Vanilla Pine Oxymel

Year of honey: week 5 - I'm admittedly not a huge fan of oxymels. I have sampled a few over the years & they were just too vinegar-y for me. ACV has a bit of a bite to it that is off-putting to me. So as I've mulled this over all week, I am going to make this work for me. We make pear vinegar every year & it's much less bite-y than ACV. And after comparing a plethora of recipes, I'm going to veer away from doing equal parts honey & vinegar. Wish me luck! This week got away from me on the honey front because... well, life. Anyway, to stick to my weekly goal, I'm going to do the quickie method for this oxymel by combining our already infused vanilla honey, from week 1, with an already infused pine vinegar that I made a few months ago. I'll let them 'marry' for a few days, maybe a week and then see how it's coming along. If you haven't tried your hand at an infused vinegar, check out this link. There is a wonderful writeup of oxymels here, so I'm going to share the link & not reinvent an already great post. Enjoy getting crafty in your kitchen!

To make you’ll need:

~ 2 parts infused honey

~ 1 part infused vinegar

~ sterile jar for marrying & storage

Fill sterile jar 1/3 with infused vinegar & 2/3 with infused honey. Stir to combine vinegar & honey. 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. In a few days it should be ready. Since the infusions were previously done, the flavors will just meld together. This does not need refrigerated since no moisture was added.

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

Some benefits of vanilla: Research shows that the active ingredient vanillin, can help reduce cholesterol levels improving heart health. Vanilla is rich in antioxidants, which can help with healing cells & tissues. It is said that it has been used for centuries to soothe inflammation particularly with the liver. Vanillin can also help ease arthritis, gout & other inflammatory conditions. Vanilla may soothe anxiety through it’s aroma - it is known to directly impact the brain and induce calmness. Vanilla may also aid in healthy digestion by soothing gut inflammation helping alleviate vomiting, cramping & diarrhea. Benefits of pine: high in Vitamin C (boosts immunity & collagen production, speeds healing process), high in Vitamin A (improves vision health, reduces appearance of blemishes/scars). Vitamin A & C both help give a luster to your hair and prevent hair loss & dandruff. Pine is anti-inflammatory, decongestant, expectorant, digestive aid, diuretic, calms nervous system (adaptogenic), eases arthritic pain, antiseptic, improves circulation, supports respiratory systems. Caution: Not safe during pregnancy.