• a blend of edible conifers (Balsam fir, black spruce, white pine, etc.)
• organic unpasteurized honey (Soothes irritated throats, coughs and helps chase away nasty bacteria.)
• Mason jar with lid (Size varies depending on the amount of honey desired.)
• wide-mouth funnel

GOOD TO KNOW: Conifers are all rich in their respective properties, but most share the fact of being extraordinary antiseptics and stimulating the circulatory system. That last property has the effect of warming the body!

You can use fresh conifers if you know how to harvest them respectfully and safely. You can also use a few branches from your organic Christmas tree. Otherwise, herbal tea blends are available in some specialty grocery or natural food stores.

1. Sterilize the glass jar by boiling it for about twenty minutes. Let dry. Sterilize the lid with 70% isopropyl alcohol. Let the alcohol evaporate.

2. Without packing it down, fill the container with the conifer blend.

3. Pour the honey over the conifers up to the rim.

4. Prick the mixture with a sterile utensil to release all the air bubbles. Add more honey as needed, until the plants are completely submerged. This is very important to avoid the risk of mold!

5. Close the container and store it away from light.

6. Let macerate for a minimum of three weeks, turning the jar on its side each day if possible. It's the same as stirring the contents of the jar, but at “honey speed”. #slowtoute

7. If the honey is crystallized, which is likely, dip the jar in a pot of hot water for a few minutes. The honey will become liquid again.

8. Pour the conifer honey into a fine sieve or cheesecloth set over a wide-mouth funnel and let the honey filter slowly.

Option without filtering: My favorite way to consume medicinal honey? Take spoonfuls of unfiltered honey and dip them into a cup of herbal tea over which I place a tea strainer.

You can eat medicinal honey by the spoonful, add it to your herbal teas, spread it on bread, put it in a vinaigrette... wherever you like!