Comments on: Summer’s Spice: Beebalm Flower Infused Honey

By: drmom

drmom — Sun, 14 Nov 2010 19:35:45 +0000

Thinking of combining the antifungal benefits of both coconut oil and monarda for yeasty dermatitis type thing on the scalp. Any tips on infusing a solid oil like coconut with the monarda? (or just point me in the right direction)

Thanks!!

By: katie

katie — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 13:45:59 +0000

well better late than never! got so busy i forgot to check up on this, thanks for your response kiva. i am using m. fistulosa for the honey. so far it seems ok despite the runny quality, maybe i will add a bit of brandy just to be safe. thanks and late summer blessings to you! katie

By: Kiva Rose

Kiva Rose — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 16:54:28 +0000

Hmm, my Monarda honey has never really gone runny on me before. My Rose honey sometimes does and it’s usually fine… but when I’m in doubt I usually just add some brandy or scotch to it to help preserve it.

What species of Monarda are you using, just out of curiosity?

By: katie

katie — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 16:26:17 +0000

i made some monarda honey recently for the first time. it is so watery, i’m concerned about mold! i’ve made flower honeys before and never had this trouble. with the monarda, the honey just turns all runny. other flower honeys seem to maintain the thick syrupy texture of the honey. anyone else experience this, is this typical behavior of monarda? we’ve had a very dry year so i’m especially surprised.

thanks, katie

By: Cyra

Cyra — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 22:03:49 +0000

Wow…again, what a difference between the two types of Monardas! Went out front to the red Monardas…and had a nibble. No heat, but a very aromatic, even bitter thyme/oregano taste,with a hint of menthol, and a slightly oily feel to the leaf.. Not particularly pleasant tasting, but probably good medicine, and I’m thinking it would be a good culinary spice, dried and rubbed on poultry. Then, just to satisfy my curiosity, I went out back, and sampled one of the green leaf-like calyxes of the purple flowered plant, that I’m now pretty sure is M. Fistulosa….That tiny, little bit of green was spicy-hot! When there are enough plants, I will be trying them in honey. The purple-flowered Monarda also has a more oregano/thyme-like taste along with that….bite, and the hint of menthol seems less than that of the red (M. Didyma) variety, though I can still taste it. Amazing!
Thanks, Henriette.
Wonder if the two types cross? I hope not, I really like the different colors of the two types!

By: Cyra

Cyra — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 20:52:36 +0000

Will do that….Soon as the hummingbirds have stopped visiting them. I don’t want to scare them away. Their visits are the highlight of my mornings. Today there are three more flowers; by gently tilting one of my three plants downward, I was able to encourage lateral flowers to grow upwards from the stem…so there will be more than three flowers in all.
Best of all, I believe I’ve found a purple flowered Monarda in the back garden, (M. Fistulosa) but I’m not 100% sure yet. The plant is 1/3 the height of the red variety, the leaves not as serrated, and almost blueish-green in color. Will see when it finishes blooming. I cannot wait til next year, when there will hopefully be more of both types, –and I can hopefully pick more than a sample…

By: Henriette

Henriette — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 19:07:40 +0000

Cyra: next, take a taste of the rest of the flower.
The red bits that fall off the M. didyma are exceedingly tasty.
The rest of the flowering top is hot hot hot …

By: Cyra

Cyra — Sat, 26 Jun 2010 20:06:29 +0000

Monarda….hot???
Amazing, the different qualities demonstrated by the same plants grown in different areas! Maybe it’s due to different qualities of soils they’re grown in, or it’s due to different environmental factors or stressors, like climate extremes, I don’t know. I had trouble growing Monardas, I purchased package after package of seed from different vendors, to no avail…no sprouts resulted. But the flowers are so very beautiful, and I wanted some plants for the hummingbirds & to add to tea, having heard it gave tea an orange (bergamot) type flavor, (Monarda Didyma)–so I persisted. I finally found an herb supplier that carried it, and ordered three plants, which arrived in healthy condition, and I planted them in a damp area, thinking that since they were so obviously in the mint family, that they might survive growing in that particular patch of dirt that was so lethal to my other aromatic herbs, (lavenders, rosemary,etc.) because of it’s constant damp. I now have the first brilliant red, firecracker flower. I’ve watched it’s ongoing pollination over the last 3 days, (butterflies & hummingbirds, -no bees) and am hoping for viable seed. There’s no way there’ll be any flower harvest (for me) this year…but your article aroused my curiosity enough to go out and sample some of the drooping red stamens from the pollinated flower, (they’re dropping off anyway).
Delicious, but nary a hint of heat. Unfortunately, neither any hint of citrus, (drat it!) A most definite oregano/majoram flavor, and a bit of honey like taste from the nectar filled base. Sadly, the plant’s leaf edges are also turning brown from probably the rust monardas seem to be susceptible to, but I don’t think there’s anything I can do about it. Fortunately, it doesn’t seem to attack these plants until they’re in flower, and nearing the natural end of their cycle. Thank you for posting your article and the picture of your beautiful Monarda, too, hopefully in a few years I’ll be able to try making monarda -honey.

By: Danu Gray Wolf

Danu Gray Wolf — Sat, 19 Jun 2010 19:42:10 +0000

Thx Susan!

I’ve made an itty bitty jar of honey infusion. LOL Can’t wait to taste it!

By: Sandy

Sandy — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 11:58:02 +0000

I have always loved Beebalm, and have always grown it. Now I know why! Thank you!

By: Susan

Susan — Sun, 13 Jun 2010 23:41:58 +0000

Great post as usual, Kiva! For Danu: In the deep south, look for what’s called dotted horse mint = Monarda punctata. Many of the same qualities and also fairly “spicy” in flavor. The oldtimers called it ‘rignum, for it’s resemblance to oregano.

By: Danu Gray Wolf

Danu Gray Wolf — Sun, 13 Jun 2010 22:08:34 +0000

Awesome info, Kiva!

I have long admired beebalm, but have never grown any. I will check to see if it thrives in this area; if it is a native, I’ve never seen it in the South.

I’m all inspired!