Let's face it, many of the most effective herbal remedies are decidedly unpleasant tasting. You know deep down that your concoction will do the trick for whatever's ailing your loved one…if ONLY you could get them to take it!

It's no secret that most people hate the thought of tasting anything bitter. They just aren't ready to hear that "bitter" is actually good for them.

Using raw honey as a medium for delivering the more unfavorable flavors of herbal medicine is an old and favored form of administering these remedies. Raw, unpasteurized local honey is the most useful and medicinal form of honey as it contains many medicinal properties that help fight infection.

When taken internally, raw honey is slightly laxative, expectorant, and soothes sore dry mucus membranes especially in the upper respiratory system.

Raw honey can also be used externally and is an amazing topical application for burns, scrapes, and abrasions. It also reduces inflammation and encourages smooth healing with less visible scarring.

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How to Make Herbal Infused Honey

There are two ways to prepare herbal infused honey with fresh herbs. The first is to make infused honey with the aerial parts of plants, i.e leaves, petals, flowers, ect. The second method is making infused honey with fresh roots.

Herbal Infused Honey- Fresh Herbs Method

The most important thing to remember when making honey with fresh herbs is to let them wilt first. The best way to do this is to put your fresh herbs of choice into a paper bag for a day or two to help remove most of the water content. If you don't remove the water it can potentially make your infused honey go rancid and that would just be a sad waste of tasty honey and herbs.

• Once the herbs are wilted, give them a rough chop, place them into a very clean mason jar and then cover them with raw honey until you just 1 inch from the top of the jar.
• Use a chop stick to remove any bubbles by gently stirring the herbs. Make sure that they are completely covered with honey.
• Wipe the jar clean and seal it with a sheet of wax paper to make the lid easy to open.
• Place the jar on a sunny windowsill to help the herbs infuse the honey.
• Steep the mixture for 2-6 weeks, watching very closely to make sure that no mold forms.
• Once the steeping time is up, place the jar in a bath of very hot water to help liquefy the honey.
• Once liquefied, strain out the herbs through a stainless steel mesh strainer.
• Bottle, label, and store in a cool dark place!
• Enjoy in tea, coffee, over baked goods, in baking recipes, or even by the spoonful

The best herbs for this method are:

• Garlic
• Cayenne
• Citrus Peel
• Lavender
• Chamomile
• Rose petals
• Lemon balm
• Peppermint
• Echinacea
• Sage, Oregano, Thyme, Rosemary, Bay leaf, Basil
• Ginger

Herbal Infused Honey- Fresh Roots method

• To prepare fresh root honey, first scrub the roots clean and let dry completely.
• Once dry, roughly chop the roots.
• Measure out 1 part roots to 4 parts raw honey. For example, 1 cup roots to 4 cups of raw honey.
• Throw the roots and honey into a crock pot on low and let it gently bubble away for 4-6 hours
• When finished, strain out the herbs with a stainless steel strainer into a glass measuring cup
• Now here's the tricky part, you should still have very close to 4 cups of honey. If you have more, you need to simmer the honey a little bit longer on very low heat (do not walk away from honey heating over the stove! You might end up with a gooey mess!). If you don't, the honey may ferment.
• Pour the finished honey into a clean mason jar and store in a cool dark place

The best fresh roots for this method include:

• Marshmallow
• Elecampane
• Burdock
• Angelica
• Horseradish
• Echinacea roots
• Ginseng
• Ginger

Aromatic Infused Honey

Even though this method does not use the roots, leaves, or flowers of plants, it does use the essential oils of plants.

Aromatic honeys are prepared using essential oils and are excellent at delivering their flavor and healing properties to tea, coffee, dressings, marinades, and baked goods. These honeys are also great digestive aids especially if taken after a heavy meal.

Some great essential oils to try out are:

• Cinnamon
• Ginger
• Peppermint
• Bergamot
• Rose
• Lemon
• Orange
• Cardamom