There are many delicious things to love about Manitoba… and one of our favourites is our province’s variety of honeys.
There are wonderful apiaries (bee-keeping businesses) all over Manitoba, producing a variety of naturally flavoured honeys that reflect notes of the flowers growing nearby.
Manitoba apiaries are busiest in summer, and August is prime-time when it comes to the honey harvest. You can get your little ones in on the action by making flavoured honeys of your own, at home.
Home-flavoured honey in 5 easy steps
- Choose an herb whose flavour you enjoy, that would match well with the sweetness of honey: rosemary, thyme, sage, and mint are good bets – as are lavender and even pine needles! Dried herbs are best for this, since any water in the mix can cause your honey to spoil. If your summer herb garden has over-produced and you’d like to use your home-grown herbs, just spread them on a plate and microwave on high for one minute. Ta-dah! Instant dried herbs.
- Sterilize a jar, either by sitting it in boiled water or by running it through the dishwasher on a sterilizing cycle. Either way, remember to dry it thoroughly before adding honey, to prevent spoilage.
- Fill the bottom third of the jar with your dried herbs, then pour enough honey on top of them to fill the jar. Give the honey a few minutes to settle (the kids may enjoy watching it “burp” air bubbles from between the herbs!), and then top it up before fastening the lid. Make sure the lid is well-sealed.
- For the next week, you’re on infusion duty. Every evening before bed, have your kiddo(s) turn the jar upside-down… and then every morning before breakfast, right-side up again. This will help the herb flavour infuse all the honey.
- Strain the herbs out of the honey after you’ve infused it for at least a week (longer infusion means deeper herb flavour). Give it a little taste straight from the jar – but your best appreciation for the flavour blend you’ve created may just come on a little dollop of vanilla ice cream. Yum!