Herbal Honey
Using honey and herbs together is a perfect combination. Making your own herb infused honey is one of my favourite ways to use flavoursome herb sprigs.
Fresh and aromatic herbs work best when infusing, allowing their essential oils and flavours to permeate into the honey. Rosemary, sage, thyme, lemon balm, lavender and chamomile all make lovely flavoured honey, either as a single variety or as combinations. Make sure the herbs are totally dry before you begin.
- Half fill a clean dry jar with leaves or small sprigs of your chosen herb and fill to about 3/4 full with
a good quality honey. - Using a chopstick or wooden skewer gently stir the herbs around until they are totally coated
in honey and all the air bubbles are released. - Top up with more honey to fill the jar and seal tightly.
- Leave to infuse in a cool dark place for at least 5 days or longer — up to 3 weeks for strongly
aromatic honey — then strain through a fine sieve into a clean jar and label ready for use.
N.B. Lemon balm should have no more than 1 day infusing, that way you will get the lovely lemony taste without the strong tannins which will be gradually extracted later.
Keep the herb sprigs to make a herb tea or tisane.
The aromatic honey makes an ideal condiment and can be used in all manner of cooking and home baking. Try adding to salad dressings and marinades for a subtle herbal flavour, use it to sweeten drinks like lemonade and add to fizzy water to make a refreshing herby drink.
Some herbs like thyme, sage and rosemary are strongly medicinal.
A spoonful of sage honey will soothe a sore throat and thyme honey will help with a cough.