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Ode to Honey

Posted Mon, Jul 23, 2007, 4:52 pm PDT
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I am always seduced by the honey stand at my local green market. The beeswax candles, the pollen, the different flavors of honey... How can so much good stuff come from one small creature? Here are some of my "rules" for selecting and using different types of honey:
--I buy the "single variety" (usually yielded from only one type of flower) honeys from a local producer that I trust. I find color speaks louder than words. Darker honeys, like Chestnut and Fir varieties, have a stronger flavor. Lighter colored varieties, like Acacia and Clover, are mellower.
--Honeys that are jarred with a chunk of or small bits of the honeycomb or labeled "raw" have not been heated or filtered. Though their shelf life is shorter, they have complex and delicate flavors. Buy this type of honey in smaller quantities and use it in more straightforward preparations, like a drizzle on toast, mixed in cereal, or to glaze the top of a cake or tart in place of sugar.
--"Liquid" or "creamy" honeys are not necessarily any less organic" or "natural". They have merely been heated to easily filter out impurities or rendered "creamy" (non-opaque) to make them smoother and easier to use. Because their flavors tend to be more muted, I like to use these for preparations that involve heat. Heat a half a cup of honey, for example, until it bubbles and froths, and add a generous splash of sherry or red wine vinegar. Cook for an additional minute until the texture thickens, stir in some of your favorite mustard, and pour the mixture over a pork roast or roasted vegetables just as they finish cooking in the oven. A delicious glaze.
--Try a small jar of that bee pollen! These little nuggets, loaded with vitamins, taste like the pure essence of honey. I like to add them to my homemade granola mix. Sprinkle them over banana slices caramelized in some honey or sprinkle them over a bowl of yogurt.
--Don't be ashamed of that plastic honey bear. Sure, "Grade A" or "Natural" honeys are the purest, but most of all, buy what you love and what you will use!

Average (498 Ratings): 4 out of 5 stars

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  • 1. Posted by mcse4u on Wed, Jul 25, 2007, 12:58 pm PDT

    Interesting information. I usually avoided the 'funky' honeys as I didn't understand the differences. Thanks!

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  • 2. Posted by pag0852 on Wed, Jul 25, 2007, 1:00 pm PDT

    love honey in my tea, but where do you purchase the bee pollen? hmm

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  • 3. Posted by uncle vinny on Wed, Jul 25, 2007, 1:01 pm PDT

    never had honey in my life.

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  • 4. Posted by kabubrij47 on Wed, Jul 25, 2007, 1:02 pm PDT

    honey in any form is the best food for any age and tastes good. It is healthy and if used on a wound, it is a good antiseptic and heals faster.

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  • 5. Posted by Jason Luhrs on Wed, Jul 25, 2007, 1:15 pm PDT

    I love the honies! And they love me, too. nome sayin?

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  • 6. Posted by P C on Wed, Jul 25, 2007, 1:16 pm PDT

    Very interesting. I will definately try the honey glaze on my next dinner. Sound devine! Thank you.

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  • 7. Posted by P C on Wed, Jul 25, 2007, 1:17 pm PDT

    Very interesting. I will definately try the honey glaze on my next dinner. Sound devine! Thank you.

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  • 8. Posted by cefwys on Wed, Jul 25, 2007, 1:19 pm PDT

    I grew up with bee hives in the backyard and love the stuff! Un heated and filtered through cheesecloth and we used it on everything. Mom would always make cornbread and BBQ on harvest days and the neighbors would come over and help. Payment was in jars of honey of course!

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  • 9. Posted by Christie W on Wed, Jul 25, 2007, 1:31 pm PDT

    I learned a few years back that you can use LOCAL honey as a natural remedy for seasonal allergies. 1 to 2 tablespoons a day of honey works so much faster and much better than OTC medication.

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  • 10. Posted by Mikki on Wed, Jul 25, 2007, 1:35 pm PDT

    Honey is also good for beauty products, like putting honey in your hair is a good conditioner.

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  • 11. Posted by lakepuett on Wed, Jul 25, 2007, 1:42 pm PDT

    There are a few inaccuracies about honey in this article. All honey has a shelf life of FOREVER because no "impurities" can live in it. Everything, debris, etc. rises to the top because honey is so heavy. These are not reasons for heating it. Honey is heated to make the sugars clear, making it more uniform and less granulated, although granulated honey is still fine. Some honey, even heated, granulates naturally. I come from three generations of beekeeping, and my brother is an organic honey producer in Hawaii. He's the fourth generation to keep bees.

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  • 12. Posted by SharONhUi hOoN on Wed, Jul 25, 2007, 1:49 pm PDT

    I love honey very much. Thanks for sharing. It's a useful guideline..

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  • 13. Posted by carolyn p on Wed, Jul 25, 2007, 1:49 pm PDT

    I see just buying honey from jars are just as great... just another way to put out more money. Have you been to the grocery lately. Not all can afford your specials.

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  • 14. Posted by Katie on Wed, Jul 25, 2007, 1:51 pm PDT

    Is the a such thing as Sugar Free Honey?

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  • 15. Posted by northernbornsoutherner on Wed, Jul 25, 2007, 1:58 pm PDT

    Make some kick-A peanut butter sandwiches: Put about 2 Tablespoons of peanut butter in a bowl. Mix in a little honey at a time, stirring and adding until you like the consistency. It's very tasty, and with the honey added you don't need jelly. Excellent sandwiches w/soup. Don't forget the milk!

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  • 16. Posted by Chef on Wed, Jul 25, 2007, 2:00 pm PDT

    Honey, as healthy as it is, should not be given to babies. Honey sometimes contains a spore of the bacterium Clostridium Botulinum. This can cause a rare form of food poisoning (botulism) in babies and, very occasionally, in adults. Babies under six months are most vulnerable. The symptoms of botulism appear around eight to 36 hours after consuming the honey or other contaminated food. Symptoms may include constipation, listlessness and lack of appetite. If you suspect your baby may be affected, seek medical help straight away. Although cases of botulism in babies are very rare, it is recommended that you don't give your baby honey until after his first birthday.

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  • 17. Posted by jaj903 on Wed, Jul 25, 2007, 2:03 pm PDT

    First article that I have read on Yahoo that has been helpful. I love honey and appreciate the tips.

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  • 18. Posted by southbeacheng on Wed, Jul 25, 2007, 2:04 pm PDT

    Some items to add, Honey in pure state never ever will go bad, it will stay for 10000 years and be good as long as it is pure unprocessed honey. The comment on shelf life is wrong.

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  • 19. Posted by A Nonymous on Wed, Jul 25, 2007, 2:07 pm PDT

    Please remember that children under 1 year old should not be given honey at all.

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  • 20. Posted by tren_dur on Wed, Jul 25, 2007, 2:20 pm PDT

    I love Honey a wole lot but How do you know when honey is pure? How do you know when honey is make from more than n pollen?

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  • 21. Posted by twonative4_uz on Wed, Jul 25, 2007, 2:22 pm PDT

    I've been reading all comments to the "honey", business today, and i love honey...i've learned a few points today, also. Thanks!

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  • 22. Posted by ninna on Wed, Jul 25, 2007, 2:22 pm PDT

    eating a tablespoon of locally grown honey each day will fight against allergies because the bees "eat" everything around us that we are allergic to and make their honey. when we eat it, it is like an allergy shot

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  • 23. Posted by amo t on Wed, Jul 25, 2007, 2:23 pm PDT

    To kabubrij47 and lakepuett..while honey is very healthy in older children and adults it should not be given to young infants under the age of 1 due because it has a very high chance of containing clostridium botulinum...which while itself is natural and is therefore not a technical impurity it tends to make the honey go bad and you cannot tell if it has it in there unless tests are run on every single bottle that you buy so there is a shelf life put on all honies for the sake of safety

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  • 24. Posted by ay00sha2010 on Wed, Jul 25, 2007, 2:25 pm PDT

    I read somewhere that jars of honey was found in the pyramids, and it was still good enough to use! this shows that natural honey, never expires or goes bad.

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  • 25. Posted by Nicole on Wed, Jul 25, 2007, 2:35 pm PDT

    I had a yoga teacher who was an extreme health nut and he mentioned that cooking with honey can be bad. Is that true in certain cases? I've never had any problems with it but I'm curious if there is some truth to what he said.

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  • 26. Posted by Lola ♥ on Wed, Jul 25, 2007, 2:47 pm PDT

    wow! i never knew haha. that is so cool, i am def. going to try this! lol

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  • 27. Posted by brmrydriam on Wed, Jul 25, 2007, 2:49 pm PDT

    Ninna is correct it helps allergies if you eat the honey where you live. You can find local honey on craigslist.org in your area.

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  • 28. Posted by LAO on Wed, Jul 25, 2007, 2:59 pm PDT

    Thank you I forgot about bee pollen i just started working out.

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  • 29. Posted by alanrb3 on Wed, Jul 25, 2007, 3:04 pm PDT

    I love it!

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  • 30. Posted by cefwys on Wed, Jul 25, 2007, 3:05 pm PDT

    Lakepuett is correct, pure honey never goes bad as it's sterile, is good for fighting infection in wounds again coz it's sterile, and local honey does help with allergies. Crystalized honey has not gone off, just cold. Heat it up in a pan of water on low, it'll decrytsallize go clear again and be as good as before. You can still eat crytallized honey, it's just really grainy. And for tren-dur, are you talking about additives to the honey? In the stores buy from a company called Honeybow, (Was local WA state), or from a local beekeeper, there's no reason to add anything to it. We've gotten red honey before from a hive, just a few cells, that we tracked down to bees eating off the local hummingbird feeder, cheats!

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