How to Make Infused Honey
Learning how to make infused honey is really very simple and fun! There are so many possibilities to what you can create!
An infusion is simply a drink or extract prepared by soaking the leaves or flowers of a plant or herb in a liquid. That’s it! Just like making tea.
Infused honey has lots of practical and potentially healing uses!
What’s so fabulous about infused honey (using raw, local honey) is that you can use practically any herb or spice you like!
You can use herbs that you just love the taste of, or use herbs that have specific therapeutic benefits.
You can used infused honey to:
- Drizzle on fresh bread!
- Put in hot tea (my personal fav!)
- Give to a child (over the age of 2) or an elderly person to sooth an ailment.
- Drizzle over ice cream or yogurt!
- Added to granola!
- Given as gifts – people will love you forever!
- Eaten by the spoonful!!!!
How to Make Infused Honey
Essentially, you add three parts honey to one part herb. This will make a strong-tasting honey. You could make a more mild version with four parts honey and one part herb. Your herbs need to be very dry, otherwise mold could grow in the mixture.
You can use herbs that you foraged and dried, or purchased. For this post, I foraged for common blue violets to infuse from my backyard. Always forage in an area that you’re sure hasn’t been sprayed with pesticides or herbicides! More about foraging here.
I like to use the common blue violet for colds, coughs and sore throats. (Do NOT use white violets!) I like adding this recipe to my tea when I’m feeling like I might be getting sick!
You can dry them outside on a screen or in a dehydrator.
Be sure to pick plenty because these 2 trays of violets dried down to this…..
Put in a clean mason jar. Stir or shake gently to distribute all the elements. Put on a lid, seal and date.
I like to put some of the honey in the jar first, so that the herb isn’t “trapped” at the bottom.
Pour in the rest of the honey…
Set in a sunny window for a week or so, turning the jar to combine a couple of times a day.
After a week, remove jar from window. Heat the honey jar in a double-broiler (unless it’s really warm from the window!), this will make straining MUCH easier.
With a new clean jar in hand, using a strainer and funnel, strain the herbs out of the honey by pouring through strainer. Be patient here, honey takes it’s sweet time.
And there you are! Beautiful infused honey that you made yourself!
Be careful, this can be addicting!
Here’s some ideas and combinations:
The easiest way to get started with infused honey is to take a look at what you have on hand. I happened to have some lavender and lemon balm from last year’s harvest! This would make a wonderful addition to my evening tea! Lavender is known for it’s relaxing properties, as is Lemon Balm! It’s another wonderful addition to tea when it’s been “one of those days”!
I mixed equal parts of Lemon Balm and Lavender with the honey and set it in the window next to the violet honey!
Again, the combinations are endless, but here’s a few more ideas!
Enjoy!
Comments (2)
Looks delicious! Sharing!
Thanks, Lisa!