Kitchen medicine - Making herbal infused honey

Add some medicinal sweetness to your day!

Honey is already delicious I know, but if infused with some herbs/spices it becomes an easy & gentle method to incorporate some herbal goodness into your day.

Not to overlook this sweet nectar - good quality (preferably raw) honey has its own medicinal properties too:

• Anti bacterial - raw honey, & particularly manuka honey, have shown to be effective against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli,  & Helicobacter pylori.
• Wound healing - honey added to dressings can be used on burns, ulcers & open wounds due to its anti bacterial and anti fungal actions; but it has also shown to reduce swelling & inflammation. It acts as a natural band-aid allowing tissue regrowth and repair whilst drawing out infection.
• Anti oxidants & phytonutrients - Helping to fight free radicals in the body, therefore lowering levels of inflammation in the body .
• Helps with coughs & colds - Again, the anti bacterial properties can get to work in the lymph nodes in our throats (which holds immunity cells), whilst coating and soothing the throat with a demulcent like action (relieving irritation/inflammation). The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends honey as a natural cough remedy.

* Honey should NOT be given to infants under 1 year old - this is due to a naturally occuring bacteria Clostridium botulinum which can be extremely harmful in babies whose immunity is yet to fully develop - known as botulism poisoning *

Making herbal/spiced honey:

Once made - add to hot drinks, to cooking, spread on hot buttery toast, or even use as a face mask!

Calming herbal honey

You can use any herb that you like the taste of to infuse into honey. I had some dried herbs that I'd usually use for teas, so rummaged through and chose...
Lavender - for calming and relaxing the mind
Rose - for soothing & balancing emotions
Honey won't pull out all of their medicinal contituents as a tincture or tea would - but their essential oils will infuse and add to the flavour.

What you need...

• 1 x sterilised jar (wash in hot soapy water, then dry in oven at 50c)
  
• 1 x teaspoon of each dried herb
  
• runny honey
  
• waxed paper or muslin cloth
  

Left: Dried rose petals Right: Dried lavender

What to do...

• Add herbs to jar and give them a little swish about so they are mixed together
• Pour honey over, and to the neck of the jar
• Push herb matter down into the honey, and stir any bubbles away
• Cut some waxed paper to fit over the top, or use some muslin cloth, & screw lid on
• Label & date
• Keep in a cool dark place, and every couple of days give jar a shake
• Leave for 2 weeks, then strain
  

Spiced warming honey...

I'm generally drawn to warming flavours in cooking, so went through my spice stash for this one.
I also matched its warmth by gently heating this infusion too.
I chose:
Ginger - This is a general go-to for me, I LOVE ginger. It has so many medicinal benefits including
anti bacterial, anti microbial, anti inflammatory, circulatory stimulant
Star anise - Aids digestion, is anti bacterial & anti inflammatory. Its essential oils contain anti oxidants
Cinnamon - Stabilises blood sugars, anti oxidant, anti inflammatory, boosts circulation
Orange peel - Aids digestion, high in vitamin C, calms the nervous system
Nutmeg - Calms nervous system, aids digestion, anti oxidant, anti inflammatory, antibacterial

Clockwise from bottom left: Ginger, star anise, cinnamon, dried orange peel, grated nutmeg

What to do...

• 1 x teaspoon of each herb
  
• Add to a small saucepan
  
• Measure out the amount of honey for your jar, & pour into pan too
  
• Gently heat on your lowest setting, swishing the pan every so often for around 5 minutes
  
• Be mindful not to let the honey bubble/boil
  
• Pour into your jar & allow to cool
  
• Put waxed paper/muslin cloth over the top and screw on lid
  
• Label & store in a cool & dark place
  
• Strain after 2 weeks
  

Cold infusion or warm?

Generally, more delicate herbs - ie petals  would be better suited for cold infusion. The more robust the plant material, the more it can handle some gentle heat. You don't have to heat, I just chose to release the essential oils, and the method matched the warming nature of the spices.

Other bits & bobs

• I generally go by eye when adding herbs, so play around with how strong you want your own honey to be. It also depends on the size of your jar - mine were small, only 100mls each.
• Fresh herbs can be added, more would be needed as there is added water content, allowing them to wilt overnight will reduce this.
• If vegan - substitute for something like agave syrup

Enjoy!