Rooted Honey Recipe
Rooted Honey is a blend of 3 simple ingredients ~ Honey, Turmeric & Ginger ~ that serves as both a powerful health supplement and deliciously versatile kitchen staple. This quick & easy infusion is packed with digestion-supporting, immune-enhancing, disease-fighting, inflammation-reducing benefits, and can be used in all the same ways you enjoy your honey.
If you're in Hawai'i, this recipe can be made entirely with local ingredients; and if you're on O'ahu, you can source everything from Farm Link (use code indigoelixirs for a discount on your first order). If you don't have access to fresh Turmeric & Ginger, dry powdered versions of these herbs work just fine!
HONEY
Transmuted by honeybees from floral nectar, humans have benefitted from this miraculous substance for as far back as we can see. Honey is regarded as one of the first natural medicines of our ancient ancestors, with records of its use first dating back to a Sumerian tablet from around 2000 BCE.
Nutritionally, honey is a prebiotic, meaning that its consumption contributes to the population of beneficial gut flora and therefore contributes to a balanced digestive system. Its unique chemical composition is very effective at inhibiting bacteria, and is particularly helpful in this regard for oral health.
Honey also soothes the throat and eases coughs, making it beneficial for respiratory infections. Due to it's ability to speed tissue regeneration and prevent infection, honey can be used as a first aid remedy to enhance the healing of wounds, burns and other topical inflammation.
You can use any kind of raw honey for this recipe, but a jar from your local beekeeper is best!
TURMERIC
Known as Curcuma longa botanically and ’Ōlena in Hawaiian, Turmeric is a rhizome with a vibrant orange hue and slightly bitter, pungent aroma and flavor.
Turmeric is a classic remedy to boost circulation and combat inflammation, making it particularly useful for relieving pain associated with injuries, menstrual cramps, and inflammatory conditions. By mitigating inflammatory responses in the body, Turmeric protects the health of the gut, brain, liver & heart. The active component curcumin has also demonstrated anti-tumor effects in various studies.
Turmeric also speeds tissue repair and aids with wound healing, while a strong antioxidant effect helps calm & brighten the skin. It also helps to fight a wide range of infections, making it useful for immune system support.
GINGER
Ginger, botanically Zingiber officinale and Awapuhi in Hawaiian, is a pungent herb with a spicy kick. When harvested young, the rhizome tips have a pretty pink coloration.
Ginger is included in many traditional Chinese herbal formulas for its ability to aid the digestion of other botanicals. It brings warmth to our core, encouraging gut harmony and alleviating stomach aches, bloating cramps, nausea, and appetite loss.
A quintessentially ‘hot’ herb with antiviral and immune-boosting properties, Ginger is a well known cold and flu fighter ~ both to prevent infection and fight it off. The herb also stimulates circulation to relieve inflammation & pain, making it helpful for muscle soreness, arthritis & injuries.
ROOTED HONEY RECIPE
This recipe is easy to make at home and can be made in minutes. You can use either fresh Ginger & Turmeric rhizomes or dried & powdered herbs. The powders you already have in your spice rack are perfectly suitable for this recipe.
Fresh Turmeric & Ginger peels are edible, so it's up to you whether you want to peel them. Older peels can be a bit fibrous and bitter. You can use the side of a spoon to peel off the skin, which preserves the most inner flesh and is easier than using a knife.
If you have access, I recommend using young Turmeric & Ginger rhizomes, because they don't have a thick outer skin (which eliminates the need for peeling). Harvest season is typically January through March in Hawai'i.
INGREDIENTS
- Turmeric – 2 heaping tbsp fresh rhizome or 2 tbsp of powder
- Ginger – 2 heaping tbsp fresh rhizome or 2 tbsp of powder
- Honey – 4 oz raw & unfiltered
ADDITIONAL SUPPLIES
Make sure everything has been washed with soap & water and is fully dry.
- Mixing bowl
- Spoon
- 4 oz jar
- Label for your finished product
STEPS
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If using fresh rhizomes, rinse if necessary and pat dry with a towel. Peel if desired and remove any dark spots or areas that are starting to go bad. Slice and chop finely.
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Add your ingredients to the jar, then add honey to fill to the brim. Mix well.
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Add a label with the ingredients and the date. Store in the fridge.
You can start using it immediately, but note that the flavors mellow & mingle with time. Always dip into the jar with a clean spoon, mix before using, and avoid introducing water. Keep refrigerated and enjoy for up to 3 months, as long as it still smells good. Smell before each use, and do not consume if it becomes discolored or has a funky odor.
HOW TO ENJOY
Food is medicine is beauty. Your Rooted Honey is a panacea in a jar that can be used in your kitchen, medicine cabinet & beyond:
Culinary: sweeten oatmeal, yogurt or tea, mix with olive oil & vinegar to make a salad dressing, add to soy sauce for a healthy teriyaki, bring a hint of sweetness to stews & stir fries, and spread on toast.
Medicinal: add a spoonful to hot water and sip at the first signs of a cold throughout the day.
Topical: spread a thin layer over clean burns and small cuts & scrapes. Wash & repeat daily until healed.
Beauty: mix with yogurt, avocado, clay or apply on its own directly to face & neck as an emollient mask; gently tap over your skin with your fingertips to encourage healthy blood flow and rinse clean after 5 to 10 minutes.
Questions or comments about this recipe? Email herbalist@indigoelixirs.com.