Thyme Infused Honey, Lemon & Ginger Tea

Infused honey

5-10 sprigs of fresh thyme

½ cup honey, or more as needed

Tea

1 tbsp chopped fresh ginger

1 lemon, juiced

2 cups water

Thyme infused honey, to taste

Infusing honey with botanicals adds new flavours and benefits to this tasty ginger & lemon tea.

Honey, lemon, and ginger tea has been a winter wellness staple in my home for a long time. I love the heat from ginger, the silky sweetness of honey, and the zip of lemon. In order to change the flavour profile of this tea, but also increase the health benefits, I thought it would be interesting to experiment with botanical infused honey. I was especially intrigued by the idea of infusing honey with thyme, as thyme is commonly used in immune supportive remedies, and I enjoy the fresh, herbaceous taste. After doing some research, I learned that one of the active ingredients in thyme, thymol, has been shown to be antimicrobial.While many of the studies were completed in a lab, thymol was an effective antimicrobial against some bacteria and fungi that can infect humans. With that said, many of the studies were looking at whether thyme could be an effective preservative in food, not necessarily whether it could help fight infection in humans. Either way, the honey was delicious, and the taste of thyme was not overpowering.

— Chelsea 

Makes about 2 cups of tea

Directions for thyme infused honey  

  1. 
Fill a clean, glass jar about halfway with thyme.
  2. Pour the honey over the herbs, making sure they are fully submerged.
  3. Close the jar, and keep in a sunny location, making sure to turn the jar over once per day.
  4. Infuse for 2 weeks and then strain the honey.
  5. Store in a cool, dry place.  

Directions for tea  

    1. 
Pour water into a pot, and add the chopped ginger.
    2. Bring to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer for 15 minutes.
    3. Strain the ginger tea into 1-2 mugs, and add lemon juice and thyme infused honey to taste.

    Further ideas and modifications

     

    • 
Be creative with infusing other herbs into honey. Consider using dried herbs if you are concerned about introducing too much water.
    • If you want to use fresh herbs that have higher water content, consider making fermented honey.
    1. Quing Liu et al. (2017). Antibacterial and antifungal activities of spices. Int J Mol Sci. 18(6): 1283. 

    0 Comments

    Submit a Comment

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    More Recipes

    Hot and Sour Miso Shiitake Soup

    Hot and Sour Miso Shiitake Soup

    This savory and spicy soup is full of warming herbs and immune-supporting shiitake mushrooms. It’s perfect for a cold day, or at the onset of a cold.