Like making your own medicine? Winter is the season for nourishing broths and teas. Here are some of my favourite herbal honeys to support immunity through the depths of winter.
What is an herbal honey?
When you combine your chosen herb (fresh or dried) with honey, you create a type of infusion. Just like making a cup of tea you add herb to a solvent base. The solvent in this case is honey. If you choose suitable plants, then honey can be an efficient extractor of the chemical compounds in the plant, drawing those chemicals into the honey. After extraction is complete, the plant material is strained out and you’re left with a medicated honey that you can eat straight, or add to teas, lattes and food.
If mixing powdered herbs into honey, the technical name for the preparation is ‘electuary’, and these can super easy to make and rarely is the herbalist without them in winter.
How to make herbal honey
The best herbs for honey making are those rich in volatile oils, for two reasons:
Volatile oils extract well into honey as a solvent
Volatile oils have an antiseptic action which helps fight infections such as colds, viruses and fungal infections
You’d be looking at the Mint Family (Lamiaceae) predominantly and although there are many suitable plants, your best choices are:
Thyme (Thymus vulgaris): good for colds, cough, sore throat, fungal infections
Rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus): good for focus,memory, concentration, colds
Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis): good for viral infections, colds, flu
Peppermint (Mentha x piperita): good for any infection in the initial stages to drive out the pathogenic infection, good also for digestion if you usually have gut symptoms with a cold or flu. Other Mints are good too, not as potent as Peppermint though.
Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia): good for bacterial infections, colds, cough, also gently sedating for sleep
The common plant names are provided above, and the botanical names are italicised in brackets. Be aware that medicinal plants have specific names, and if the name on your packaging is different then it may be a hybrid or some other species, and therefore may not give you medicinal benefits.
It’s possible that you have these growing in your garden, in which case you can choose to use them fresh or dried. If you don’t, not to worry, you tend to get a stronger extract using dried herb. Most of these herbs are available in grocery stores or online in dried form, and you can buy in bulk often too.
Recipes
Thyme & Mint Throat Honey
Based on classic cottage herbs, this is the perfect medicated honey to have in your pantry for the immediate soothing of a sore throat, dry cough and colds.
Easy to make with fresh or dried herbs, this medicated honey soothes a sore throat and is wonderful added to a cup of hot ginger and lemon tea at the first sign of cold or flu.
- 1 Tbsp dried Thyme leaf and stem (or 2 Tbsp fresh Thyme) – Thymus vulgaris
- 1 Tbsp dried Peppermint leaf (or 2 Tbsp fresh) – Mentha x piperita
- 1 Tbsp dried Lemon Balm leaf (or 2 Tbsp fresh) – Melissa officinalis
- 1 Tbsp dried Marshmallow root – Althaea officinalis (optional)
- 200g Honey (or as much as needed to cover the plant material in the jar)
- Step 1Add herbs to the jar. (If using fresh, rinse them first and pat dry with a clean, dry tea towel. You can mash the herbs a little so that they take up less space in the jar.)
- Step 2If you have dried Marshmallow root, you can add that too. However, if you don’t have it you can omit this.
- Step 3Pour honey over the herbs. Ensure the herbs are covered. Place lid on the jar and leave to infuse for 2 weeks. Each day, use a clean spoon to press the herbs into the honey to ensure they stay covered.
- Step 4At the end of 2 weeks, use muslin or a thin tea towel to strain the herbs out of the honey, and return the final medicated honey to a clean jar. Store in a cool, dry place for up to 6 months.
Ayurvedic Spiced Electuary
A warming honey based medicine to add to teas and lattes to stimulate circulation and immunity and generate inner warmth in winter. Add a tablespoon to drinks, up to 4 times daily. Not suitable for babies or infants due to the honey content.
This is a honey version of my Ayurvedic Spice Elderberry pastilles, from which this description of the herbs is taken: “Common spices used in Ayurveda for colds and coughs include ginger, turmeric, cinnamon, and cloves. Ginger, with its warming properties, helps your blood flow, delivering nutrition to your cells more efficiently and removing debris so you can feel clear headed and invigorated more quickly. It clears mucous congestion with a drying effect too. Turmeric is a powerful anti-inflammatory herb, so it could be useful if you have a chronic inflammatory condition. Cinnamon, known for its antimicrobial properties, fights off infection-causing pathogens. Lastly, Cloves, with their antibacterial and antiviral properties, help alleviate coughs and cold symptoms. They also have a numbing effect on a sore throat which is just what you need when you get that horrible unproductive dry cough.”
- 1 Tbsp Cinnamon powder – Cinnamomum cassia, Cinnamomum zeylanicum
- 1 tsp Ginger powder – Zingiber officinale
- 1 tsp Clove powder – Syzygium aromaticum
- 200g Honey
- Skin of 1 orange, grated
- Step 1Measure out ingredients and combine the powders in a jar.
- Step 2Add in the grated orange peel. Stir to combine.
- Step 3Pour honey into the powdered herb jar and stir to combine. Cover and store away from heat and sunlight for up to 6 months.
Hibernation Honey
Add 1 Tbsp to a warm cup of tea such as Chamomile tea, to assist with rest and recovery from colds and cough. If you don’t have Lemon Balm, you can omit it. It helps with sleep and has an antiviral action which can be helpful.
- 1/4 cup fresh lavender flowers (or 1/8th cup dried) – Lavandula angustifolia, Lavandula officinalis
- 1 Tbsp dried Lemon Balm leaves (or 2 Tbsp fresh) – Melissa officinalis
- 4g dried Chamomile flowers (equivalent to 2 teabags worth) – Matricaria chamomilla
- 200g honey
- Step 1Add the herbs to a clean glass jar
- Step 2Pour honey into the jar and stir to combine. Herbs must be covered by the honey, add more if needed.
- Step 3Cover and leave to infuse for 2 weeks or more.
- Step 4After 2 weeks, strain out the herbs using muslin or a thin tea towel, and return the honey liquid to a clean jar. Store in a cool, dry place for up to 6 months.
I’ve been teaching herbal medicine making for many years now, and I can see how much joy it brings us to make our own medicines. All you need is a jar and a spoon, and access to dried herbs. Many of these are in the spices section in your supermarket, or you can find them online easily too. Happy honey making!
xo Sulin
