What is an Oxymel & HOW TO MAKE ONE?
Oxymels are a delicious alternative to herbal tinctures that are made with alcohol. They’re made honey and vinegar instead.
An oxymel is an herbal infusion made with vinegar and honey.
*This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. I only recommend products that I use and find value in suggesting. And boy, are they are delicious!
Oxymels are some of my favorite infusions to make especially when dealing with herbs that aren’t so tasty made into a tea or decoction. They can be taken by the teaspoonful, mixed in hot water, tea, warm milks, smoothies, or made into a refreshing beverage by adding some to club soda.
They’re a great alternative to tinctures made with alcohol, especially for those who can’t drink or children. Use them to make wonderful mocktails for those avoiding alcohol and need an alternative.
You can make oxymels for herbal therapeutic properties, magical properties, or both!
Let’s jump right in!
How to make an Oxymel:
You’ll need:
Herbs of your choosing
Vinegar (I use raw apple cider vinegar because you get all the benefits of the mother as well as the herbs)
Honey (Local is the best if you can find it)
Glass jar with a lid large enough to hold all of the herbs and liquid
Time & Patience!
Decide how much oxymel you’d like to make. I usually make 4 to 8 ounces at a time. But you can make as big of a batch as you’d like. Next decide how strong you’d like your oxymel.
Ratios:
I use ratios that are very common in herbalism. Ratios are simply how much herb to liquid.
A ratio for standard strength is 1:5. Strong would be a 1:4 ratio.
Are you confused yet?
It’s actually really easy. Decide how much liquid you’re going to use. Let’s say I want to make 8 ounces for this example and I want it to be standard strength.
Simply divide 8 by 5 for a 1:5 ratio. The number 1 always represents the liquid in the ratio. The larger number represents the amount of herb.
So I want 8 ounces of liquid (1:) so I’ll need 1.6 (:5) ounces of herb. 8 divided by 5 = 1.6.
Let’s do 16 ounces of liquid at a 1:4 ratio for a strong strength.
16 divided by 4 = 4. I’ll need 16 ounces of liquid and 4 ounces of herbs.
See, it’s easy once you get the hang of it!
The liquid in a oxymel is always 1 part vinegar and 1 part honey, so a 1:1 ratio.
Always measure your liquids by volume in a liquid measuring cup.
Weigh your herbs on a scale*. I always weigh my dry ingredients. This creates more accuracy because herb material has different densities. An inexpensive kitchen scale is your best friend. An ounce of dried rose petals has way more volume than say, angelica root.
Recipe for an 8 ounce Oxymel:
Standard ratio of 1:5
4 ounces raw apple cider vinegar
4 ounces of honey
1.6 ounces of dried herb/s
Use a clean glass jar with a lid that is large enough to hold all of the liquid yet small enough that when the liquid is added it will cover all the herbs and reach the top of the jar. Add your herbs, then pour in the vinegar and honey. Seal the jar with the lid. If the lid is metal, add a piece of parchment paper, then seal to avoid corrosion due to the vinegar.
Shake, shake, shake! Allow your oxymel to infuse in a cool dark place for 3-4 weeks, shaking occasionally. (Don’t forget to label with the herb/s and the due date!)
Once infused, strain the mixture through a mesh strainer with the smallest holes you can find to remove all of the herbal bits. Use a spoon to press out as much of the liquid goodness that you can. Decant the oxymel into clean dark glass dropper bottles, such as amber boston round bottles.
Seal and label with all the details such as the herbs, date made, and the name. Store at room temperature or in the fridge for an even longer shelf life. Because of the vinegar and honey, oxymels will last a long time but I usually consume mine long before that ever becomes a problem because they’re so tasty!
Remember babies under one year of age should never be given raw honey.
