What Can You Do With Honey?
Honey bees are responsible for making the honey that we enjoy. How do they do it? It’s magic! No.. seriously…bees gather nectar from flowers and transform it into honey. Beyond being the perfect food for bees, we humans have found a multitude of honey uses. Don’t confine that jar of sweetness to food recipes only, it has a lot more to offer.
Honey can be used in cooking recipes, as an aid in medicine and health care regimes and even beauty products.
This bee produced product has a story to tell and something to share with everyone.
– This page may contain affiliate links or other compensation – (Policy Here)
What is Honey?
Honey is a natural sugar -this means it tastes really sweet. Of course, eating it straight from the jar is one of the most common ways we interact with honey.
The most common definition of honey is ” a sweet substance that bees make as food from the nectar of plants or secretions of living parts of
plants.” What do you know about honey? – Honey Facts- Secrets You Never Knew
But, bee honey is special for many other reasons. First of all, it is a unique product only made in large quantities by insects.
Honey bees are the only insects that make food that is directly used for human consumption. Learn the story of hone production – How Bees Make Honey
Unfortunately, due to the mystery of the honey making process, people sometimes get the wrong idea.
Honey bees have a special stomach that allows them to transport nectar. This has lead to some misconceptions about raw honey. Check the details before you jump to any conclusions. – Is Honey Bee Vomit?
In addition to producing honey, bees also make beeswax. This is shaped into honeycomb. Honeycomb can be eaten too! – What is Honeycomb?
How to Buy Real Honey
When you shop for honey, do you know what you are buying? Food marketing is a tricky business. The more you know the better decisions you can make – What is Real Pure Honey!
What does the color of honey tell you? Is it better to buy light honey or dark – does it really matter? In fact, honey color tells you a lot about the nectar source used to make that particular jar. – The Color of Honey
Honey Varieties
Basic honey is made from a mixture of many kinds of plant nectar. We call this a “poly-floral” honey. The term Wildflower Honey is often applied.
Beyond basic honey, in some regions, you may find specialty honey made from one predominate nectar source. One popular example is honey made from our regional sourwood trees. If you have not tried it – you should. – Sourwood Honey.
Other types of monofloral honey include: Orange Blossom, Tupelo, Blackberry etc.
Infused Honey Creates An Usual Flavor
While regular honey offers a wide variety of flavors, we can go beyond the work of the bees. If you like honey with a kick – try hot honey.- Make Your Own Jalapeno Honey
How to Store Honey
After the beekeeper extracts honey from the hive, it is commonly kept in some type of jar. You buy a jar of pretty “pourable” liquid honey but it may not stay that way.
Storing Honey to Prevent Crystallization
If you want to enjoy honey in its liquid form – proper storage can make the job easier. Here are some ideas to consider when choose the best location. – How to Store Raw Honey
Biting down on a sweet chunk of honeycomb might sound like a good idea. After enjoying your snack, it’s time to save the leftovers for later – Best Tips for How to Store Honeycomb.
While not the best option in most situations, there is a rather unusual way to protect the integrity of your honey. For some people, freezing honey is a viable option as it prevents crystallization and does not cause the honey to darken in color.
Dealing With Crystallized Honey
When honey turns into a gritty solid mess, people often think it is spoiled. In fact, your pure honey has simply crystallized. Don’t worry it will be okay. Why Honey Crystallizes.
You can return the honey to its liquid state safely. There are several ways to liquefy honey. However, some methods damage the natural ingredients in pure honey. How to Decrystallize Honey Without Damaging It.
If you are a beekeeper or someone who practices bulk food storage, you may experience crystallized honey in small jars. When you have several jars to reliquify, you may consider building a warming cabinet. – Decrystallize Honey With A Warming Cabinet
Using Honey in the Kitchen
Okay, raise your hand if you have ever had a chunk of honey fresh from the hive! Or maybe, you like to enjoy big a big spoon of honey right from the jar? Yes, eating liquid honey is the most common way it is used…but there is more!
Creamed Honey
Crystallized honey does not have to be a bad thing. Many people enjoy a smooth spreadable honey. We call this whipped or creamed honey. You can make some for yourself – How to Make Creamed Honey
Eating Honeycomb
Beeswax is the special comb structure that stores honey in the hive. But did you know you can eat it? Yes, Honeycomb is Edible!
Everyone is familiar with the many ways to enjoy regular honey. Ready for the total honey experience? How to Eat Honeycomb – Yummy Ideas.
Honey Uses for Health & Beauty
Honey has long been used in the treatment of illness. In fact, it is one of the earliest natural remedies.
If you feel that next cold or cough coming on, you may already have something in the pantry to help ease the pain. Try it – Honey for Colds.
Interested in natural remedies? Honey is a common ingredient in many of them. Consider making this tonic.- Fire Cider with Honey
Apple Cider Vinegar and Honey Recipes come in many different forms. These tonics are used to make your feel better or possible keep you from getting sicker. – Apple Cider Vinegar and Honey
I enjoy making my own cough drops. They provide some symptom relief and I can pronounce every ingredient in the recipe. – Homemade Honey Cough Drops.
When a really nasty cough or sore throat arrives, you might want to make this natural tonic. You just need a few simple ingredients – it is nice to have on hand. – Infusing Honey with Lemon and Ginger
Another great use of honey is in the creation of salves for wounds. You can make your own salve to treat the discomfort of minor burns with just 4 ingredients! – DIY Honey Burn Salve with Aloe
Honey is a popular ingredient in many skin care regimes too! Enjoy the gentle exfoliation and moisturizing properties of this sea salt and honey scrub . – DIY Himalayan Pink Sea Salt with Honey Body Scrub
Soap making is a very traditional craft that has been enjoy for thousands of years. It can be challenging in the beginning, try this easy recipes using goat milk and honey. – Easy Goat Milk & Honey Soap Without Lye
Using Honey in Recipes –Cooking with Honey
Of course, we all know that honey is great straight from the jar – or even right out of the hive. However, honey is also a great addition to many popular recipes and can be used to create some great healthy snacks.
From main dishes to the best tasting Honey Blueberry Scones ever, you can use it in some many different types of recipes.
If you want to experience the bold taste that honey can add to any dishes, check out these Easy Honey Recipes.
Final Thoughts on Ways to Use Honey
This is only the beginning. Real honey can be used in so many recipes and homemade products. What types of honey uses can you share?
If you would like to try some pure honey from my farm – I have some available seasonally in my Etsy Store.
Beekeeper Charlotte
