Honeys Recap - 6 weeks in

I kicked off my Year of Honey 6 weeks ago as my theme for 2022. So far it's going pretty well. I've been exploring different ways to make medicinals with honey as the menstruum. Super simple, most are kid friendly & honey is a great vehicle to get medicinals to be more palatable, especially bitter herbs.

First up was a vanilla infused honey that was yummy added to teas & added to the Vanilla Pine Oxymel on week 5. Next I made a hibiscus electuary (herbal paste). Tried adding the paste to tea & didn't care for the grittiness there & have opted to just eat it by the spoonful. It's super tasty! I'm mulling over adding it as a rub for a chicken dish.

Week 3 was a challenge to be inspired & by the end of the week, I came up with the Rose Cacao Elixir. Y'all... so delicious, highly recommend! It's warming with a hint of rose & smooth on the tongue with after notes of chocolate. Perfect to sip around a fire with friends. Then for week 4 I tried my hand at making echinacea pastilles. This one was a flop in my book. The pills (pastilles) worked out just fine. On chewing one up though, it was like eating sandpaper. Not a fan, but I'm looking into ways to improve for consumption. Barring that, making them small enough to swallow whole will be a viable option. Next up is the Vanilla Pine Oxymel from week 5. I was not an oxymel fan until sampling this one. ACV is a bit too bite-y for me usually, so I decided to craft this one to work for me by using our homemade pear vinegar. I just happened to have a pine infused pear vinegar that I hoped would marry well with the vanilla honey from week 1. Instead of doing equal parts of vinegar & honey as most recipes do, I did 1 part vinegar to 2 parts honey. This oxymel is quite tasty & I've enjoyed it with salad & straight from a spoon.

With the full moon during week 5, I was inspired to create my first ever honey essence, Deep Dive. It was infused during the full moon with hawthorn berries, ginger, wild roses & vanilla. I mixed it as a glycerite & am thoroughly enjoying it during my daily reflections. And last but not least, week 6 rolled back around to do another infused honey. This time with cinnamon honey. This spicy, warming kick of honey is lovely added to tea & oatmeal. Are you making honey medicinals? I'd love to hear about your creations!