DIY: Herb Infused Honey

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I love honey and have been known to buy it by the bucket from local farmers.  Raw honey, or honey that hasn't been pasteurized, is swimming with health benefits.  It's often used as a potent source of antioxidants to support the immune system, to help with a variety of chronic digestive conditions, and to help wounds heal as it's naturally antibacterial and antifungal.  Raw honey is also widely used in the beauty industry as a face wash or mixed with herbs for skin that is particularly susceptible to acne or considered 'combo' skin.  

The last couple years I have been really interested in herb infused honey.  I purchase all of our honey from a local bee keeper and love that there are different honey's available seasonally.  This month I loaded up on blackberry honey.....mmmmmmm.......and used it to create part of this month's CSH share:  2 unique herb infused honey's to support and augment the immune system as we approach yet another seasonal change as September rolls slowly into view.

How do you make herb infused honey?  It's quite simple, actually!  It took me a while after learning about them to begin experimenting, but once I did, I wondered why I waited so long to start!!  The basics:  measure out your herbs, add honey, sit in a sunny window sill or outside for 2-3 weeks, strain and enjoy!!

Herbal honey can be used on toast, in tea, as a sweet daily supplement, in salad dressings, or any other creative way you can think to use raw honey!  I like to have a variety of different honey in the house and find that how I use them depends on why I'm using them.  Do I have a sore throat? Then I might mix some throat soothing botanical honey into my Gypsy Cold tea.  There are endless ways to blend herbs and honey -- below are a couple recipes to get you started, but I can't wait to hear about the creations you come up with!!

Elderberry Botanical Honey

  • Clean mason jar
  • Dried elderberries
  • Raw honey
  • Time

Get a nice clean mason jar and fill it 1/4 full of dried elderberries.  Fill the jar the rest of the way with your raw honey and cap tightly.  Place the jar in a sunny window sill or outside in the sun to infuse for 2-3 weeks.  When you're ready to jar your herbal honey, strain the berries from the honey in a sieve lined with cheesecloth.  I like to let the honey drip with the help of gravity for a while before squeezing the rest of the honey from the berries with the cheesecloth.  Cap your jars, label and enjoy!  A pint mason jar makes enough herbal honey to share with a friend!

This is my favorite recipe for spreading on toast and using in seasonal changes as I tend to get sick during those times.  Elderberries, like raw honey, are high in antioxidants and are so supportive to our immune systems.  Test a small amount first as they contain a compontent called sambucin which can cause vomiting in a percentage of people or at very high doses.  

I'm a Little Hoarse Botanical Honey

  • 5th Chakra Tea (from Mountain Rose Herbs)
  • Raw Honey
  • Mason jar

Fill your clean and dry mason jar 1/4 full with 5th Chakra Tea.   Add raw honey to fill the jar, cap and label.  Place on a sunny window sill or outside to solar infuse for 2-3 weeks.  When you're ready to jar your honey, let gravity help it through a fine strainer lined with cheesecloth.  Use the cheesecloth to press the rest of the honey out of the herbs.  Tightly seal your jars and label them! This recipe will make enough to share with a friend or two, depending on the size of your jar!

Herbal honey's make awesome holiday gifts and are so fun to make!  I never tire of watching how the color of the honey changes each day as it takes on the medicinal and healing qualities of the herbs it's being infused with.  

Have fun experimenting and taste testing your creations!!

 

Please note:  raw honey is not safe to give to infants under 1 year old, please do not share your sweet creations with the wee ones unless you use pasteurized honey.