The Benefits of Raw Honey and How to Use it Wisely

November 17, 2011 By

  • order viagra
  • order cialis online dreampharmaceuticalscom
  • cheap mexico viagra
  • mail order viagra without prescription
  • order viagra no perscription
  • buy cheap viagra
Honey

photo by alsjhc

I’m sure you already know that from a nutritional standpoint, honey is a better choice for you than sugar. But did you know that raw honey is an even better choice?

Here’s the thing: honey in its natural state is full of unique elements that are difficult (or impossible) to find elsewhere in nature, and incredibly beneficial to our health. These include:

  • Bee pollen, thought to have anti-allergenic and anti-cancer properties
  • Amylase, an enzyme that helps the digestive system break down starches.
  • Propolis, something the bees use to protect their hives from unwanted organisms, and thus has anti-microbial, anti-fungal, and anti-bacterial properties
  • Antioxidants

(Read more about these properties here.) All of these, especially the amylase, can be effectively destroyed by heating. Unless it is labeled “raw”, honey has been pasteurized by heating it. Pretty much any kind of honey is healthier than regular sugar when it comes to cooking and baking, but if you want to maximize the nutritional and medicinal benefits of honey, you’ll definitely want to go for the raw.

The problem is that raw honey can be incredibly expensive, sometimes costing as much as twice the cost of regular honey. If you’re on a tight budget like me, that’s a big obstacle. What’s a girl to do?

Here’s the thing: heating honey removes some of its best qualities.

Ergo, heating honey renders the expense spent on raw honey worthless.

Ergo, don’t use raw honey in food that is going to be heated.

Did you get that? In plain English: don’t waste your raw honey on baked or cooked food. If you’re baking and cooking, go for plain old (organic if you can afford it) pasteurized honey because it’s going to be heated anyway.

So what’s the point of even buying raw honey then? Oh, there are still lots of things you can do with raw honey to reap its unique health benefits. Here are my favorite uses for raw honey:

As a Spread

Because raw honey is generally thicker than pasteurized honey, it works very nicely as a spread for bagels, toast and biscuits. Mmmmm!

As a Topping

My Certain Little Someone loves honey on his pancakes and waffles… and I have to admit, so do I! It’s better than syrup!

In Tea or Coffee

That is, if your tea or coffee isn’t too hot. Honey is still considered raw as long as it is kept under 105F.

Straight Up

Only for medicinal reasons, though (it’s still sugar, mind you!). Honey is as effective as conventional cough syrup medicines at reducing and suppressing coughs, even at night.

In Frostings

In particular, I love this cream cheese frosting that is sweetened with honey.

In Greek Yogurt

Don’t waste your money on fancy containers of Greek yogurt: make it at home from regular yogurt with raw honey and vanilla.

Preventative for Seasonal Allergies

Studies have mixed results, but the anecdotal evidence overwhelmingly indicates that consuming local raw honey on a regular basis can help reduce or even eliminate seasonal allergy symptoms. (more information)

In Dressings

Use raw honey in any vinaigrette or dressing recipe for green salads or fruit salads. Also use it in recipes for fruit dips!

In Whipped Cream

Add just a bit of raw honey to your cream when whipping it for a lightly flavored, deliciously sweetened topping!

Do you have any other suggestions for raw honey?

Want to win a jar of raw honey? Enter my giveaway (ends November 25, 2011)!

Some friends and I have collaborated to bring you an awesome little eBook just in time to help you with your Christmas baking! It’s chock full of easy, delicious cookie and candy recipes to help you celebrate the holidays in tasty style. Each recipe is built around wholesome ingredients, so you won’t even feel guilty indulging in one… or two… or even three! What’s more? We’re offering this book absolutely free - no strings attached - to each of our email subscribers! All you have to do is subscribe via email to any one of our blogs and you will receive a link for a free download of this sweet little book.

Collaborating with me are: The Purposed Heart, Intentional by Grace, and The Humbled Homemaker. Subscribe to all of these blogs just because you’ll be glad you did. Yes, they’re that good.

BundleoftheWeek.com, 5 eBooks for $7.40!

17 Comments Filed Under: At Home, Health, In The Budget, Save Much, Spend Wisely Tagged With: ,

honey, part 2

August 25, 2007 By

In the previous post, I talked about the uses and benefits of honey. But not just any honey will fit your needs: there are many different kinds of honey based on what flowers the bees pollinate, but the biggest difference is whether or not the honey is pasteurized.

Pastuerized honey is heated to a certain temperature to kill all the bacteria, the same process used to purify milk. At first, you might think that this kind of honey is the best choice, because who wants bacteria in their food? The truth is that honey is a hostile environment for most bacteria, except for clostridium botulinum, which most adult immune systems can effectively fight off. (This is the reason every honey jar says not to feed it to infants; their immune systems are susceptible to this bacteria.) It seems even pasteurization does not completely remove this particular strain of bacteria, but it does kill certain enzymes that give honey its healing powers.

So, as contrary to common sense as it may seem, raw honey is actually your best choice, as long as you don’t feed it to children under 1 year. Raw honey contains the most nutrients and enzymes that will benefit your health, and it also is void of the sugar syrup that is (according to some raw honey advocates) added to commercial pasteurized honey.

How do you know if honey is raw? Well, generally speaking, the label on the jar will identify it as such. If the jar does not specifically say “raw” or “unpasteurized”, chances are it’s your typical pasteurized honey.

Where can you find raw honey? I have found that natural foods or health foods stores are the best source for this kind of honey. Large grocery stores, such as Wegmans or Harris Teeter, which have extensive organic/natural food selections, also carry raw honey. You can also find it at farmer’s markets, craft shows and online. For one online source, try: The Naked Bee.

Of course, it goes without saying that raw honey, generally produced by local farmers and smaller manufacturers, is more expensive than pasteurized. Here are some tips to reduce your honey costs.

1. Diversify your sweeteners. I always keep honey, maple syrup, molasses and unrefined cane sugar on hand, and use them for different purposes and in different recipes. I generally only have to replace one of them (usually the honey or sugar) every month.

2. Use it sparingly. No matter how healthy the sweetener, it’s still a form of sugar, which is not meant to be consumed in large amounts.

3. Make use of coupons. Two of the natural food stores in my area frequently offer $5 off a $25 purchase. Whenever they have these coupons, I take that opportunity to stock up on non-perishable health-store-only type foods, such as raw honey.

4. Shop around. Check all the local stores in your area and find who has the best price. Don’t forget about the farmer’s markets, which are good sources for this type of food.

BundleoftheWeek.com, 5 eBooks for $7.40!

Leave a Comment Filed Under: At Home, Basics, Health, Home, On The Table Tagged With:

Interesting reads