5 Healing Honey Infusions for a Healthy Life
Honey is one of nature’s miracles. It is a delicious ingredient in many foods, has antibacterial properties, works as a humectant (keeps things moist), soothes a cough or sore throat, and makes your tea about 1,000 better-and that’s just scratching the surface really. Whether you’re using it as a sweetener or trying to kick a cough, it’s just plain useful. Here are 5 flavors (and a general method) to infuse your honey and make it that much more wonderful.
Formula for infusing your honey: Use 1 cup of honey (raw and organic is best), flavoring to your taste, a saucepan, strainer, and an 8 oz. glass jar with a tightly fitting lid.
1. Lemon-Honey:
You will need…
–1 cup of honey
–1 tablespoon grated lemon peel
–2 fresh slices of lemon, juice and tossed in (optional)
Directions
Pour 1 cup of honey into your pan and add 1 tablespoon of freshly grated lemon peel. Toss in 2 slices for boosted flavor if you like. Heat these together for about 10 minutes, making sure to keep the heat relatively low. Burned honey doesn’t taste as bad as some other things do burned, but you still want to avoid it. Around 115 degrees Fahrenheit releases the flavors nicely, but it will depend on your stovetop. After you’ve heated the mixture, let it sit for 1-2 hours or up to 1-2 weeks. After its infused strain if you’d like, and place in a glass jar with a tightly fitting top. Know the longer it sits for the stronger it will taste.
Good to use: If you have a bad cough or cold, place a healthy dollop of your lemon infused honey at the bottom of a cup. Pour freshly boiled water over the top, drop in a teabag, and give it a good stir. The lemon can loosen phlegm, while the honey soothes irritation. You can also slowly heat the lemon-infused honey while adding the juice of one freshly squeezed lemon. When it’s still hot and liquid, sip slowly.
2. Cinnamon-honey:
You will need…
–1 cup of honey
–4-6 sticks of cinnamon
–a pinch of ground cinnamon (optional)
Directions
I am crazy about cinnamon, so I tend to add it generously, but try starting with 4 sticks if you’re unsure. Pour 1 cup of honey into the saucepan, and drop in the cinnamon sticks. Push them down with a spoon to submerge them. For 10 minutes on low heat let the mixture heat up, and then let it sit for around 2 hours or up to 1-2 weeks. Strain if you’d like and store in a glass jar.
Good if used: In tea, just like the lemon-honey, or eaten straight off the spoon. It’s also delicious spread on a plain piece of toast. Cinnamon is chock full of anti-oxidants, possesses antifungal properties, and helps break up congestions/clear the sinuses. Even just half a teaspoon a day has been shown to lower cholesterol levels.
3. Ginger-honey:
You will need…
–1 cup of honey
–1 tablespoon finely chopped ginger root
–A pinch of ground ginger (optional)
Directions
Pour 1 cup of honey into a saucepan and add 1 tablespoon of finely chopped ginger root. You can add a small pinch of ground ginger if you’d like as well, but it does have a strong flavor. On low heat let the mixture sit for 10 minutes. When it’s done let it infuse for 2 hours or up to 2 weeks in a glass jar with a tightly fitting lid. Strain when it’s finished if you’d like.
Best used: In your tea when you’re feeling ill-especially with an upset tummy since both ginger and honey are known to soothe your stomach and chase off “bugs.” The added ginger helps circulation, flushing toxins through your systems, and helps get rid of aches and chills. If you’re in a pinch and have wound up with a minor abrasion, applying this cooled and then covering with gauze can help it heal, and the ginger fights inflammation.
4. Clove-honey:
You will need…
–1 cup of honey
–5-10 whole cloves
Directions
Pour 1 cup of honey into a saucepan, and then add 5-10 whole cloves. On low, heat for 10 minutes before letting it infuse for 2 hours or up to 2 weeks, putting it in a jar with a tightly fitting lid. Strain when it’s finished if you’d like.
Best used: In tea when you have a sore throat or a toothache or dabbed directly on the gum by a sore tooth. The eugenol in the clove is a powerful numbing agent that was used by dentists before modern painkillers were created and are so effective it is still used in modern dentistry in an extracted form. If you have a little cut or sore in your mouth, the honey may help it heal faster and keep bad bacteria out while the cloves take care of the discomfort.
5. Apple Cider Vinegar honey:
You will need…
–1 cup of honey
–2-3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
Directions
Add 1 cup of honey to a saucepan, and then pour in 2-3 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar. Let it heat over low heat for 10 minutes, stirring well about halfway through. Place in a jar and let it sit for as long as you like-its taste and benefits are all there pretty quickly, and it doesn’t need to sit as long as something like cinnamon sticks or cloves would.
Best: If you make the Braggs apple cider vinegar health drink you can try adding this for an extra kick. While this is subject to opinion, I think it tastes good stirred in to tea or a glass of lemon water in the morning. Apple cider vinegar can help neutralize and correct excess acidity in our bodies (counterintuitive, but oftentimes true) and helps a number of issues from an upset stomach to easing sore throats to showing promise in treating diabetes.
Pooh Bear was on to something when it comes to honey-its probably why he is still around today! It has a plethora of ways to help you get healthy, stay healthy, and heal, all while tasting absolutely delicious. It also opens itself up to a number of other flavors and beneficial ingredients, so get creative, and share what you come up with.
Storage
Honey Infusion Tips
–A nice touch for flavor is to add 3 tablespoons of diced or roughly chopped fruit. Apple-strawberry is one of my favorite flavors for eating on toast with butter. I don’t strain it at the end either.
–Flavored honey makes an awesome gift in a nice decorative jar, and you can actually get “honeystix” at many craft/party stores.
–Freely adjust to taste, and experiment. It’s not an exact science, and it’s all about what you like and what’s good for you.
Important Notice: This article was originally published at www.everydayroots.com by Claire Goodall where all credits are due.
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