Enjoy these homemade herbal honey lollipops with elderberry and rose hips. Honey tea spoon lollipops are incredibly easy, only require a few ingredients and are so versatile. They can be used as honey stirrers for tea, as a party favor, and they're a great way to give herbs to your little ones, a cough drop or sore throat remedy, or a perfect all natural lollipop!
2tablespoonsCream of tartar - to help prevent the candy from cracking. Works like a charm!
2tablespoonsdried elderberries
1tablespoondried rose hips
Zest of one orange
Optional: fresh ginger slice
Instructions
Add your elderberry and rose hips in a clean jar, then cover it with your favorite local raw honey. It can sit and infuse from overnight - up to six weeks for more intense flavor. The honey mixture will infuse and take on new flavors and the health benefits of berries and rose hips.
When you're ready to make your lollipops, strain your honey into your sauce pan, add in cream of tartar if using.
Prepare your candy molds by adding sticks into your mold before you start.
Heat your honey over low-medium heat with a candy thermometer immersed. Heat until honey reaches 300 ° F or 148 ° C. Do this very slowly, it will take some time. If you heat your honey too quickly it will taste scorched. If it seems your honey isn't increasing in temperature, slowly and surely increase your heat. It's a labor of love. Candy making quickly goes from "done" to "burnt" so watch closely and increase very slowly, mixing continuously. It usually takes me about 10 minutes, and I usually have to slightly increase my temperature around five minutes and then am able to reduce it before my honey reaches 300 ° F. This is why a candy thermometer is necessary, if your honey doesn't reach this temperature the spoons will not harden and melt when removed from their molds.
Once your honey has reached 300 ° F turn off your heat and give your honey a good stir until the bubbles have settled. After your honey reaches the "hard crack" stage, it hardens quickly. Pour the honey into your prepared lollipop molds and let them sit at room temperature or in the refrigerator. Either way, they should harden nicely if your honey reached the threshold temperature necessary for hard candy. Let sit for 2 hours or until candy is completely hardened. Remove carefully from mold and enjoy!
Notes
Wrap honey spoons in candy wrapper if possible because they are sticky!
Honey spoons will stay fresh for up to one year wrapped!
Be patient, it takes a long time for the honey to reach this temperature. Don't increase your temperature quickly, or your lollipops will taste scorched.