If you enjoy herbs and honey, infusing your honey with herbs will give you the best of both worlds. Honey and herbs are both well known for their natural medicinal value. Honey is anti-bacterial, prevents infection and inflammation, and soothes a sore throat. Herbs have individual medicinal benefits. Herbal honey can be used to treat common ailments or simply for the pleasure of its wonderful flavor. It is best to use raw honey in your herbal infusion because raw honey is richer in enzymes, as the heat from pasteurization destroys them, as well as some of the active antibacterial ingredients.To Make Herbal Honey
1. Use 1 tablespoon of fresh herbs, or half a teaspoon of dried herbs for every 2 cups of honey.
2. If the herbs are fresh, grind them well to aid in the infusion.
3. Tie the herbs in cheesecloth.
4. In a pot, warm the honey and herbs. It is important not to heat the honey too much or the enzymes will be destroyed. Simply warm the honey to a temperature well below 115 degrees.5. Put the honey and the herbs into a large canning jar with a tight fitting lid.
6. Let the honey sit in at room temperature in a dark place for at least one week.
7. Heat the honey just to warm and press the liquid out of the herbs.
Tips for Making Herbal Honey:
* You can also chop the herbs finely and leave the herbs in the honey.
* Using more herbs will shorten the amount of time it takes to infuse the honey.
* Allowing the herbs to infuse into the honey longer will strengthen the medicinal properties of the herbal honey.
Commonly used Herbs for Infusing Honey and Their Medicinal Value:
* Cayenne Pepper: Aches & Pains, Arthritis, Cough, Digestion/Indigestion, Fibromyalgia, Gout, Headache, Heart Tonic, IBS, Lupus
* Chamomile: Anxiety, Burns, Candida, Depression, Digestion, Eczema, Female Tonic, Gingivitis, IBS, Insomnia, Stress, Toothache
* Cinnamon: Candida, Colds, Diabetes, Digestion, Fungus Infections, IBS, Flu. Nausea
* Dandelion: Alcoholism, Bladder Infection, Memory/Focus, Bronchitis, Cholesterol Control, Colds, Digestion, Female Tonics, IBS, Liver, Respiratory, Osteoporosis, PMS
* Fennel: Arthritis, Congestion, Cough, Digestion, Gout, Lupus, Menopause, Weight Loss
* Garlic: Allergies, Asthma, Bronchitis, Burns, Cancer, Candida, Cholesterol, Colds, Fungus, Heart Tonics, Herpes, Flu, Respiratory, Sinusitis, Sore Throat *Honey Infused with Garlic makes an excellent sore throat remedy!
* Ginger: Arthritis, Cholesterol, Colds, Digestion, Fibromyalgia, Gout, Heart Tonic, IBS, Lupus, Nausea
* Lavender: Anxiety, Arthritis, Burns, Candida, Colds, Depression, Fibromyalgia, Gout, Headache, Hypertension, IBS, Insomnia, Lupus, Nausea
* Lemon Balm: Colds, Depression, Heart Tonics, Herpes, Nausea, Sore Throat and Laryngitis
* Peppermint: Allergies, Anxiety, Bronchitis, Chronic Fatigue, Colds, Congestion, Cough, Headache, Heart Tonics, IBS, Flu, Respiratory, Nausea, Sinus
* Rosemary: Anxiety, Arthritis, Asthma, Memory, Bronchitis, Cholesterol, Chronic Fatigue, Colds, Gout, Heart Tonics, IBS, Respiratory, Lupus
* Sage: Memory, Menopause
* Thyme: Congestion, Cough, Respiratory, Toothache
