Herbal Honey : A Homemade Christmas Gift Made with Ease and Love

Hi Friends!  Melanie here, I have an easy DIY Christmas gift to share with you today!

The parties, the eggnog, the gifts, JESUS -- Christmas is such a beautiful time of year.  For me, what often gets in the way of the holiday sparkle is long shopping lines, grumpy grinch crowds, and dare I say it, burnt cookies.  It can often be a time when wonder and chaos unite and never leave our side until the credit card bills come in January.

Wouldn't it be great if you could make a gift from home that someone could actually use? Better yet, what if you didn't have to go shopping for the ingredients?! 

I made 6 of these tasty treats in 15 minutes all with ingredients and supplies I had in my pantry.  Homemade gifts don't have to be time consuming or require hard to get ingredient!

Flavored Honey

You have honey in your cupboard, right?  However you eat or drink honey, it is possible to enhance the medicinal qualities by adding herbs to it.  You heard me right, that underused, overflowing spice rack is about to get functional.  Herbal honeys are easy to make and substitute into almost any capacity that you use honey.  Your almond butter and honey sandwhiches will never be the same.  Drizzle over muffins, add to tea, top your waffles, or eat herbal honey straight out of the jar.  You can even use them as a barbaque glaze.  C'mon I'll show you how!

   After I washed and dried all of my glass jars, I added my spices and herbs to each jar. 

I heated the honey slightly until it was warm and runny.  Make sure it doesn't boil.  Next, I poured honey into each jar. 

I stirred each jar well and placed the lids once I let them cool.  Christmas gifts, done.  Store them in a cabinet for two weeks so the flavors can mingle, and your cute little presents are ready!  I've used mine before two weeks and they were still delicious, so if you're reading this on Christmas Eve, it's not too late.

You can find corresponding recipe cards for each herbal honey blend here and here to be included with your gift.
You can find the circular labels here.
My jars were from World Market, but any glass jar with a lid that holds one volume cup will do.

You will find the recipe for each herbal honey blend below. Choose 1, all 4, or create your own blend for a unique treat this Christmas.  You could simply make a rosemary honey or a cinnamon honey as long as you powder your herbs the possibilites are endless! The basic ratio to follow is 1/4-1/2 cup dried herbs or spices to 1 cup of honey.  All recipes below are adapted from Kami McBride's The Herbal Kitchen.
 

Barbeque Honey Glaze

Spread on chicken, skewered veggies, or fish before baking or grilling.

1 cup honey, warmed
1 T powdered ginger
2 teaspoons powdered rosemary
2 teaspoons powdered thyme

Powder your herbs in a spice grinder if they are still whole.  It will still be the same measurement above.  Add to a clean jar and stir well. Pour warmed honey over herbs and stir well. Allow to cool, then close tightly.

Spiced Honey

You will never be the same after trying this honey.  It tastes like a cinnamon roll.  Fabulous in tea or spread on pancakes, the possibilities are endless. 

1 cup honey, warmed
1 T powdered cinnamon
2 teaspoons powdered ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves or allspice


Powder your herbs in a spice grinder if they are still whole. It will still be the same measurement above. Add to a clean jar and stir well. Pour warmed honey over herbs and stir well. Allow to cool, then close tightly.
.
Flexibility Honey

Perfect for a family member that suffers from arthritis.  This blend is packed with herbal anti-inflammatories.

1 cup honey, warmed
1 T powdered tumeric
1 teaspoon powdered ginger
1/2 teaspoon powdered juniper berries (no juniper berries? try powdered black pepper)
1/2 teaspoon powdered cardamom

Powder your herbs in a spice grinder if they are still whole. It will still be the same measurement above. Add to a clean jar and stir well. Pour warmed honey over herbs and stir well. Allow to cool, then close tightly.

Poultry Glaze Honey

Sticky sweet barbeque chicken.  Makes you wonder what is in those jars of BBQ glaze at the store, doesn't it?

1 cup honey, warmed
1 T powdered coriander
1 teaspoon powdered paprika
1 teaspoon powdered cumin
1 teaspoon powdered tumeric
1/2 teaspoon powdered thyme
1/2 teaspoon powdered clove
1/2 teaspoon powdered celery seed

 Powder your herbs in a spice grinder if they are still whole. It will still be the same measurement above. Add to a clean jar and stir well. Pour warmed honey over herbs and stir well. Allow to cool, then close tightly.

I hope you will give this easy project a try as homemade gifts for others or to use in your own kitchen.

Merry Christmas, from my family to yours!

-Melanie
The Grecian Garden

- all images via Melanie 
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