Herbal Honey Recommended for Colds

Color Key When Creating Herbal Honey
By Meridith Doane, Mount Vernon News (USA), 10/6/2006

Lavender or Chamomile Honey
4 to 10 tablespoons lavender (buds) or chamomile (buds)
(If using pint jar, 2-5 Tbs. are used)
When using dried leaves rather than buds, fill loosely the container with herbs to the rim.
1 jarfull of honey (pint or quart depending on size)

WAKEMAN — Connie Williams has been working with bees for the past six years, and is the owner of four beehives. Her endeavors in beekeeping have led to a hobby that creates honey that boasts flavors of natural herbs from the garden…

A favorite recipe of her own is a lemon honey — a combination of lemon verbena, scented lemon geranium, lemon balm and lemon thyme. She suggests this particular herb combination in honey for the use of treating colds during the winters months. If she notice she is feeling unwell, she said, she might take a teaspoon. If desired, it could also be mixed with tea...

Williams offers the following tips about making particular honey:

•When making lavender honey, the dried buds should be used, but the stem removed. Lavender will have best flavor when it’s hearty. Also, lavender should be fresh and always used sparingly or taste is strong and bitter.

•When using dried chamomile it should be the German form and only the buds used. The buds may have remnants of leaves and parts of stem remaining; that’s acceptable. It’s always best to use chamomile dried as opposed to fresh as with lavender.

•If the taste of the honey seems too strong for what was anticipated, additional honey may be added to tone down flavor to desired taste.

•During the sun process of producing the honey, some of the buds will rise to the top; that’s common and will not alter the taste. If desired, the jar can be turned upside down to bring the buds back to the bottom, though is not necessary.