Flavored honey is YUMMY, but it can also be difficult to find. And when you do find it, it's pretty expensive. Those bees slurping up that delicious nectar work hard. Turns out you can make your own infused honey at home in a flash with a few simple ingredients.
How to Make Infused Honey
All you need is mild-flavored honey and dried herbs, spices, or flowers. Clover honey tends to be the mildest and least expensive choice, so that's what I use. It also contains a myriad of vitamins and minerals, such as Vitamin C, iron, calcium, potassium, and zinc [source]. But you can use any kind of honey you prefer.
If you warm the honey before adding the flavoring agent, it will infuse more quickly. It doesn't need to boil, just place the bottle of honey in a warm water bath. But keep an eye on it, because heating it too much can make it caramelize and thicken. And with raw honey, overheating will impact its health benefits.
If you don't warm the honey, then it will take a little bit longer for the flavors to infuse.
Honey Infusion Flavor Ideas
When it comes to the herbs, spices, and flowers, the sky's the limit. You can use one or combine a few for your own unique infused honey blend. You can even add loose dried teas to create interesting flavors.
Just be sure to use dried herbs, spices and flowers because of the risk of contamination or mold. The fresher the flavor agent, the stronger the flavor it will infuse. Whole spices are the way to go if you want clear honey, but you can also add ground spices and eliminate the straining step.
Spices
- fennel seeds
- whole cloves
- cinnamon stick
- allspice berries
- peppercorns
- juniper berries
- cardamom pods
- dried ginger (candied works too)
- dried citrus rinds
Herbs
- rosemary
- thyme
- sage
- basil
- green tea
- mint
- mushrooms
Flowers
- rose
- lavender
- chamomile
- jasmine
- hibiscus
- elderflower
- calendula
- violet
Instructions
1. Place the desired amount of herbs and spices in a small jar (I fill the jar roughly ⅔ full, but there's no hard and fast rules). Then add the honey.
2. Top it with a lid and give it a good shake. Place it somewhere dark and cool for a few weeks. Taste it periodically to see how strong the flavor has become. Shake it every now and then, too, to keep the herbs and honey well mixed.
3. When it tastes the way you want it to, strain out the flowers, herbs or spices and place it back into a jar with a tight-fitting lid.
As long as you used dry herbs, it will keep almost indefinitely. There's no need to store it in the refrigerator.
How to Use Infused Honey
1. Sweeten tea, lemonade or warm milk
2. Drizzle over yogurt, oatmeal, or fruit
3. On toast, pancakes, crepes, or baked goods
4. In beauty recipes! Try it in face masks, hair lightening spray, lip scrub or hair masks.
Infused Honey FAQ
Can infused honey go bad?
As long you infused it with dried flavorings, no, it shouldn't go bad. The honey might eventually crystallize but you can fix that by placing the jar in a bowl of warm water. Eventually, the honey will soften and return to a normal consistency.
How much herbs should I use?
There's no hard and fast rule for how much herbs to use, but I usually fill my jar about ⅔ full with herbs and the rest of the way with honey.
Can I use the dried herbs and flowers after infusing my honey?
Yes! You can steep the leftover herbs in hot water to create a sweet, herbal tea.
Can I use powdered herbs to make infused honey?
Yes, you can. But you might find it hard to strain out the herbs when you're done. However, if there's still powdered herbs in the honey, that's ok. It won't really affect anything.
So, tell us. Have you ever tried infused honey? What's your favorite flavor?
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Flower + Herb Infused Honey
Equipment
- 16 ounce jar with lid
- Mesh strainer
Ingredients
- 8 ounces clover honey
- 1 Tablespoon dried flowers lavender, roses, chamomile, etc. OR 1 teaspoon dried herbs (not ground) OR whole spices
Instructions
- Place the desired amount of herbs and spices in a small jar (I fill the jar roughly ½ - ⅔ full, but the exact amount doesn't matter).
- Fill the rest of the way with honey.
- Top it with a lid and give it a good shake. Place it somewhere dark and cool for a few weeks. Taste it periodically to see how strong the flavor has become. Shake it every now and then, too, to keep the herbs and honey well mixed.
- When it tastes the way you want it to, strain out the flowers, herbs or spices and place it back into a jar with a tight-fitting lid.
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