Thyme Honey

With the herbs mostly harvested now its time to make sure our winter medicine cabinet has all it needs. Thyme honey is one of the important parts of our medicine cabinet. It is used for colds/flu and sore throats. Thyme has strong antiseptic properties including activity against viruses, insects, bacteria and fungus. Traditionally, thyme was used to treat bronchitis. I find it to be useful in our house for treating winter illnesses such as colds. One nice way to use thyme is as honey and its very easy to make. You can still pick thyme now, it should withstand a mild frost just fine. Cut stems short and put them in a glass jar. Cover the thyme with honey. Put the jar in a pan of water to slightly heat the honey while pushing the thyme down and adding more thyme. Once the honey is fluid, put the lid on the jar and store the honey with the thyme still in it until needed. You can use this honey to add to tea or use it straight for a sore throat.

Thyme Infused Honey

This time of year I am trying to get together the herb concoctions we need to treat various winter illnesses as they arise. One of these is thyme honey. This is easy to make and can be used to help remedy coughs and sore throats. To make this all you need to do is cut a good piece of thyme and put it into a jar of honey that has been heated slightly to soften it. Make sure all the plant material is covered or it can get moldy. I just leave it like this all winter and use as is. Of course someone who has more energy and time would remove the thyme from the honey after it has infused for a few weeks. Use this honey directly for a cough syrup (or diluted in a little water) or add to a tea. Thyme has traditionally been used to treat upper respiratory infections and does a good job.