There’s 101 Ways To Use Honey, Here’s The First 10!

In this article, we’ll delve into ten different ways to use honey – five as a delectable addition to food and five as a cherished medicinal remedy. Honey is an incredibly versatile ingredient that can enhance almost anything, including food, and is also renowned as one of the most beloved natural remedies across the globe.

What is Raw Honey?

There has been no “processing” of our raw honey. At the time of bottling, processed honey is often passed through a diatomaceous earth filtration system, which removes all pollen and enzymes from the honey. Our raw honey is honey in its purest, most natural form, it is as close to raising the bees and harvesting the honey as you can get! Raw honey, as opposed to processed honey, contains many natural components such as pollen, propolis, and wax. These natural components give raw honey a distinct flavor that distinguishes it from processed honey.

5 Ways to Use Honey in Food

Honey has been used for thousands of years as a natural sweetener and a medicinal ingredient. It is a healthier alternative to refined sugar and adds a unique flavor profile to dishes. Below are five ways to use honey in food, including as a natural sweetener, salad dressings, baked goods, glazes and marinades, and beverages.

Honey in Glazes and Marinades

Honey can be used in glazes and marinades to add a sweet and sticky coating to meat and poultry. A simple honey glaze can be made by combining honey, soy sauce, and ginger. For a honey mustard marinade, whisk together honey, Dijon mustard, garlic, olive oil, and lemon juice.

Pro Tip: For the honey mustard marinade, our Orange Blossom is great. For glazing, we have found our more robust honeys are best, their flavors hold up to the heat of cooking well. For this application, we suggest trying a couple different varieties to see what suits your palate best. Buckwheat is a great variety to start with, if you want milder try Alfalfa and if more robust is your preference, give Avocado Blossom a try.

Honey in Beverages

Honey can add sweetness and flavor to hot and cold beverages, such as tea and lemonade. To make a honey lemon tea, brew your favorite tea and stir in honey and fresh lemon juice to taste. When using honey in tea, be sure to let your boiling water cool for a few minutes before adding the honey. This limits the honey’s exposure to extreme heat and helps preserve all the “good stuff” in the honey that’s good for you. We like our Sage honey for this simple recipe. For a cold beverage, you can make honey-sweetened lemonade by combining fresh lemon juice, honey, and water in a pitcher.

Pro Tip: Make a simple syrup with honey and warm water before adding it to your lemon and water mixture. This makes dissolving the honey in your lemonade so much easier! Several of our honeys work well in lemonade. Our Clover honey has a nice mid level sweetness but a depth of flavor that can handle the pairing with lemons. Also our Orange Blossom honey can manage to be paired up with lemons quite nicely.

5 Ways to Use Honey as Medicine

Honey is one of the world’s most versatile and beloved natural remedies. For centuries, people have been using honey to treat various ailments, from common colds to wounds and burns. Not only is honey a natural and effective alternative to pharmaceuticals, but it’s also delicious. It can be easily incorporated into your diet. Below are five ways to use honey as medicine to improve your health and well-being.

Soothe a Sore Throat

Honey is an effective natural remedy for sore throats. It has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties that can help soothe a sore throat and reduce inflammation. To use honey for a sore throat, mix one tablespoon of honey with warm water or tea and drink it several times a day. You can also add a few drops of lemon juice to boost Vitamin C.

Pro Tip: We like combining a ½ cup of our Buckwheat honey with 1 tsp. Turmeric, 1 tsp. Ginger, and a few pinches of fresh ground black pepper. We eat a spoonful of that daily when we have a cough or scratchy throat. Bonus – it clears the sinuses! We also like Hot Toddies! Brew a cup of tea in a saucepan, add Cinnamon Sticks and Star Anise and let simmer for a few minutes. Strain spices as you pour into a cup, add whisky and a large helping (about 2 tablespoons) of Buckwheat honey. Sip and soothe your throat then off to bed for recuperative sleep!

Treat Wounds and Burns

Honey has been a natural remedy for wounds and burns for thousands of years. Its antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties can help reduce the risk of infection and speed up the healing process. To use honey for wounds and burns, apply a small amount of raw honey to the affected area and cover it with a bandage. Change the bandage every few hours, and repeat the process until the wound or burn has healed. Our Buckwheat honey is a wonderful choice for this type of treatment.

Boost Your Immune System

Honey is a natural immune system booster that can help protect your body against viruses and bacteria. It’s high in antioxidants and has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties that can help strengthen your immune system. Add a tablespoon of raw honey to your tea or smoothie daily to boost your immune system. You can also eat a spoonful of honey straight from the jar. All of our honeys work well to boost your immune system thanks to their pure raw all natural status!

Relieve Allergies

Honey can help relieve allergy symptoms by reducing inflammation and soothing the throat. It’s also believed that consuming small amounts of local honey can help desensitize your body to local pollen and minimize allergy symptoms over time. To relieve allergies, mix a tablespoon of local raw honey into warm water or tea and drink it several times a day.

Pro Tip: We always suggest our Wildflower honey for this use. Wildflower honey has the distinct advantage because it carries nectar from the most flowers compared to other more “single varietal” honeys. An added bonus for wildflower honey as relates to geography, from California’s northern Central Coast all the way to the Mexico Border and 50-75 miles inland the chaparral is pretty much the same. This means there isn’t wide variation in the types of wild flowers that grow so our Wildflower honey will work well for those who live within that swath of California.

Improve Digestion

Honey has been shown to improve digestion by reducing inflammation and promoting the healthy growth of gut bacteria. It’s also a natural prebiotic, which helps feed the good bacteria in your digestive system. Add a teaspoon of raw honey daily to your tea or smoothie to improve digestion. You can also mix it with apple cider vinegar to boost digestive enzymes.

Pro Tip: In this case our choice of honey is more about what tastes good in each application as all honey will help in improving digestion. To pair with apple cider vinegar we like Orange Blossom because it is sweet enough to pair with the sour of the apple cider vinegar.

Bonus: Manuka Honey

Have you heard of Manuka Honey? Yes? Consider using our Buckwheat honey in place of the very expensive and often counterfeit Manuka. Buckwheat honey boasts similar or GREATER amounts of virus and bacteria fighting polyphenols! It is the superstar in our line-up for its medicinal healing powers.

Conclusion

You can enhance your health and well-being in a tasty and natural way by introducing honey into your diet and medicinal repertoire. For optimal medicinal advantages, opt for raw, unprocessed honey and consult your healthcare provider before using it as a medicinal remedy. Not only does honey add a natural sweetness and delectable flavor to your cooking and baking, but it also boasts numerous benefits, such as its antibacterial and antioxidant properties. Whether you use it as a sweetener in salad dressings, baked goods, glazes and marinades, or beverages, the possibilities for honey are endless. Get creative, explore the many ways to incorporate honey into your favorite recipes, and discover a world of delightful flavors and health benefits.