As we celebrate National Honey Month in September, consider the many uses of this natural product. There are cave paintings from Spain from 6,000 B.C. showing that we have long used honey as a source of food. Honey, especially in the raw form is also known as being a superfood. So really, what’s not to celebrate?
Honey is a natural substance that’s produced when bees collect flower nectar. A bee must collect nectar from about 2 million flowers to make 1 pound of honey. That nectar is eventually broken down into simple sugar forms that are then stored within the bee’s honeycomb. Luckily for us, bees make more honey than needed within the hive, so we’re able to harvest some for use.
The four most popular forms of honey include liquid, comb, crystallized, and whipped. Liquid is the most commonly found form in households, but the others work great as well depending on what texture you want and how it will be used. There are more than 300 unique varieties of honey found within the U.S. The most common varieties are wildflower, clover, orange blossom, and blueberry.
Honey is versatile, varied and delicious.
- Research has shown that honey contains a wide array of vitamins, minerals, amino acids and antioxidants. Flavonoids and phenolic acids, which act as antioxidants, are also found in honey.
- The amount and type of these compounds depends largely on the floral source. According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Nutrient Database, one tablespoon of honey contains 64 calories, 17.3 grams (g) of sugar, and 0 g of fiber, fat, and protein.
As a reminder, don’t give honey to children under 1 year of age. It may have trace amounts of botulism that will make them sick as their digestive systems are not developed enough.
Although we think of honey as a natural sweetener, you can add it to a variety of dishes, including savory ones. The National Honey Board has recipes for dishes at every meal on their website. For example, here is a recipe for a delicious side dish of honey citrus glazed carrots.
Honey is a pretty spectacular food, and we have the busy bees to thank for it. If you keep honey sealed, and don’t let water get into it, honey has a very long shelf life. So “bee” sure to occasionally include it into your cooking and see what all the buzz is about!
Written by: Hannah Roberto, University of Cincinnati intern, BS Dietetics.,
Revised by: Marilyn Rabe, Extension Educator, Family and Consumer Sciences, Ohio State University Extension, Franklin County, rabe.9@osu.edu
Reviewed by: Michelle Treber, Extension Educator, Family and Consumer Sciences, Ohio State University Extension, Pickaway County, Treber.1@osu.edu
Sources:
https://www.honey.com/about-honey
https://www.honey.com/recipe/honey-citrus-glazed-carrots
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/the-science-behind-honeys-eternal-shelf-life-1218690/
http://www.handhhoney.com/hh-bee-blog/bee-facts/
https://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/ss/slideshow-all-about-honey
Live Healthy Live Well 
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