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Author Topic: Herb Infused Honey  (Read 7077 times)

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Offline Jen

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Herb Infused Honey
« on: December 18, 2015, 12:43:01 pm »
I'm simmering honey with different herbs for gifts, such as cloves and/or fresh mint. I was on a site where the beekeeper advised to not heat the honey over 40 celcius for it will destroy the wonderful properties of the honey. I thought the temp was higher than 40 celcius? or maybe that was fahrenheit?  Anyway.... :)

Thought I would find out on this forum what the temps should be to keep the honey properties in tact. I've looked it up and as usual, find several different answers...
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Offline apisbees

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Re: Herb Infused Honey
« Reply #1 on: December 18, 2015, 04:17:30 pm »
40 c is 104 f. that being said with honey em-zines being killed by the heat it is a time temperature thing. honey held at 90 F will have its em-zines destroyed and will darken if kept at that temperature for weeks.
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Offline 77jmartin

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Re: Herb Infused Honey
« Reply #2 on: December 18, 2015, 05:40:53 pm »
Please explain how honey stays good in the hive at 90 plus degrees.  Thank you
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Offline iddee

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Re: Herb Infused Honey
« Reply #3 on: December 18, 2015, 06:38:07 pm »
It is only 90+ degrees in the brood nest. It is fed, not laying there for weeks. It is cooler outside the brood area where it is stored.
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Offline Jen

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Re: Herb Infused Honey
« Reply #4 on: December 19, 2015, 01:52:41 am »
Apis, so if 40c and 90f kills the enzimes, then I should actually not get the honey warmer that 35c, right?

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Offline iddee

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Re: Herb Infused Honey
« Reply #5 on: December 19, 2015, 09:47:39 am »
I think anything up to 110 F. will be OK as long as it doesn't stay that high for very long.
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Offline Jen

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Re: Herb Infused Honey
« Reply #6 on: December 19, 2015, 02:48:22 pm »
Yah, I'm wondering just how fragile the enzymes and vitamins are with higher heat. I have one batch made, slow simmer, but it did get up over 50c a couple times. I'll still use it, but will keep a closer watch next batch  ;)
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Offline apisbees

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Re: Herb Infused Honey
« Reply #7 on: December 19, 2015, 09:01:06 pm »
What Iddee said... I will look up the time / temp and post it.
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Offline Jen

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Re: Herb Infused Honey
« Reply #8 on: December 19, 2015, 09:21:15 pm »
Thanks Apis  :) 8)
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Offline efmesch

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Re: Herb Infused Honey
« Reply #9 on: December 20, 2015, 02:21:51 am »
Just some food for thought Jen.  What do you think would happen if the various " spices" or "flavors" you want to introduce into the honey would just be mixed in to the raw honey without heating?  If it were stiff enough, the cloves, mint, etc. might not sink to the bottom and could give the product an interesting and desirable appearance in addition to the flavor.  I really don't know how people would respond to honey with flavoring additions floating around inside.  It certainly would be innovative.
What do you think?  Have I stepped out too far on a weak branch?
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Offline Michelle

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Re: Herb Infused Honey
« Reply #10 on: December 20, 2015, 07:30:49 am »
I was thinking the same thing! Do you have to heat it or can it just infuse on it's own without heating?
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Offline Jen

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Re: Herb Infused Honey
« Reply #11 on: December 20, 2015, 12:39:56 pm »
Hi Ef and Michelle :)  Yes, you can put the herbs of choice into honey and it would infuse on it's own. There are different opinions how long that would take, and it probably depends on the herb. Like mint is very strong so that would take maybe a couple weeks. But other herbs and medicines might take up to two months.

I see the need to do this earlier in the year if I want to make gifts.

However, I have found that if I keep the pan of honey on low simmer below 40c I have a lovely sweet product in about 4 hours. My fav so far is lemon ginger honey. Absolutely delicious!

Ef, I have left the stewed lemon and ginger in the jar and I just scoop out how ever much I want in my tea and the pretty lemon strips and a slice of ginger look nice and invited floating in the cup of tea.

I'm excited to try medicinal honey like tumeric/cumin infused, chamomile infused, licorice root infused, cannibus infused. These recipes would be used for people who have irritable bowl syndrom, chrones disease, ulsers.

I love love love this idea!
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Offline efmesch

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Re: Herb Infused Honey
« Reply #12 on: December 20, 2015, 01:52:48 pm »
...."cannibus infused"?   I don't think I would go for that.  How about aspirin infused, or optalgin infused instead?
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Offline Jen

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Re: Herb Infused Honey
« Reply #13 on: December 20, 2015, 03:14:31 pm »
Not instead, but added to ever increasing holistic recipes for illness. Aspirin would be good using White Willow Bark which is where aspirin comes from. The same for Tumeric, a great pain reliever.

Cannibus is an amazing healing plant, right up there with the healing properties of the bee hive. We as healers teach that we have to loose the stigma of 'stoner' when using cannibus as medicine. There are two mother plants, Indica and Sativa. Indica is very low in THC, the psychoactive component that makes us 'stoned' or 'high'. Cannabis derived from the Indica plant has exceptional pain relieving qualities. People are able to go to work with much less pain and not be 'stoned' in any way at all.

It's all about education  ;)  Thank you for listening 
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Offline efmesch

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Re: Herb Infused Honey
« Reply #14 on: December 20, 2015, 03:53:51 pm »
Listening----but still not willing to try it out :no:.   

Hopefully I'll never reach the pain threshold when I'll have to consider it.  ;D
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Offline Jen

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Re: Herb Infused Honey
« Reply #15 on: December 20, 2015, 04:26:30 pm »
I hope so as well Ef ~hugs~  :)
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