Keep Your Honey Handy

It’s September. Time for the weather to cool, days to grow shorter, and the honey collection season is coming to a close as the bees begin to prepare for winter.

September is National Honey Month. It’s the perfect time to stock up on this amazing gift from those busy bees. Not only is it a delightful sweeter, it has benefits for both your insides and your outsides.

I have to admit that I always have lots and lots of honey on hand. Whenever I’m at a farm market or craft fair (which, as you may know, I go to rather frequently), I always look for a person selling honey and pick some up. I always try to buy honey from apiarists, not from the grocery store. Some store honeys are not completely honey and have sugar added or are so over processed that their benefits are removed. So sticking with local bee keepers is a better option. Raw honey is the best, but look for honey that’s less processed for the best results.

The benefits of honey seem almost endless.

• Raw honey contains phenolic compounds which provide antioxidants.
• It’s nutritious! It contains a wide variety of vitamins, phytonutrients, minerals, and amino acids.
• It contains antibacterial and anti-fungal properties that soothe burns, scrapes, and wounds.
• A spoonful of honey helps suppress coughs.
• It’s a great moisturizer!
• Can help with soothe Acid Reflux and digestive issues.
• And more!

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Important note – honey shouldn’t be given to infants. Their digestive and immune systems are still developing and can’t handle any botulism that might be there like and older child or adult can.

One of my favorite things to do is give myself a honey facial every now and then. I just smear some of it on my face, even up and under my eyes. I let it sit for about 15 minutes, then rinse off with cool water. My skin feels so wonderful and soft, and just a bit firmer.

Did you know honey doesn’t go bad? If you notice your honey has crystallized a little, just put it in a warm water bath. I do not recommend microwaving it. You can easily accidentally overcook it. Instead, put it in a glass container in a pot of water. Let the water come to a very low just barely simmer and warm until the honey is back to it’s golden flowing goodness.

Infusing your honey with other herbs or spices can kick up it’s power – and tastiness! I’ve infused vanilla, cinnamon, elderflower, rose petals, chai spices, ginger, and a few other herbs. Love them all. One caution – when using ginger, use dried. I once did an infusion of fresh shredded ginger. After a month I thought it was going bad. It wasn’t really. It was fermenting. I was accidentally making mead. Very cool, but I didn’t want to go down another hobby path, so I passed that along to a mead making friend. Since then I stick to dried ginger pieces for flavorful infusions.

Honey has been an important part of life for people for thousands of year. It’s one of the reasons we have to take care of the little bees. Celebrate Honey Month by cuddling up with your honey and enjoying some honey.

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