Cinnamon Honey

I love to make herbal honey, honey not only tastes so sweet and yummy, it has a powerhouse of healing properties. Going into cold season I always make sure I am stocked up on Cinnamon Honey. I use it at the first sign of sickness, it makes a great instant tea and is so easy to use.  It is especially beneficial for sore throats due to the soothing properties of the honey and the anti-viral benefits of the cinnamon.  I love the book The Herbal Kitchen by Kami McBride, in it she has a section just for herbal honeys and I will be sharing two of those recipes with you today with the help of Little Woman.

Cinnamon Honey

Put the following ingredients in a pint jar:
3 tablespoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon allspice
Raw honey to fill until 3/4 full

Stir the honey and cinnamon mix together until well combined.  Place in a warm, sunny place for two weeks before using.  

Cinnamon-Ginger Honey

I love the healing and flavor combination of cinnamon and ginger so I have to make a special honey using them both together. This blend is a great cold fighter, digestive aid and good for nausea. 

Put the following ingredients in a pint jar:
2 tablespoons cinnamon
1 tablespoon powdered ginger (make sure you use a good quality ginger)
Raw honey to fill until 3/4 full

Stir the honey and cinnamon mix together until well combined.  Place in a warm, sunny place for two weeks before using.  

Just a quick note about raw honey.  Every September I participate in a group honey order and get my years supply. When I first get my honey it is a beautiful golden color that is thick, yet very pourable.  As the honey sits it will crystalize and harden (usually after 6 months).  If the honey is hard, simply warm it up by placing in a pot of hot water - never microwave or keep over a hot oven range - we want to keep those beneficial properties.  Once softened you can now mix it into your herbs.

The possibilities are endless when using these herbal honeys.  You can use them as suggested above, stir it into hot cereal, as a sweetener for herbal tea, in smoothies, spread over your toast, use instead of syrup for your pancakes, waffles and other breakfast food.  To make a tea place 1 tablespoon of herbal honey into a mug of hot water, stir until dissolved, and enjoy!

I found this awesome post on the benefits of using cinnamon and honey right after I posted this - more food for thought (and healing).

Where to Get High Quality Spices

As I mentioned in my Breakfast Sprinkle post, store bought spices are pretty much depleted of any medicinal properties.  I always get mine from either Mountain Rose Herbs or Bulk Herb Store, both high quality, organic sources.  I have also had good success with the cinnamon at Costco.