The instructions I followed (this time) come from the Mountain Rose Blog. Before, I would infuse my honey with sage over low, low heat (which, in retrospect, still might have damaged some of the honey’s properties). From now on, I’m doing it this way!
Here’s What You Need
Honey, herbs, and a jar - that's it!
I’m making mine with lavender and rosemary, because it’s summer and my skin is a tiny bit on the oily side. But remember, you can use whatever herb/flower combination you’d like!
Herb Infused Honey – Step 1 – Add Herbs to the Jar
First, you need to find a jar that holds about twice the amount of honey you’d like to infuse.
Thoroughly clean (and sterilize via boiling water) the glass jar or container and allow it to dry completely.
Then, fill it up about halfway with dried herbs.
Halfway full, all the way fragrant.
Herb Infused Honey – Step 2 – Cover the Herbs with Honey
Now you simply cover the herbs with the honey.
About a half-and-half mixture. (Unless you’re using vanilla beans, in which case I’d recommend using 2 slit beans per 1/2 c. honey.)
Really, how many herbs you use in relation to how much honey you want is up to you – more herbs = stronger infusion.
So you pour, and pour, and pour your honey:
And then, once you have enough honey in your jar to fully submerse your herbs, you stir it up.
Herb Infused Honey – Step 3 – Put the Lid On and Let it Steep
And you put a lid on it.
Then, you turn it over every day for a week or two. (I found myself turning mine over several times a day.)
But mostly you leave it alone. Or stare at it longingly. Or sing it sweet, sweet songs that go, “Kiss me, honey, honey kiss me …”
Eventually, this will be a strained herbal honey.
Herb Infused Honey – Step 4
After a week or two of letting your herbs/flowers steep in the honey, you’re going to want to strain all of it out. I only let mine steep for 5 days, so I could write this post. But 5 days was PLENTY of time to make a really fragrant herbal honey.
Straining the honey - easier than I thought.
Make it easy on yourself: Warm your honey up for a minute by setting the jar in a bowl of warm water. This’ll help it drip through faster.
As I’m using mine on my face, I didn’t worry about straining out the smaller pieces, so I just used my mesh strainer. (Tiny lavender and rosemary pieces add extra scrubby power!)
If I were doing this for honey that I wanted to eat, I’d use a cheesecloth. Absolutely. Without a doubt. Cheesecloth for more clarified honey.
So all you do is strain it into another jar, pop the lid on, and keep it handy for whenever you need it.
And then you have … ta da …
Herbal infused honey, ladies and gents:
The bits and pieces add a little extra infusing AND scrubby power.
Store it in a tightly lidded jar, and your herb infused honey will keep indefinitely, but my guess is you’ll use it all up before you know it.
And that … is that.
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