Cooking with Honey

Honey has been beneficial to man for thousands of years.The Romans,early Greeks as well as the Egyptians all used this marvelous natural product not only as a sweetener but for many different purposes including offerings to their gods.

Health Benefits of Honey- Today honeys is used in kitchens all over the world and its health benefits are now becoming more and more apparent as many studies have suggested.As a sore throat remedy or a topical dressing for minor burns and cuts,this miracle of nature gets better and better the more we learn.Honey has long been used for digestive issues such as stomach ulcers and gastroenteritis. It's antioxidant,and detoxification benefits as well as helping maintain ahealthier immune system are widely known and well documented. Honey contains most of the complex B vitamins,B1, B2,B3,B5 and B6. Minerals such as potassium,magnesium,calcium,sulphur,iron and phosphate also are present in small quantities.Many naturalelements are found in honey that is derived from the plants and flowers that bees get from the pollination process.These natural herbal elements can vary in quantity and type depending onwhere in the world the bees providing the honey are and what plants and flowers they are pollinating.Honey is an excellent source of antioxidants and is widely known to help in the prevention of heart disease and some forms of cancer Because it has a lower calorie count than the same size serving as sugar,we get the energy without the wieght gain. Honey possesses antimicrobial properties,preventing infection by destroying the bacteria around the wound.This topical use of honey has been well known for centuries.

Honey in the Kitchen-

Other than spreading over toast what can honey do in the kitchen to make our recipes even more flavorful and healthy? Other than the obvious uses such as a spread for bagels,toast,and English muffins,honey can be used as a key component in the baking of these breads and cakes,pies and pastries as well.As healthier and more nutritional sweetener than sugar,honey is ideal for recipes of all of the food groups.

As a flavor enhancer for almost any meat or poultry honey is superb.For example in Asian dishes as component of the sweet and sour combo,or in combination with a teriyaki,or an orange based glaze.

It can be an interesting accent when combined with different varieties of cheese as well as yogurt and hot and cold cereals.

As anyone that has enjoyed a honey-glazed ham can attest,any substitute for honey in this capacity would no less than culinary blaspemy.

Honey based barbeque sauces are a classic way to bring out the flavors of beef,pork and chicken.

Honey in fruit salad recipes or as a dip can bring a healthier low calorie appetizer to your table.

Used as a topping for ice cream,drizzled over pies or used as an ingredient in the batters of cakes and breads honey is a winner.

Honey is a gift from nature and has so many healthy qualities that using it in the kitchen is a no brainer but best of all it Tastes Good!