Golden Honey

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Spring is here, and all the wonderful things that come with it - Picnics in the park, warmer weather, pretty flowers, but there is one thing about spring that is not so wonderful - at least not for me, and that’s pollen. 

For all you seasonal allergy friends, this infused honey will have you back outdoors in no time!

You’ll need the following equipment: 

• Double Boiler

Ingredients:

• Cinnamon Sticks

• Black Pepper

• Local New York Honey

• Turmeric

• Ginger

It involves ginger, turmeric, cinnamon, black pepper and honey. While using honey from your grocery store is perfectly acceptable, local honey is the ideal choice since it contains trace amounts of the pollen in your area which can help you to become less sensitive to it.

This golden honey recipe goes heavy on turmeric. I prefer to use fresh, but you can also use ground turmeric, just use much less because it is far more potent in flavor than the fresh kind. Turmeric has been used for centuries to cure all types of ills and is known to be an anti-inflammatory, as well as rich in antioxidants.

I am also using fresh ginger instead of dried for this because I like that added spicy kick. Ginger is also great for fighting inflammation in your sinuses due to allergies.

Black pepper also brings a little heat- but its main purpose is to aid in the absorption of turmeric. Cinnamon is also included for its anti-inflammatory properties and of course it’s delicious flavor. 

To make this golden honey, I have to prepare all the ingredients. I like to start with the turmeric- but before I do, I’m going to need to put on some gloves because this stuff will stain your hands and is nearly impossible to get out. II also lay down a paper towel to avoid staining my cutting board. My preferred way to peel turmeric is with a teaspoon, I find to be the most effective way to peel away the bitter skin without losing the flesh. After peeling the turmeric, I will grate the pieces using a cheese grater or micro plane until you have 2 tablespoons. My turmeric pieces were on the smaller side, so I needed about two knobs of turmeric.

For the ginger, I’m going to peel it the same way as the turmeric, then proceed to grate it until have about two tablespoons worth. 

After the ginger and turmeric have been peeled and grated, I’ll crush a few black peppercorns, just to help release their oils.  

Now that our ingredients are prepped, we can go ahead and infuse the honey. 

Since honey has a lower boiling point than water, I’m going to heat it using a double boiler so they honey doesn’t boil or even worse, burn. 

I’ll simply add the ginger, turmeric, black pepper and cinnamon to a metal bowl, and place it on top of my pot of hot water then add my honey. 

You will want to make sure the water is not touching the bottom of the metal bowl to avoid overheating the honey. 

You’ll notice that the honey will become looser in texture and will begin to take on a bit of an orange hue from the turmeric hence the name golden honey. I kept a close eye on mine and let it go until the spices became very fragrant- about 10 minutes over medium low heat. 

To strain this mixture, you will want to work quickly while the honey is warm and loose- if you wait too long, the honey will firm up again and a good portion of the honey will be stuck to the ginger and turmeric. 

Since I’m using this to make cocktails, I’m going to thin mine out with a tablespoon of water and pour it right over the blend of aromatics to extract a bit more flavor and also to get some of the honey that is stuck to them. 

I actually saved this spice blend and steeped it in a blend of hot coconut and almond milk for a delicious golden milk latte. 

It’s also incredible in my golden latte cocktail, which is a riff on the gold rush cocktail.

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Golden Honey: 

• 1/3 cup local honey

• 2.5 tbs fresh grated turmeric (use 1/3 this amount if using dried ground turmeric)

• 2 tbs fresh grated ginger 

• 6-8 black peppercorns (lightly crushed)

• 1 cinnamon stick

Method:

1. Heat all ingredients using a double boiler over med low heat until aromatics become fragrant (about 10 mins)

2. Strain and enjoy! 

3. To make it a syrup for cocktails, add 1 tbs hot water to thin it out slightly.

Equipment:

• Double Boiler