Honey’s History:
Honey has been around essentially since the dawn of time, although the first written records of it don’t appear until Ancient Egypt in 5500 B.C. Honey was so important to Egyptians in fact that it was not only used as currency, food, and medicine, but it also made its way into their wedding vows. The man was made to vow that he would provide honey for his new wife. They even sometimes put honey in tombs as they believed the dead could have it in their afterlife. Needless to say, honey has been an important part of human history and revered for its healing properties. In fact, up until the early 20th century, honey was the main sweetener before sugar became more readily available and affordable.
Origins:
So, what exactly is honey? You may know that honey comes from bees, but may not realize the process that goes into making it. Let’s start with where bees came from. Bees have their origins in South East Asia before spreading to the rest of Europe and eventually to the Americas by colonists in 1622. Before making it to the colonies, monasteries in Europe were the main place for honey production and collection of beeswax. Monks found that the bee’s wax burned much brighter and cleaner than tallow, animal fat, and soon became the candle of choice. It wasn’t until 1900 in fact that the Pope allowed churches to burn non-beeswax candles, making it a paramount part of the church and monks’ daily activities.
How It’s Made:
Now that we know a little bit about the origins, how do bees actually make honey? Well, this remarkable little creature collects both nectars from the plant along with pollen. Nectar contains sugars, and the pollen provides lipids and proteins. In the hive, it is constantly consumed and regurgitated. Bees first take the pollen to feed their young and then the nectar is inserted into the wax cells. Here the water will evaporate and the sugars will be broken down. What’s left? Rich carbohydrates help bees survive the winter, also known as honey. Bees put quite a lot of work into making honey as a colony can visit up to 50 million flowers per day! This does not include all the time it takes to regurgitate the nectar, fanning it with their wings to make it sticky, or storing and sealing it in wax cells called a comb.
Health Benefits:
Honey has also long been touted for its healing properties as it has anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antimicrobial, and antioxidant properties. Many studies have been conducted on the benefits of honey. Researchers and scientists have found that raw manuka honey has tremendous healing benefits for burns and diabetic wounds. In fact, 43% of partial burn wounds healed faster with honey, and a whopping 97% of those with diabetic ulcers saw accelerated healing. Honey contains no water so as it covers the affected area it smothers and kills bad bacteria as they cannot survive in the presence of no oxygen. It also protects skin and promotes nourishment to surrounding tissues. In addition, it has been found to soothe a pediatric cough, lower bad cholesterol, and lower blood pressure. Pretty remarkable stuff, from tiny bees collecting pollen and nectar!
Which Honey Should You Buy?:
Honey is composed of two sugars fructose and glucose with some trace minerals. With more than 300 types of honey, it can be confusing which to choose. Of all those varieties, there are only two ways in which honey is sold; raw and pasteurized. Raw honey is the least processed and essentially comes straight from the hive. It is also believed to have more antioxidant properties. As such, raw honey seems ‘cloudy’ in comparison to its pasteurized counterpart. Pasteurized honey is translucent and has gone through the process of pasteurization, or heating to help preserve. Unfortunately, pasteurized honey often has added sugars like corn syrup. This addition also does not have to be labeled here in the States. This is where a few tricks come into play to ensure you are getting the real thing rather than a watered-down version. For starters, as cute as those little plastic bears are, they mostly contain honey with added sugars. Buying local and raw is your best bet. In addition to sugars, these mass sold kinds of honey are blended with many others to produce ‘consistent’ color and flavor. If you have purchased honey and aren’t sure if it is real, you can take a glass of room temperature water and drizzle some honey into it. If upon hitting the water and sinking it starts to dissolve it is fake. If the honey sinks to the bottom intact in the drizzle shape it was dropped in it is in fact the real deal. You also may be wondering where all these labels like clover, manuka, and buckwheat come from, as well as why there are so many shades of honey. Well, both of these questions can be answered by the predominant type of flower nectar and pollen it is made from. Real honey also does not expire, and if it has crystalized it can simply be reheated to dissolve the crystals.
Honey & SCD:
Honey plays an important role in the SCD diet as the only natural sweetener choice. Just as with anything sweet, honey should be consumed in moderation, and be sure to never give honey to a child under the age of one. Even though it is a liquid, honey is extremely versatile in cooking and baking. It can sweeten anything from jam to cakes, and add rich depth to salmon glazes or squash. The next time you go to use honey, remember all of the work it took to be brought to you, and all the good things it can do for you, in addition to being a sweet treat! Want to check out some SCD recipes with honey? Try these!
Cranberry Orange Almond Flour Muffins, Mint and Rosemary Squash with Honey Drizzle, Pumpkin Pie with Almond Flour Crust, Acorn Squash, Mint, & Apple Salad with Candied Almond ‘Brittle’, Hot Apple Cider, Cranberry Relish, Gingerbread Cookies, Cranberry Orange Almond Biscotti, Beef & Broccoli, and so many more! Type honey into the search bar for more inspiration!
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