Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Infused sugars
Inching out of a pandemic, we’re gathering again. That means host/hostess gifts! Rather than last minute, consider something a little different that’s easy and just takes a couple of weeks.
Start with organic sugar, be it cane, beet or coconut; and a dried herb or spice. Or a mix! Make sure your container remains dry. Combine the sugar and herb or spice into an airtight container in a 4 to 1 ratio of sugar to spice. You can play around with that ratio.
If you used a “wet” ingredient, mix it with the sugar and let it air dry. It’s going to clump but you can unclump it after it dries.
After about 2 weeks, the sugar will be infused and it will keep well for at least 3 months. There are lots of herbs and spices that go well with sugar. I made these videos in 2018…
- Vanilla, use vanilla bean
- Mint, dried any kind
- Orange or lemon peel
- Dried rosehips (although I’ve heard people using the petals and didn’t like it)
- Lavender
- Cinnamon sticks
- Nutmeg
- Cayenne
- Juniper berries
- Chili pepper
- Fennel seed – tastes like licorice
- Whatever you can think of!
After your sugar has been infused, you can either sift out the herb or spice or leave it in. I like the way it looks left in the jar. Add suggestions on the use of the infused sugar and be sure to add that they should sift the sugar if there are large pieces.
- Sprinkle on sugar cookies
- Sweeten coffee or tea
- Sprinkle on fresh fruit
- Fold into cookie, muffin, cupcake or bread batter
- Rim a cocktail glass