Hello Superfoodie lovers, wellness warriors and at-home herbalists! Thank you for joining this series on DIY: Make Your Own Herbal Remedies, Herbal Honey edition. In case you missed the last posts of this series you can view them here: DIY Tinctures, DIY Decoctions and DIY Elixirs. Let’s begin!
Hopefully as you’re learning, making your own herbal medicines is easy, and a nice little pharmacopeia can usually be put together from plants that you can find around where you live. You can forage for these herbs yourself or pick them up at a local herb shop or online by trying Rosehive Superfoods Box.
A few of our favorite gentle herbs to make medicines with are:
-Rose petal
-Lavender blossom
-Lemon balm
-Sage
-Violet flower
-Dandelion blossom
-Chamomile flower
-Cinnamon chip
-Peppermint, spearmint and chocolate mint
-Anise hyssop
-Ginger
-Nettle
-Garlic
To get inspired: imagine Lavender laced honey atop freshly churned ice cream or pear slices dipped into Star Anise honey!
Herbal Syrup
So let’s begin by talking about Herbal Syrups. Making herbal syrup is a great way to preserve your herbal teas. They are also soothing, good for sore throats, the flu, stomach upset, relaxation, and more depending on the herbs you use. Plus, they are super tasty!
You will need:
– 1 Clean (sterilized) pint jar with a lid
– Fresh or dried herbs (enough herb to fill the jar)
– Honey (preferably raw honey from a local beekeeper)
Method:
- Decoct roots, barks, and berries for 20 mins. If you’re using any leafy or dried herbs, next add those to steep for 10 mins.
- Strain the herb and measure the liquid.
- Add equal amount of raw local honey.
- Simmer gently (below 110 degrees) until dissolved.
Once you’re finished, store in a dry, sterilized amber bottle to keep the shelf life of your syrup. You should store in the refrierator for up to 6 months.
Herb-Infused Honey
Here is another method to create Herb-Infused Honey.
- Chop herbs into small pieces and place in jar leaving an inch of space at the top.
- Pour the honey into the jar until the jar is full.
- Once the herbs are covered with honey put the lid on, label it, and leave in a cool dark place for up to 4 weeks.
- When it’s done, hang a cheesecloth over another jar, pour the herby honey into it, and wait– it’ll eventually strain out into the jar
Depending on what herb you use, it can add the most wonderful nuance to dishes. Sage, beebalm and thyme honeys on chicken. Rose honey on fruit. Lavender honey in chamomile tea. The possibilities really are endless.
Herbal Honey Elixirs
What you’ll need:
- 1 clean (sterilised) pint jar with a lid
- Fresh or dried herbs (enough herb to fill the jar)
- 1/2 pint brandy
- 1/2 pint honey
As before, chop the herbs up and stuff them into the jar, leaving an inch of space at the top, until they can no longer be stuffed anymore. Pour in the brandy until it’s half-filled, and then fill the rest up with honey (you might have to pour it and wait, repeatedly, until the honey sinks down enough). Screw on the lid, label, and place somewhere cool and dark for 4 weeks, giving it a shake every few days, to mix up the brandy and honey. After 4 weeks, strain into a clean bottle and use when needed!
Give these recipes a try and let us know what you think!
Herbs, Superfoods, Snacks, and more every month – Try Rosehive Superfoods Box.