How to Make Herb Infused Flavored Honey at Home
Between baking projects and endless cups of herbal tea, I realized I could never keep enough honey stocked in my pantry! Then I discovered how fun it is to infuse different herbs and spices into basic honey for more flavor. Who knew a humble jar could turn wildflower or orange blossom varieties into something custom and unique?
While I enjoy farmer’s market finds, I love dreaming up my own flavored combinations featuring plants from my garden or pantry. Gently warming quality raw honey allows vanilla beans, cinnamon sticks, lavender sprigs, or lemon thyme to swirl below for wonderfully easy infusions in no time. Getting to create herb-infused flavored honey suited to personal tastes makes honey even more special too!
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Join me in unlocking the approachable world of DIY herb-infused honey today. Just a pinch of this or that soon has you crafting handcrafted liquid gold perfect for drizzling on just-baked goods or stirring a touch of sweetness into favorite homemade herbal teas. Let’s keep things sweetly interesting!
Infusion Insights: What You Need to Know
- Typically the infusion process involves steeping herbs, spices, fruits, or other plant material in a liquid like water, oil, vinegar, etc. This allows the flavor and aromatic compounds to transfer into the surrounding liquid.
- Infusing relies on time, heat, physical agitation, or other means to draw out essential oils, juices, and other beneficial phytochemicals that then flavor and enhance the liquid that has soaked up these elements.
- Common examples are infusing herbs into olive oil by heating them for several weeks for cooking usage, infusing mint leaves in hot water to make tea, infusing berries in white wine vinegar to make a shrub and more. The possibilities are endless when it comes to liquid carriers and fresh or dried botanicals.
In summary, to infuse means allowing time for a liquid like honey, alcohol, broth, or oil to uptake the flavors, fragrances, pigments, and bioactive compounds from an ingredient via extended interaction and sometimes gentle heating or agitation. This transfers desirable qualities like taste into the liquid acting as the solvent.
What is Herb-Infused Flavored Honey?
As the name suggests, herb-infused honey is honey that has been infused with the flavors and benefits of various herbs. It is a simple process that anyone can do at home and only requires a few ingredients.
The end result is a delicious and healing sweetener that can be used in many different ways. You can add it to your tea or even use it as a natural cough syrup.
There are many different herbs that you can use to infuse your honey, but some of the most popular include lavender, chamomile, ginger, rosemary, and mint. You can use any herb that you like, so get creative!
What You Will Need to Make Herbs-Infused Honey
- 1 cup raw, local honey
- 1/4 cup dried herbs (or 1/2 cup fresh herbs)
- A clean and dry Mason jar
- Cheesecloth
- Rubber band
Start With Pure Honey
The very first step to making herbal-infused honey is to start with the right honey. It is important to use raw, local honey if possible. Raw honey has not been heated or processed, which means that it retains all of the beneficial enzymes and nutrients.
If you can’t find raw, local honey, then you can use regular raw honey. Just make sure that it is truly raw and has not been heated or processed in any way. There are many ways to check if you are buying the right honey, but one of the easiest is to simply look at the color. Raw honey is usually a much darker color than regular honey, and it may even have bits of pollen floating in it.
Choose Your Herbs
The next step is to choose your herbs. As we mentioned before, there are many different herbs that you can use for this recipe. Some of the most popular include lavender, chamomile, rosemary, and mint.
You can use any herb that you like, so get creative! If you are making this honey for a specific purpose, then you can choose herbs that will help with that. For example, if you are looking to soothe a sore throat, then you might want to use ginger or mint.
If you are using dried herbs, then you will need about 1/4 cup. If you are using fresh herbs, then you will need to use twice as much, or 1/2 cup. Dried herbs are more concentrated, so you don’t need to use them as much.
If you are using fresh herbs, then you will need to prepare them before infusing them into the honey. The best way to do this is to chop them up into small pieces. This will help to release their flavor and make them easier to infuse.
How to Make Herb-Infused Flavored Honey
Now it is time to infuse your honey with herbs. The process is very simple and only requires a few steps:
- Combine the honey and herbs in a Mason jar. Make sure that the jar is clean and dry before adding the ingredients.
- Close the lid and shake the jar well to combine the ingredients. Let the mixture sit for at least 24 hours, shaking it occasionally.
- Place the jar on a sunny windowsill that gets direct sunlight for the vast majority of the day. The natural heat from the sun will heat the honey without damaging it.
- The honey mixture should be turned at least once per day to get an even amount of sun on the entire mason jar.
Rosemary Infused Honey Recipe
Rosemary-infused honey is one of the most popular and easy to make. It is a great way to add a delicious flavor while also receiving the benefits of rosemary. Start by harvesting Rosemary from your herb garden!
Ingredients:
- 2 cups raw, local honey
- 1/2 cup fresh rosemary leaves, chopped
- 2 fresh sprigs of rosemary
Instructions:
- Fill a large glass jar with freshly chopped rosemary leaves. Then pour the raw wildflower honey over the rosemary, leaving 1 inch of headspace at the top. Seal the jar tightly.
- Place the filled quart jar in a sunny window, rotating daily for even infusion. Steep for 1-2 weeks, sampling after 7 days. If it’s strong enough for your tastes, strain the infused honey through a fine mesh sieve into bottles.
- If you prefer a more intensely herbal flavor after the first week, stir more just-chopped rosemary into the original jar. Continue infusing for another 7-14 days until the rosemary level tastes perfect to you!
- Strain finally into storage bottles or a large infusion jar.
- After straining, consider adding a small fresh sprig to each storage jar for visual interest. Or leave the infusion as is. Seal jars tightly then store in a cool cupboard, where the homemade infusion will keep for up to 1 year!
Lavender Infused Honey DIY
Lavender is a great choice for flavoring honey. This infusion has a sweet flavor with floral hints that make it perfect for adding to tea or baking. Here’s how to make Lavender honey:
Ingredients:
- 1 cup raw, local honey
- 1/4 cup dried lavender (or 1/2 cup fresh)
Instructions:
- Place the herbs into a Mason jar and pour the honey over them. Secure a piece of cheesecloth over the top of the glass jar with a rubber band or cotton string.
- Place in a cool, dark place for 3 – 4 weeks to infuse. Be sure to shake the jar every few days to mix everything together.
- Once the mixture is done infusing, strain out the herbs and discard them. Store in a sealed jar in a cool, dry place. The honey should keep for up to 2 years if stored correctly.
How to Use Herb-Infused Honey
Now that you have made your very own herb-infused honey, it is time to start using it! This honey can be used in many different ways, but here are a few of our favorites:
- Add it to tea: This honey is the perfect way to sweeten your favorite morning cup of tea with or without milk. The herbs will add a subtle flavor that compliments the tea perfectly.
- Use it as a natural sweetener: This honey can be used in any recipe that calls for honey or sugar. It makes a great addition to baked goods, oatmeal, salad dressings or tea that needs a little sweetness.
- Soothe a sore throat: This honey can be used as a natural way to soothe a sore throat. Simply mix 1-2 tablespoons of honey with warm water and gargle for 30 seconds. Repeat as needed.
These are the tips for making herb-infused honey. With these tips, you can make your own delicious and healthy honey at home.
Looking for more infused honey recipes, check these out:
Whether you prefer blending favorite homegrown herbs into local beekeeper honey finds or mild clover varieties easily purchased, the wonderful thing about infusing unique flavors is the total customization potential! Simply place a vanilla bean, star anise stick, or small jars of lemon zest into clean glass jars before topping off with a cup of honey. In just days or weeks your creation emerges, ready for gifting or stirring into cups of herbal tea like tangy lemon balm.
Infusing your own allows controlling the quality of ingredients and results perfectly suited to personal tastes and purposes. Through this easy DIY kitchen project, plain honey transforms into something altogether gourmet! Drizzle over fresh fruit, swirl into vanilla ice cream, glaze carrots, or incorporate into favorite recipes, like my Floral butter recipe – with a pinch of creativity, herbal honey options feel truly endless. I hope you’ll join me in exploring fresh possibilities and more herb-forward recipes!