Suggested uses

Basic prep

Storage & handling

Store in a dry, cool place.

Ingredients

Sugar, honey

Honey is a liquid sweetener made naturally by bees from flower nectar, which they collect and transport back to the hive. Unlike cane sugar, which tastes the same wherever it is grown, the color and flavor of honey is specific to the type of flower from which the nectar was extracted.

While bees produce honey solely for their own nourishment, human cultivation of bees for honey production dates back as far as 700 B.C. For many centuries, honey was regarded as sacred due to its rarity. It was reserved solely for the wealthy and for religious ceremonies.

While its popularity slightly diminished due to the appearance of granulated sugar, honey is still regarded for its natural purity, unique flavor and health benefits. Honey contains powerful antioxidants and has antiseptic and antibacterial properties.

For centuries, honey has been known to be an effective treatment for sore throats and coughs. It is also effective against seasonal allergies, providing a low-dose source of the regional pollen, which gradually heightens resistance. More recently, its topical uses as an antiseptic have been discovered.

Interestingly, honey is one of only a few food sources that never spoils. Due to its acid level and super-saturation of sugars, which are hygroscopic (meaning they do not absorb any water), bacteria cannot live in honey. The concentration of sugars is also too high for fungal spores or yeast to survive. This means that honey can last for thousands of years in edible form. In fact, modern archeologists, upon excavating ancient Egyptian tombs, have found sealed pots of preserved honey, still in edible form!