Health Benefits of Honey 

I learned many years ago some of the health benefits of honey but the older I get the more I learn about this amazing product. For most of my life, as soon as I felt a cold coming on, I would grab the honey. Add a little honey to a steaming hot cup of back tea with a drop of lemon juice and it was instant relief. I have passed this tip on to hundreds of people in my lifetime and all reported to have the same results.


Since my early years, I have learned of so many more health benefits of honey. As I have been spending more time in the Appalachian area, I found it necessary to find honey which is produced from that area. When you use locally produced honey it helps combat any allergies which you develop in that area. With the lush landscape and many beautiful blooming plants and trees, it is easy to develop severe allergies in the area.


Honey is produced by bees mixing nectar, which is a sweet substance secreted by the flowers. (You can see why it is important to get honey locally.) This is a natural way that bees store their food up for the cold winter when there is no fresh supply of flowers for them to eat from. (Like we preserve foods.) By persuading the bee swarms to nest in artificial hives, we are able to harvest excess honey for human consumption.


The ultimate health benefits of honey can only be achieved by buying unfiltered, unheated and unprocessed honey. (NOTE: HONEY SHOULD NEVER BE GIVEN TO INFANTS; in its natural form honey can contain spores of bacteria.)


The history of honey goes back as long as there is any history written. It is the oldest form of sweetener. The Bible even mentions “honey”. Honey has been used not only as a sweetener but also as a currency, to make cement, furniture polishes, and varnishes and especially for medicinal uses. In the process of bees making their honey, they perform the huge task of pollinating the fruits, vegetables, beans and other food producing plants. This is why aside from this amazing honey, the bees are so vital to our existence.


Other health benefits of honey is to promote healing and energy. It is a natural antiseptic and works well in healing burns and wounds. It is made up of 35 percent protein and is a high concentrated source of essential nutrients and minerals. It has large amounts of B complex vitamins plus C, D, and E.


Honey is sweeter than sugar and products made with honey brown faster than those made with sugar. When exchanging recipes using sugar to honey, you might want to reduce the temperature slightly and watch more closely the baking time. To exchange honey for sugar use ¾ cup honey to 1 cup sugar and reduce 3 1/3 tablespoons liquid. If sweet milk is used in the recipe, add ¼ teaspoon baking soda to 1 cup milk to neutralize it since honey is an acid. Dark honey is stronger flavored and more acid that the light colored honey so the baking soda may need to be increased to ½ teaspoon baking soda.


You can utilize the health benefits by freezing fruit with honey in place of sugar. To freeze apples peel, core and slice the apples Mix with a little honey combined with lemon juice. Pack and freeze. For berries wash and pick out any leaves and debris and then drain. Put in freezer containers and trickle honey over the berries. Seal tightly, shake to blend in honey and freeze.

HONEY CHICKEN WINGS RECIPE a delicious way to enjoy the health benefits of honey

Think about the wonderful health benefits of honey as you prepare and eat this delicious honey chicken wings recipe.

  • 3 Pounds chicken wings
  • Salt/pepper
  • 1 Cup honey
  • 2 Tablespoons olive oil
  • ½ Cup soy sauce
  • 2 Tablespoons catsup
  • 2 Cloves minced garlic

Preheat oven to 375F degrees.

Lay chicken wings in single layer in greased baking pan.

Combine and mix remaining ingredients; pour over chicken wings and bake 1 hour or until wings are done.

PORK TENDERLOIN RECIPE

Another way to enjoy the health benefits of honey is in this pork tenderloin recipe.

  • ½ Cup soy sauce
  • 2 Cloves minced garlic
  • 1 Tablespoon sesame oil
  • 1 Teaspoon ground ginger
  • ¼ Cup honey
  • 2 Tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1 Pound pork tenderloin

Combine soy sauce, garlic, sesame oil, ginger, honey and brown sugar in a large plastic bag.

Add pork tenderloin and marinate for 2 hours or longer.

Preheat oven to 350F degrees.

Remove from bag and place in a greased baking pan.

Bake about 30 minutes or until pork is well done.

BREAD PUDDING RECIPE

You can also enjoy health benefits of honey in simple dessert recipes.

  • 2 Cups bread cubes
  • 2 Cups milk
  • ½ Teaspoon baking soda
  • 3 Tablespoons butter
  • ½ Cup honey
  • 2 Beaten eggs
  • 1/8 Teaspoon salt
  • ½ Teaspoon lemon extract

Preheat oven to 350F degrees.

Cut day old bread, crusts and all into ½ inch cubes; place in buttered casserole dish.

Scald milk with butter and honey; set aside.

Beat eggs and add the salt.

Stir soda into warm milk then add beaten eggs into warm milk mixture.

Stir in the lemon extract and pour over bread cubes.

Set baking dish in a pan of warm water and bake for 1 hour or until a knife inserted comes out clean.

PORK RIB ROAST with honey

Learn about the health benefits of honey and try this pork roast with honey mustard glaze.

  • ¼ Cup honey
  • ¼ cup Dijon mustard
  • 1 Teaspoon finely chopped rosemary
  • 2 ½ Pound pork rib roast (Trim off fat)
  • Salt/ pepper
  • 12 Medium carrots

Preheat oven to 425F degrees.

Combine in a small bowl the honey, mustard and rosemary.

Season the pork roast with salt and pepper; brush ¾ of the honey mixture over the roast.

Cover the roast and set aside for 20 minutes.

Parboil the carrots in a large pot of salted water for 7 minutes.

Drain the carrots, rinse in cold water and pat dry.

Place the roast on a rack in a large roasting pan; place carrots around the roast.

Roast about 1 hour and 10 minutes.

NOTE: Instant thermometer inserted in the thickest part should read 150F degrees.

Carefully turn the carrots about every 15 minutes to roast evenly.

Transfer the roast to a carving board; cover loosely with foil.

Pour remaining honey mustard over the carrots; return to the oven.

Roast carrots about 10 minutes until tender.

Serve the sliced roast on a warmed platter surrounded by the carrots.

HONEY CHICKEN RECIPE

The health benefits of honey can be utilized in every day cooking.

  • ¼ Cup melted butter or margarine
  • ½ Cup honey
  • ¼ cup prepared mustard
  • 3 Tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 ½ Teaspoons paprika
  • 1 Fryer chicken (2 ½ to 3 Pounds cut up and skinned)
  • 1/8 Teaspoons salt
  • 1/8 Teaspoon pepper

Combine butter, honey, mustard, lemon juice and paprika; blend well.

Lightly sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper.

Place chicken breast side down in a lightly greased 12 x 8 inch baking dish.

Pour honey mixture over the chicken, cover and refrigerate for about 4 hours.

Remove chicken from refrigerate; let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.

PREHEAT OVEN TO 350F degrees.

Bake covered for 30 minutes; remove cover and turn chicken.

Bake additional 30 minutes or until done; baste occasionally with pan drippings.

Serves 4.