A little Project - Lemon Thyme Honey
As I have said many times before, I believe that food plays a big part in us helping us heal our own systems. When food plays a double part in that it is both tasty, and healing - even better - a "win, win" situation.
Today I have bought some lemon thyme and intend to add it to a jar of honey so that I can keep it on the pantry shelf for both using as a glaze on cooked carrots and on meat which is delicious. However the main reason is also using this, is in soothing colds and also to assist in boosting the immune system.
When I get a cold it is always my chest and throat that is affected. I also have flare ups every so often with the arthritis and the other auto immune diseases and anything natural that helps me at these times is greatly appreciated. I am not one for popping pills.
When your body is constantly under attack from one condition or another or even a cold anything that helps soothe the system is a god-send. You can use different herbs in the honey but I have chosen to use Thyme and Lemon Thyme as I have read that it is very good for helping fighting infection of any kind. It is a herb that I use regularly in my cooking in any event and home dried herbs have a much superior flavour and a myriad of uses.
Honey is a natural expectorant in any event and a natural antibiotic. If you have any mucous on your chest it helps thin it down and release it - however because this is an expectorant this does involve some coughing! Herbal honeys can be used in hot drinks which are very soothing. I have also found purely by chance that it has helped me soothe my stomach after an acid reflux or GERD episode which is extremely uncomfortable and painful. So anything simple that I can squirrel away for my own "Medicine Chest" which is also useful in cooking is a win win situation as far as I am concerned.
There are a couple of ways of making this honey that I have read about; one is to warm the honey in a pan and the other is to infuse fresh herb in cold honey. I have chosen the second option, although I have sterilised and dried the jar out thoroughly and the lids. Literally I have just dropped so much of the herb and then runny honey (not the solid) layering alternately all the way up the jar. It is meant to be more beneficial using this method as more of the natural enzymes are supposedly extracted this way on.
When I get a cold it is always my chest and throat that is affected. I also have flare ups every so often with the arthritis and the other auto immune diseases and anything natural that helps me at these times is greatly appreciated. I am not one for popping pills.
When your body is constantly under attack from one condition or another or even a cold anything that helps soothe the system is a god-send. You can use different herbs in the honey but I have chosen to use Thyme and Lemon Thyme as I have read that it is very good for helping fighting infection of any kind. It is a herb that I use regularly in my cooking in any event and home dried herbs have a much superior flavour and a myriad of uses.
Honey is a natural expectorant in any event and a natural antibiotic. If you have any mucous on your chest it helps thin it down and release it - however because this is an expectorant this does involve some coughing! Herbal honeys can be used in hot drinks which are very soothing. I have also found purely by chance that it has helped me soothe my stomach after an acid reflux or GERD episode which is extremely uncomfortable and painful. So anything simple that I can squirrel away for my own "Medicine Chest" which is also useful in cooking is a win win situation as far as I am concerned.
There are a couple of ways of making this honey that I have read about; one is to warm the honey in a pan and the other is to infuse fresh herb in cold honey. I have chosen the second option, although I have sterilised and dried the jar out thoroughly and the lids. Literally I have just dropped so much of the herb and then runny honey (not the solid) layering alternately all the way up the jar. It is meant to be more beneficial using this method as more of the natural enzymes are supposedly extracted this way on.
It can also be used in baking, coating a chicken think Crispy Chicken here, in cocktails, with goats cheese, an absolute favourite. Generally anywhere where you would use honey, with pecans, with almonds its all naughty eating at the end of the day and you are only limited by your own palate. Dribbled over Fresh Figs or a Fig Tart.
It is often the simplest of things that brings out the flavour of food to its fullest. At least I have a couple of jars now to hand in the run up to Christmas for my honey roasted carrots and parsnips. Or if you just want it at its simplest bread and honey!
Catch you soon.
Pattypan
x
The jars of lemon thyme honey look so pretty with the light shining behind them. One of my favorite herbs is lemon thyme. I especially love it used fresh in cold chicken or tuna sandwiches
ReplyDeletein summer. I love being out in my flowers watering the herbs on a hot day and the lemon thyme releases its wonderful fresh lemon scent into the air for me to enjoy as I finish watering the plants.
Even as a young child I have never been able to eat honey. It gives me horrendous stomach cramps for hours after. My Grandma and Grandpa used to bring honey with them when they came from Florida. They would sit at the kitchen table and put it on toast or bread for them and for me. It tasted so good, but just a short time later I would be in my bed with my stomach just twisting in cramps. Every year when they came to visit, I would try it again and the same thing happened. It even happened with our local honey whenever I would try it. I kept trying every once in a while until I was in my 30's or 40's and finally learned to resist it, no matter how pretty it looked. I can't understand why my body reacts like that to honey. What a loss.