<< Back to Live Well HONEY
For centuries honey has been used for cooking and for healing, as a preservative, as a cooking stock, even Apicius recommended honey as a digestivo. As a natural sweetener, honey is a rich source of carbohydrates. Unlike many other sweeteners, honey possesses small amounts of vitamins, minerals, amino acids including niacin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid, calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium and zinc. Honey contains a variety of flavonoids and phenolic acid which act as antioxidants. Generally darker honeys have a higher antioxidant content than lighter honeys.

Honey is one of the few products that can be used straight from nature without furthering processing. It helps correct the pH balance of the body by making it more alkaline rather than acidic, therefore, less susceptible to infection, colds and influenza. When our bodies are high in acidity, often our immune system is compromised. Remember that saying, "Put a teaspoon of honey in your tea"?

"The fruit of bees is desired by all, and is equally sweet to kings and beggars and it is not only pleasing
but profitable and healthful; it sweetens their mouths, cures their wounds, and conveys remedies to
inward ulcers." ~ Saint Ambrose

As an antimicrobial agent, honey has anti-bacterial properties and is proven to be effective in treating minor scrapes and burns, sore throats and minor bacterial infections. Being hygroscopic, today honey is applied to band-aids for it draws moisture to it, a natural healing agent.

Honey has been used in beauty regimens since the days of Cleopatra, and is a natural beauty remedy used in soaps, shampoos, facials, creams. Being a humectant, honey attracts and maintains moisture. Therefore, adding honey makes a cake moist, makes your skin and hair moist and makes you sweeter...

Democritus, who lived to 109, declared, "The secret of my health is applying honey inside and oil outside."

Did you know?

• The average honey bee collects enough nectar during her brief lifetime to produce 1/12 teaspoon honey.
• The worker bee is the smallest bee in the colony, and is a sexually-undeveloped female. Her lifespan is only approximately 28-35 days, although those born in September and October can survive the winter.
• During one trip she will fly up to 6 miles from her hive, and visit 50-100 flowers during one collection trip.
• A honey bee's four wings stroke 11,400 times per minute, and she can fly about 15 miles per hour.
• To make one pound of honey, a hive of bees flies over 55,000 miles and will tap up to 2,000,000 flowers.

There are several hundred types of honeys, and each one depends on the flowers visited by the honey bees. Each honey is distinctive in color, aroma, taste, viscosity, it has its own character. Generally lighter-colored honeys are mild in character and dark-colored honeys are strong in character.



"The pedigree of honey, Does not concern the bee, A clover, any time, to him is Aristocracy." ~ Emily Dickinson

While all honeys taste sweet, some have truly interesting depth with a spice note such as cinnamon, or a citrus note, or taste buttery and are very smooth on the palate, or have a bit of a tang or bitter finish.

Add it to marinades, sauces, salad dressings, to non-alcoholic and alcoholic drinks...anything pleasing to you. Honey is delicious accompanying cheese and walnuts for dessert. When baking with it as a substitute for granulated sugar, the usual proportion in amount is up to 1/2, i.e. 1/2 cup honey to 1 cup granulated sugar. It's fun tasting different honeys, and how they differ just based on location and flower! Having in your pantry one of each type - light, medium and dark - gives you creative flavor possibilities for many dishes.

LIGHT HONEY: Acacia, Alfalfa, Basswood, Clover, Fireweed, Sage, Sourwood

MEDIUM HONEY: Blueberry, Corbezzolo, Dandelion, Leatherwood, Millefiori, Orange Blossom, Rosemary, Thyme, Tupelo

DARK HONEY: Avocado, Buckwheat, Chestnut, Eucalyptus, Wildflower