How to Infuse Honey- 8 Best and Easy Homemade Recipes

Did you know you can infuse herbs and spices or a combination of both in honey? YES, that’s right! This honey is known as infused honey and what is fascinating about this is you end up with a little canister of heaven. We bring you ideas on how to flavor honey, how to infuse honey.

Honey is one of the most delicious and extremely beneficial natural sweeteners that has been utilized since ages to ramp up the taste of a wide variety of dishes and cuisines. The amazing nutrients that it contains also makes it one the most potent home remedy for dealing with common day to day illness. Its mild and pleasant flavor makes it highly versatile to welcome delightful flavors of many herbs, spices, flowers, and fruits through a simple and amazing process of “infusion”.

Well, you might be wondering what this process is all about, but its simplicity will make you love it! I was new to this fascinating world of infused honey, but as I start to discover and research on them, I could not stop myself from thinking about them. This further fascinated me to start experimenting! You can either infuse honey for enhancing its flavor or to enhance its nutritional values; the choice is yours!

Infused honey is a perfect gift you can give your loved ones.

What Is Infused Honey?

Infused honey is also known as flavored honey. It is a delicious concoction made using a wide range of herbs and spices with honey. These ingredients are intensely infused in the honey to give it a unique taste that enhances its mild flavor as well as enhance the health benefits of both the herbs and honey.

Here’s how to flavor honey at home. To start with, let me remind you that infusing honey is easy. There are mainly two different ways of infusing herbs and spices into honey: with heat and without heat. Both these procedures have their pros and cons, but they are still worth it.

Heating Method or Fast Infusion

Let me first share with you that this method is truly worthwhile but while doing so, there are high chances that you will lose some of the beneficial nutrients of raw honey.

Heating honey during the infusion process provides you with the opportunity to create a better shelf-stable infusion as well as the heat will effectively help in extracting maximum quantity of active properties from dense and woody ingredients like cinnamon barks and Valerian roots.

So, without any further ado, let’s get started! All you need are:

1. Transfer your herbs/ spices (or their combination) into a pan.
2. Add the honey into the pan and turn on the heat to a medium flame.
3. Stir to properly mix them together. It becomes easier as the honey starts heating up.
4. Keep stirring the mixture till the honey starts to bubble. At this point of time, remove the pan from heat and let it cool.
5. Repeat the process of heating and cooling several times throughout the day making sure the herbs and spices does not get burnt and the honey does not boil!
6. Remember to keep tasting the honey and when it has infused completely, to your taste, strain the herbs and spices out.
7. Store the infused honey in an extremely dry glass bottle and keep it in a cool and dark area so as to maintain its freshness.

Useful Tips: Hey, don’t throw away the honey residues yet! The leftover honey-soaked herbs and spices are highly useful in making your very own sweet tea concentrates that can easily be mixed with some hot or cold beverages for that punch of deliciousness.

Here are 6 Health Benefits of Honey

No Heat Method or Slow Infusion

I personally prefer this method as it is simple and beneficial. This method gives me the privilege to enjoy the natural benefits of both the raw unprocessed honey and the authentic herbs and spices in every scoop.

Well, let me also tell you that I love using dried ingredients rather than the fresh ones. There’s no specific reason to it but this is just something I personally prefer.

So, let’s quickly get into it! Here’s what you will need:

1. ½ cup dried or fresh herbs and spices (make sure your fresh herbs are free of moisture).
2. A small jar of raw honey

1. Take an empty jar of your choice and fill it with your favorite herbs and spices. You can also combine them for better flavors.
2. Pour the raw honey over this natural goodness and observe how slowly and gently the honey finds its way right through the bottom of the jar and be sure all the ingredients are completely submerged.
3. Close the lid tightly and allow it to stand in the sun as this will keep it warm. By doing so, it will allow the herbs and spices to get properly infused and make the honey more liquefied.
4. Remember to turn the jar over at least once a day.
5. Allow this mixture to get infused for at least a week, although it is preferable to keep it infused for a period of 3-4 weeks. The best part of honey infusions is that the more you leave it, the intense the flavors will be.
6. Whenever you feel the honey tastes the way you want it, you can strain all the herbs and spices out.
7. Store this flavorful honey infusion in a cool and dark area keeping it tightly sealed to maintain its freshness.

Useful tips: Don’t forget to reuse the leftovers! They are going to make your teas taste delicious. Also, if you feel the need of adding more honey over the next few days, feel free to do so and allow it to further infuse better.

Moment of Truth! Dried Versus Fresh Ingredients, Which One Is Better?

When it comes to choosing whether to use dried or fresh ingredients, there is always a discussion that arises. The simplest way to conclude this discussion is by choosing fresh herbs if you are making the honey infusion for yourself and if you plan on making it for someone else then go with the dried ingredients. The reason for this is that honey generally is acidic in nature which makes it less susceptible to unwanted microbes.

However, if fresh ingredients are used and due to the high moisture content in them, it encourages the growth of various unwanted microbes making the honey unpleasant. This reason simply make sense as to why I personally prefer using dried ingredients in my honey infusions. But there is no harm in trying with fresh herbs and I believe it will still taste great!

• Drizzle on fresh breads or toast.
• Flavor your teas by adding a teaspoon or more of your favorite honey infusions.
• Directly scoop it from the jar and consuming it mainly for medicinal purposes.
• A perfect addition to your baked goods for some extra flavor.
• Drizzle on yogurt, ice-creams and salads.
• Perfect for pancakes, waffles and oats.
• A thoughtful and wonderful gift for your loved ones.

I think by now you must have gotten the idea of making honey infusions and would love to give it a try! Adding more to it, I would love to share some bits on a few ingredients that can be infused with honey for a fun twist. You can either use the fast or slow method to make these honey infusions. Whichever method you choose, your honey infusions are going to be delicious!

Eight Infused Honey Recipes You Can Try Making at Home

1. Cinnamon Infused Honey

Honey which is infused with cinnamon will give your tea a warm flavour and is also delicious enough that you can easily spread it on a piece of bread or toast.

All you need is:

1. A cup of Honey.
2. 5 cinnamon sticks.
3. A pinch of powdered cinnamon. (Adding a pinch of powdered cinnamon will enhance the taste as it will get completely mixed with the honey and give it that punch of flavor)

2. Ginger Infused Honey

Ginger infused honey is extremely delicious when it is drizzled over your oatmeal or pancakes. It will also make your milk tea highly flavorful. Try it out, you will love it!

All you need is:

1. A cup of Honey.
2. One teaspoon of finely chopped ginger.
3. A pinch of ginger powder. (Adding a pinch of powdered ginger will enhance the taste as it will get completely mixed with the honey and give it that punch of flavor)

3. Jalapeno Infused Honey

Jalapeno infused honey is a perfect addition to your cornbread or grilled potatoes. Drizzle it over baked breads or pizzas for a unique flavor.

All you need is:

1. A cup of Honey.
2. A slice of jalapeno or more according to your taste.

4. Lemon Infused Honey

It is an ancient remedy of adding lemon and honey to your tea as this will help in soothing a sore throat. Mix this in your daily tea or your early morning warm water to keep yourself healthy and fit.

All you need is:

1. A cup of Honey
2. A tablespoon of grated lemon zest
3. Two slices of fresh lemon

5. Vanilla Infused Honey

Vanilla infused honey is a perfect pair for all your sweet dishes. It is great for flavoring your milk and shakes. Also, a delicious spread on muffins and cakes.

All you need is:

1. A cup of Honey.
2. One vanilla bean.
3. ½ teaspoon of vanilla essence.

6. Coriander Seeds Infused Honey

This infused honey can easily compliment any savory dishes. You can also add it to your teas for some pleasant taste and aroma.

All you need is:

1. A cup of honey.
2. One tablespoon of coriander seeds.
3. A pinch of coriander powder. (Adding a pinch of powdered coriander will enhance the taste as it will get completely mixed with the honey to give it that punch of flavor)

7. Tulsi Infused Honey

Honey infused with Tulsi will definitely make your day. It will bring help you focus and relax. Add this infusion to your teas or your morning warm water. Do try it, this will keep you mentally and physically it.

All you need is:

1. A cup of honey.
2. 5-10 tulsi leaves

8. Rose Petals Infused Honey

This infusion would surely make a lovely gift. It will look pretty and have a unique and delicious flavor. Drizzle this amazing infusion on your pancakes and oats. You will be amazed by its pleasant aroma and flavor.

All you need is:

1. A cup of honey.
2. A handful of dried rose petals.

I truly hope you are excited to get started and try out these honey infusions. Really easy to make, full of benefits and undoubtedly delicious. Enjoy!

How Long Does Infused Honey Last?

This question is by far the most common one. Surprisingly, the taste of infused honey gets better with time. The more you keep the ingredients infused, the more intense the taste will be!

But what needs to be remembered is that the lid should be properly sealed and avoid adding moisture to it. This will help in keeping the infusion fresh and stable for a longer duration.

Herbal honeys that are infused with dried ingredients have a better shelf-life of about a year and does not require refrigeration whereas herbal honeys that are infused with fresh herbs have a shorter shelf-life of about six months when properly stored. Your senses can easily help you figure this out whether your infusions are good to go or needs to be discarded.

Zizira Sources Pure Honey Directly from the Beekeepers

Zizira, a food products company, works closely with the beekeepers of Meghalaya, a beautiful state in the northeast of India, part of one of the 4 biodiversity hotspots of India. We source varieties of raw honey which are totally naturally collected, using traditional methods.

Read more about these beekeeping techniques. Want to know more about honey from our state? Contact us. Check out the range of pure Zizira honey.