Garden Gift: Make Your Own Infused Honey
Whether you harvest your own honey or just use homegrown ingredients, these infused honeys make perfect gifts.

By:
Ruth Meharg
Related To:
A Delicious Gift
To make your own infused honey you will need a clean glass jar and lid, herbs, fruit or spices and honey. Lighter honeys work best, as dark honeys may overpower the infused flavor. Your infusing ingredients should be dried before beginning the infusing process. Infused honey is not an exact science. Trust your taste buds—add more dried ingredients for a stronger flavor, and less for a milder honey. Experiment until you find the perfect balance for your tastes.
Rosemary Infused Honey
Rosemary infused honey creates a unique combination of flavors that is wonderful for cooking or adding to a snack. Place your dried rosemary in a jar and cover with honey. You can use whole or crushed dried rosemary for this honey, but the larger the pieces the easier it will be to strain the honey at the end. Let the herbs sit for up to 2 weeks. When you are happy with the flavor of your honey strain out the rosemary and enjoy! Try this honey with a sweet potato biscuit or as a glaze for chicken.
Add a Card
Turn your rosemary honey into the perfect gift with a bit of beautiful packaging. Create a stunning handmade card with a few sheets of solid paper and a glue stick. You can use blank cards, or simply fold a stiff piece of paper in half to create your basic card. Begin by cutting a rounded rectangle out of honey colored paper. The rectangle should be just smaller than the size of your card, centered and glued to the front. Cut two rosemary shapes out of green paper, layer them and glue onto your orange background. Include a sweet note and tie to the honey jar.
Lavender Honey
Lavender adds a delicate floral note to honey and works wonders in teas, on breads and in cookies. Place your dried lavender in a jar and fill with honey. Let sit up to 2 weeks, turning the jar occasionally to be sure the lavender stays covered with honey. When you are happy with the flavor strain out the dried lavender and enjoy!
A Lavender Card
Create a lovely card to add to your gift of lavender honey by cutting out a few simple shapes. Begin with a honey colored, rounded rectangle and then cut three slender green stems. Center the rectangle on your card and place the stems near one another in a bunch. Cut tiny heart and cloud shapes from blue and purple paper, then layer to create bunches of lavender blossoms. Include a note in the card before tying to your jar of honey with ribbon or string. Add a strip of burlap to your packaging for the finishing touch to a lovely gift.
Vanilla and Cinnamon
Vanilla-infused honey is a sure crowd-pleaser. Enjoy its gentle flavor alone, or add cinnamon for a delectable blend of sugar and spice. Cut one or two dried vanilla beans in half, remove the seeds and place the seeds and empty pods in a jar before covering with honey. Let sit up to 2 weeks until you are happy with the flavor. Strain out the vanilla and add cinnamon to taste.
Create a Card
Include this card with your vanilla-infused honey to add the finishing touch to your gift. Cut a rounded rectangle from honey colored paper and glue it in the center of your card. Add 4 long, thin bean shapes cut from dark paper and glue in an overlapping bunch. Finish by cutting the two petal shapes from cream-colored paper and two heart shapes from some yellow paper. Layer the pieces and secure with glue to create the perfect vanilla flower. Add a note and attach your card with a beautiful ribbon.
Citrus Honey
Infuse your honey with a burst of citrus flavor by using dried slices of orange, lemon or your favorite citrus fruit. This honey is wonderful with tea, and you can add dried ginger to soothe sore throats. Place your dried ingredients in a clean jar, add honey and close the lid tightly. Turn upside down to be sure that the honey and fruit are mixed and let sit for a week or two. When the flavor suits your tastes, strain out the dried fruit and enjoy!
Create a Card
Attach this card with a bit of ribbon to your jar of citrus honey and you have the perfect gift! Cut and glue a rounded, honey colored rectangle to the front of your card. Cut 3 circles, each a little smaller than the last. Trace a cup to make perfect circles. The middle circle should be cream while the color of the inner and outer circles will depend on your citrus fruit. (Orange for oranges and yellow for lemons.) Cut the smallest circle into pie slices and round the corners. Layer your circles, center on the card and glue. Enjoy your infused honey and share your favorite flavors with us!