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Herbs & Cultures

From plant to use

Syrup, honey and oxymel

Preserving herbs in sugar, honey or vinegar.

Herbs prepared this way (112)
Level
Intermediate
Ratio
Syrup: roughly equal weights of sugar or honey and liquid. Oxymel: about 1 part honey to 1–3 parts apple cider vinegar.
Time
Syrup: about an hour. Herbal honey and oxymel: steep for 2–4 weeks.
Shelf life
Syrup keeps in the fridge for weeks to months, depending on the amount of sugar. Oxymel and herbal honey keep cool for several months.

A syrup is a strong infusion or decoction with a lot of sugar or honey dissolved in it. In an herbal honey the herb steeps directly in the honey, and an oxymel is a mixture of honey and vinegar. All three soften a bitter taste and keep longer. Elderberry syrup and the oxymel of ancient Greek medicine are well-known examples.

Suited to

Berries, flowers, roots and aromatic herbs, especially when the taste is strong or bitter.

Step by step

  1. Make a strong infusion or decoction and strain it.
  2. Let it cool a little and dissolve the sugar or honey while stirring. Add honey only below 40 °C to best preserve its flavour.
  3. Bottle immediately in sterilised bottles.
  4. For oxymel: put the herb in a jar, pour honey and vinegar over it and close with a non-metal lid. Shake daily and strain after a few weeks.

Tips

  • Elderberries must always be heated: raw or unripe berries are poisonous.
  • Dried herbs in honey are less likely to ferment than fresh ones.

Registry

Herbs prepared this way

Herbs on this site whose description mentions this preparation. That does not mean every herb is safe to prepare yourself: read the safety information for each one.

  • Caution

    North America · Herb · № 150

    Black cohosh

    Actaea racemosa

    Mainly sold for menopausal symptoms such as hot flushes. NCCIH reports that study results are mixed and there is not enough evidence that it helps.

    Indigenous healing traditions of North America+4
  • Caution

    North America · Mineral · № 365

    Zinc

    An essential mineral. Zinc lozenges may make a cold slightly shorter if taken at the very first symptoms; for herpes, ADHD or other conditions the evidence is weak or absent.

    Western herbal medicine
  • Caution

    Asia · Herb · № 18

    Licorice root

    Glycyrrhiza glabra

    A root with long use in several traditions; high-quality evidence does not support most health claims.

    Ayurveda+9Folklore
  • Caution

    Asia · Herb · № 135

    Black pepper and long pepper

    Piper nigrum

    Important warming spices in Ayurveda, used for sluggish digestion and colds. Piperine from pepper increases the absorption of some substances, such as curcumin.

    Ayurveda+5Folklore