Trying a New Remedy for Coughing

It's early spring.  Leaves are coming out on trees and the bright green growth in the woods is wonderful to see.  We welcome spring and the beautiful weather it brings, and it means we'll be out in the garden putting in the spring garden.  One thing, however, that spring brings is allergies and a persistent cough.  These tassels you see below hanging from the branches of a water oak tree will soon be full of yellow pollen.  It's at that point that allergy season kicks into overdrive.

We're trying a new (for us) remedy this year that is really an old remedy - Fermented garlic honey.  All you need is two garlic bulbs with skins removed and cut in half.  Put them into a mason jar and cover with local honey.  Since we won't be pulling honey from our hives for a few more months, we bought some honey from a beekeeper in our club.  

Stir up real good to ensure that the garlic is coated with honey and covered.  Then put a lid loosely on the jar and set aside on the counter where it is in a cool location.  Every day, open the jar and "burp" the jar's contents.  The honey/garlic mixture will ferment and create pressure that needs to be relieved.  Can you see the bubbles in the jar below?  Allow it to ferment on the counter for 2 - 3 weeks.  The honey will become more liquified during this process.

At the end of that period, you can begin taking the honey as a cough medicine and eating the garlic.  Good for you and (supposedly) good for a cough.  We'll test out to determine if it works and report back.