can support good gut health (source).
Garlic also been shown to support the detoxing of heavy metals from the body due to its sulphur compounds (source).
What are the health benefits of fermented garlic?
Many people use fermented garlic for gut health because it’s packed with probiotics and supports microbiome diversity.
- Beneficial probiotics
- Supports the immune system and fights infection
- Support detoxing
Fermented Garlic and the GAPS Diet
Using a fermented garlic recipe for gut health is easy and effective, it’s rich in lactic acid bacteria, which help repopulate the gut with friendly microbes—essential for restoring digestive balance in the GAPS Diet
Dr Natasha Cambell-McBride, creator of the GAPS Die,t describes gut flora as the housekeeper of the digestive system. If your housekeeper isn’t good, then the state of the house (the body) becomes disordered and the house is unable to effectively fulfil its purpose (Gut and Psychology Syndrome, p18).
During the GAPS Diet, probiotic foods such as lacto-ferments are introduced to help normalise gut flora by repopulating with beneficial bacteria, stimulating stomach acid production, and providing digestive enzymes, vitamins, and minerals to the body (Gut and Psychology Syndrome, p196).
Consuming fermented garlic is one of the easiest and most potent things a person can do for their health. Dr Natasha often recommends to add garlic to the top of every bowl of soup to have.
Fermented garlic is a great option to introduce after sauerkraut and is often included in vegetable medleys, recommended in the GAPS books.
Ingredients
Garlic – Get organic where possible or even grow it yourself.
Salt – Use a good quality mineral salt such as Celtic Sea salt or Himalayan salt. Avoid salts with anti-caking agents.
Filtered water – Choose filtered water where possible, most city tap water contains chlorine and other additives and you don’t want that in your ferment as it can impact the fermentation process and your health.
Tools You May Need
- Sharp knife and chopping board
- Measuring cup and spoons
- 1-quart mason jar
- Fermenting weight
- Fermenting air-lock lid
Fermented Garlic Recipe Instructions
This recipe is incredibly easy to make! Follow along below for the full how-to.
- Create a brine by combining warm filtered water and salt, and set aside to cool.
- Peel the garlic and fill the mason jar until three-quarters full.
- Place fermenting weight on top of cloves; this will make sure that the cloves stay submerged in the brine.
- Fill the jar with the salt water brine until it covers the fermenting weight, and place the fermenting lid on top.
- Leave on the counter for 3-6 weeks, then store in the fridge.
This fermented garlic recipe is simple enough for beginners and incredibly effective for anyone seeking to use fermented garlic for gut health.
Recipe Variations and Modifications
Unpeeled cloves – garlic can be fermented with unpeeled cloves.
How much fermented garlic should I eat daily?
Fermented foods can have a powerful effect on the body if you haven’t eaten a lacto-fermented vegetable such as Sauerkraut or Red Onions before you will need to introduce slowly.
Starting with 1 teaspoon of the fermented brine/juice and working your way to eating small pieces of garlic cloves, then to whole cloves. Make sure to listen to your body to see how you react during the introduction process. Eating 1-2 cloves daily is a great way to support your gut health.
During GAPS Introduction Diet, Stages 1 and 2 consume the juice only, and from Stage 3 onward,s you can add the cloves of garlic.
How to Use Fermented Garlic?
Use fermented garlic in any recipe that calls for raw garlic. Avoid heating it because it will kill the good bacteria.
- Eat cloves straight out of the jar
- Drink a spoonful of the fermented garlic brine
- Add to cloves or brine to dips, spreads, or salad dressings
- Add chopped cloves to the top of soups
- Sinus infections – I have personally found fermented garlic great for supporting the immune system when I’ve had sinus infections by using in my nasal rinses.
How to Store
Store in the fridge for up to a year or more if you do not consume it sooner! Always look for any signs of mold before consuming.
Fermented Garlic Recipe Tips
- Garlic produces a lot of gas during the fermentation process, so I leave a little more air room than I do with other ferments.
- Ferment at room temperature and avoid direct sunlight. The cooler the room, the longer it takes. The warmer the room, the faster it is.
FAQ
This is 100% up to you. For me, it’s a no-brainer to get the time-consuming work done up front to make mealtimes run smoother. But you can ferment with the skins on.
If using a fermenting airlock lid, no burping is needed. Without one, only burp if there’s extreme pressure; go very slowly with slight turns over a 15-20 minute period, and be sure to do it over a sink!
It usually takes 3–6 weeks at room temperature. You can speed it up by adding a bit of sauerkraut brine.
Stored in the fridge, it can last a year or more. Always check for mold before eating.
It’s a harmless chemical reaction. The garlic is still safe to eat and may return to a lighter color over time.
While it would not be my first choice, as pre-peeled vegetables are often chemically washed, pre-peeled garlic could remove a time barrier for some people. If using pre-peel garlic, I would suggest using a splash of another fermented brine, such as sauerkraut juice, to give your fermented garlic a kick start.
Absolutely! Fermented garlic is rich in probiotics that can help rebalance the gut microbiome. This fermented garlic recipe is a powerful tool for supporting digestive health naturally.
It supports digestion, boosts immunity, and aids detox with probiotics and sulfur-rich compounds.
If you make this recipe and love it, tag me on Instagram @nourishmecookery with your delicious creation.
More Ferment Recipes from the Kitchen
Improve your health with Food as Medicine and the GAPS Diet
If you’re frustrated by ongoing digestive issues, fermented garlic offers a natural, food‑based tool to help heal the root cause—not just mask symptoms. It enhances gut flora diversity, nourishes gut lining, supports digestion, and delivers antioxidant and antimicrobial benefits.
Interested in learning more? Book a discovery call to find out how gut health coaching can support you in unlocking the healing power of food as medicine with tailored plans, easy recipes, and regular check‑ins, to keep you on track and create lasting, positive changes in your wellness journey.
Fermented Garlic
This simple fermented garlic recipe is packed with probiotics, prebiotics, and natural immune-boosting compounds. Perfect for beginners, it's an easy and effective way to support digestion and overall wellness. Whether you're following the GAPS Diet or simply looking to improve your microbiome, this is one of the best ways to use fermented garlic for gut health at home.
Ingredients
- 4-6 heads of fresh garlic (organic preferred)
- 2 tbsp Celtic Sea Salt
- 2 cups Filtered water
Instructions
- Create a brine by combining warm filtered water and salt, and set aside to cool.
- Peel the garlic and fill the mason jar until three-quarters full.
- Place fermenting weight on top of cloves; this will make sure that the cloves stay submerged in the brine.
- Fill the jar with the salt water brine until it covers the fermenting weight, and place the fermenting lid on top.
- Leave on the counter for 3-6 weeks, then store in the fridge.
Notes
Recipe Variations and Modifications
- Unpeeled cloves – garlic can be fermented with unpeeled cloves.
How much fermented garlic should I eat daily?
Starting with 1 teaspoon of the fermented brine/juice and working your way to eating small pieces of garlic cloves, then to whole cloves. Make sure to listen to your body to see how you react during the introduction process. Eating 1-2 cloves daily is a great to support your gut health.
During GAPS Introduction Diet Stages 1 and 2 consume the juice only and from Stage 3 onwards you can add the cloves of garlic.
GAPS™ and Gut and Psychology Syndrome™ are the trademark and copyright of Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride.
The information in this blog post is my personal experience and for educational purposes only. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease; and does not consider your individual situation. If you have medical questions, please consult with a qualified medical practitioner.
Last Updated on 27/08/2025 by Rebecca MacTavish
I’m Rebecca, a Certified GAPS & Nutrition Coach, and I help busy mums restore their family’s gut health—one kitchen, one meal at a time. I share practical tips, simple recipes, and ways to create lasting change.
Did you make a recipe? Tag @nourishmecookery on Instagram so we can find you!
I’ve always wondered about this! Thanks for breaking it all down for me. I can’t wait to get mine started.