by Jane W. Smith

Created on: November 21, 2008   Last Updated: December 02, 2008

Cooking with Honey

Not only is honey a more natural, tastier alternative to sweeteners but eating honey boasts numerous health benefits as well. Many people are unaware of honey's healthful properties. For thousands of years honey has been used for its medicinal qualities. Honey has been used to treat a wide range of ailments including arthritis pain, sore throats, coughs, and cuts and bruises. Only recently has science begun to acknowledge the anti-bacterial and anti-septic potential in honey.

Honey can have incredible benefits on the immune system, the bodily system that protects us from infection and disease. Honey's anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant effects can help strengthen the immune system and make it better able to ward off infection. Honey can also help improve the digestive system by aiding in the digestion of raw sugars and starches. Take a spoonful of honey to ease the pain with sore throats, for sleeplessness combine honey with chamomile tea, and apply honey topically to prevent infection and speed healing of burns, cuts, and bruises.

Although honey can be used to treat individual ailments, it is best to incorporate daily into your diet to obtain maximum health benefits. Honey can be used as an alternative to sugar in baking, as a topping on oatmeal, cereal or pancakes, as a marinade for meat or tofu, and as a base for sauces and salad dressings.

SUGAR ALTERNATIVES

Honey is a healthier alternative to refined sugar and helps keep baked good moister longer. Since honey is sweeter than sugar and a liquid the recipe needs to be adapted to fit the change. It is a good idea to experiment with the substitution first with simple recipes such as quick breads or muffins. You may also want to start by substituting honey for only half of the sugar. If your recipe calls for 1 cup of sugar it is best to substitute with 1 cup of honey. For recipes requiring more than a cup of sugar, it is best to substitute 2/3 to cup of honey for every cup over 1. It is also a good idea to lower baking temperatures by 25 degrees since baked goods with honey tend to brown faster. It also may be necessary to reduce other liquids in the recipe in order for the baked good to rise properly. It may take some practice to master the art of substituting sugar for honey, but the overall health benefits will be worth it.

HONEY TOPPINGS

Honey makes an excellent topping for cereals, oatmeal, pancakes and the like. Try adding bananas, walnuts, and honey to your oatmeal for an immune system boosting yet delicious breakfast. Add honey instead of sugar to your breakfast cereal or in place of butter on pancakes for less refined sugar, fat, and excess calories.

HONEY MARINADES and SAUCES

Add 1-tablespoon honey to 1/3 cup ginger soy sauce and 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon minced garlic for a sweet spicy marinade for your favorite lean meat or tofu. Honey is an excellent complement to teriyaki, soy sauces or any Asian flared marinade. Also try adding honey to your favorite stir-fry sauces to make a unique flavorful meal.

Honey is also useful when making your own salad dressings. A honey ginger vinaigrette is an easy to make and tasty dressing. Combine garlic, grated ginger, honey, rice vinegar, soy sauce, and sesame oil to taste and spread over your favorite greens.

Honey is as valuable as salt or pepper to any kitchen. There are plenty of recipes out there that can include honey. Find one that fits your tastes and give it a try and start reaping the benefits of such a sweet, tasty, healthful treat.

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