Rosemary Lime Oxymel

Year of honeys: week 8 - I enjoyed the vanilla pine oxymel so much that I was really looking forward to making another. Not being use to blending flavors this way I was a bit stuck on what to use. Fingers crossed this taste as good as it sounds like it should. I was torn between doing the rosemary lime as an oxymel or elixir. Depending on the results, I may try the elixir, too. I have some happy rosemary in one of my gardens that I really wanted to use & needed to do some searching for flavors that pare well with it. We didn't have rosemary around for years because our teen was very allergic to it. That has thankfully been outgrown! We just reintroduced it into our kitchen the last couple years. Getting reacquainted has been fun as we evolve our menus & meld the herbals together. Since I used fresh rosemary & lime, this one needs to infuse for awhile before we can sample it.

To make you’ll need:

~ 2 sprigs of rosemary (4-5" total)

~ 1 small lime cut up*

~ 2 parts honey

~ 1 part pear vinegar

~ sterile jar for marrying & storage

Lightly bruise rosemary & place in jar. Cut up lime & add to jar. Add vinegar & honey. Stir to blend & work out air pockets. Use a plastic lid or put parchment/wax paper between lid & jar. The acidity of vinegar will cause metal to corrode. Give the jar a shake once a day to keep mixed. Let steep for a few days & then start tasting. When the flavors are to your liking, strain & enjoy! Since fresh lime was used keeping in fridge will lengthen its shelf life. *If using organic lime, you can use all parts including the peel. If you don't have organic lime, discarding the peel is best to avoid chemicals/pesticides being in your oxymel.

Ways to use: Take by spoon or shot. Mix with teas, carbonated water/tonic, cocktails. Use as a salad dressing or marinade. Use topically for hair/scalp treatment.

Some benefits of rosemary: High in vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin B6, thiamin, folate, magnesium, calcium, copper, iron, and manganese. High in dietary fiber; low cholesterol & sodium; supports hair growth, improves dandruff & dry scalp, enhances brain function; alertness, intelligence & focus, studies show it to have properties that are antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, research shows that it protects skin from UV-induced damage in combination with citrus, removes phlegm from the respiratory system, powerful antibacterial, boosts immunity, aids digestion & gut health, breath freshener, stimulates blood flow & soothes pain. Caution: It may interact negatively with certain drugs like Warfarin (anticoagulant), Lithium (manic depression), Lasix (diuretic) and others.

Benefits of lime: Source of calcium, potassium, iron, zinc, vitamin C & dietary fiber; soluble fiber aids in digestion & stabilizes blood sugar. Vitamin C helps reduce risk of heart disease, increase amount of iron absorbency, boosts immune system & aids in production of collagen. Citric acid lowers risk of kidney stones. Naturally whiten teeth, lighten sun/age spots, add shine & smoothness to hair.