Herb Honey
Herb Honey
~This is my favorite way to preserve the fresh plants, especially aromatic flowers and leaves (Lemon Balm, Linden, Anise Hyssop, Lillac, Violet, Elderflower, Bee Balm, Catnip). You can also make a honey from dried herbs.
Use a single herb or a combination. Rosemary, sage, thyme, mint, lemon balm, lavender, chamomile, rose petals, and pine needles all make lovely infused honeys. You can also use spices like vanilla beans, cinnamon sticks, and star anise. Herbs should be dry; see instructions below.
Process
You may use dried or fresh herbs.
Chop or garble herbs (Garbling: stripping the dried leaves and flowers from the unwanted stems and crumbing the leaves/ flowers to make them fit in jars for optimal storage. Garbling is the process of separating the parts of the plants that you want and discard the parts that you don’t want.)
Put herbs into jar. Fill jar with honey. 2T dried herbs per 1 C honey. ½ finely chopped cup fresh herbs and fill with honey (~1cup).
Let infuse for 2 weeks or more. I like to infuse it in the sun.
Heat the honey if solid (to 95-100 degrees). Strain out the plant matter.
Or use the honey and herbs together in teas or juices and strain out the herbs after you dilute water.
It’s much easier to do it that way (less sticky mess).
Label and put into jar.
*Honey is an excellent preservative. This should be good for several years.
If you used fresh plants, it will likely ferment. If it ferments, have no fear (unless you see mold).
It will contain a small amount of alcohol, but it’s still good!
Using Honeys
My favorite way to use the honey is in my “fizzy juice”, which is a fermented beverage that I drink and feed daily.
It could also be used in baking, cooking, etc. (If you use fresh, keep in mind that this honey has more water than other honey.)
Elixers (mixture of alcohol and a sugar):
Mix tinctures with honey, maple syrup.
Love Potion- Linden Honey, Damiana tincture, and cacao
Elder Elixer- Elderflower Honey, Elderberry Tincture
Tulsi Rose Elixer- Tulsi Honey, Rose tincture, Cinnamon
Wellness Elixer- Tulsi Tincture, Monarda Honey, Elderflower Honey
Oxymel (mixture of honey and vinegar):
Mix 1 pt dried herbs with 3-5 pts vinegar and honey (equal parts of each).
Let infuse for 2 weeks. Strain, label and Bottle.
Syrup-making is another process that uses honey to preserve. Syrups have more water and need to be refrigerated.
Check out my Making Fall Medicine Class to learn how to make Cough Syrup.