This Infused Lavender Honey recipe makes a delicious, lightly floral honey. Use it for hot drinks, pastries, and cheese boards. It couldn't be easier to make! Homemade infused honey is a great food gift for the holidays. Recipe includes two infusion methods (cold or hot). (Gluten Free).
Combine: Add 3 tablespoons dried lavender and 1 cup mild honey to a jar. Stir to mix.
Steep: Seal jar and let steep at room temperature. Stir or flip the jar every couple days, to re-submerge the lavender under the honey (it'll float to the top). Let steep for at least 5 to 7 days—or ideally longer for more flavor (see note 3). Once desired flavor is achieved, remove the lavender by straining through a fine mesh sieve or scooping it out with a spoon (see note 4).
Hot Method [Option 2]
Combine: Add 3 tablespoons dried lavender and 1 cup mild honey to a small pot.
Warm and steep: Warm honey over lowest heat, stirring frequently and making sure the honey doesn't boil. Let warm for 5 to 15 minutes, until desired flavor is achieved. Strain through a fine mesh sieve set to remove lavender (see note 4).
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Notes
Dried lavender: Use dried culinary(food grade) lavender. Varieties differ in flavor. If you're worried about the lavender flavor being too intense, start with less. Then, if needed, you can add more lavender (or steep longer) to adjust.
Mild honey: Use a mild tasting honey so it doesn't compete with the lavender. Light colored honey is often mild (like Orange Blossom honey). If unsure, just give it a taste!
Cold method steeping: The rate at which your honey steeps depends on many factors (including ambient temperature, type of lavender, and how strong of a lavender taste you want). In our testing, it took a minimum of 5 to 7 days to achieve the flavor we personally wanted, sometimes upwards of 2 weeks. If you're in a rush, refer to the hot method.
No waste tip for lavender discard: The drained lavender can be used for tea. Simply spoon some of the honey-soaked lavender into a tea pot of hot water.
Jar: A 325 ml or 11 fl oz recycled jam jar works well. Or another type of resealable container with a lid. If using the heated method, it'll need to be heatsafe.
What to do if honey hardens: Over time, all honey will harden (crystallize). To thin the honey again, put the jar in warm water or set it on a sunny windowsill.
Yield: Makes 1 cup of honey. Nutritional estimate based on 1 teaspoon per serving.