The Facts About Honey

Origins

The name "honey" comes from the Hebrew word meaning to "enchant". 

Honey has been used for many purposes over many millennium:

• as a culinary sweetener
• as a medicinal agent in healing internal and external ailments, having antibacterial properties
• for a diverse variety of nutritional and healthful benefits for both humans and animals

Honey can be consumed by the spoonful on its own or on a wide variety of food products such as crackers, bread, cereals, ice cream, yogurt, etc. or diluted in beverages such as tea and coffee or wherever sweeteners are used.  There are a wide variety of recipes that call for honey or where honey can be substituted as a sweetener.

Historically honey goes back 150 million years and is most recently documented within Egyptian hieroglyphics for reasons of health, ritual, nutrition and sacred reverence.  It appears in the Hittite code.  In India it is written in the sacred writings of the Vedas.  Egyptians valued honey as it was used as a tribute and/or payment, as well as being fed to sacred animals and used in ceremony.

Storage

Pure honey is one of the unique substances that doesn't go bad if not contaminated.  Honey is best stored in a cool, dry place.

Honey which has gone hard can be restored by simply taking a knife and kneading the honey until it is soft and creamy again.

Never heat honey above 140 degrees farenheight as the higher temperatures will destroy the flavour and colour of the honey, not to mention it will destroy the active and healthy enzymes.

Chemistry

The simple components of honey are fructose and glucose (sugars), water, pollen, organic acids and various proteins.  The food chemists define honey as the nectar and saccharine exudations of plants gathered, modified and stored in the beecomb of the honeybees.

Flavour

The flavour of honey depends on which plant flower the bee gathers the nectar from. Two of the most common honey flavours are clover and buckwheat.

Sugar Content

Honey is more fattening than sugar.  However, the natural enzymes and health benefits of consuming honey far exceed those of sugar or sugar substitutes.

1 tablespoon of honey = 64 calories
1 tablespoon of sugar = 46 calories

Environmental Concerns

Pure and natural honey for health benefits should be sourced from beekeepers who DO NOT feed their bees refined sugars or who use harmful pesticides.  The most harmful pesticide used by beekeepers is for mite control which is applied at the hive.

All honeys may contain minute traces of residue from industrial emissions, car exhaust and agricultural chemicals.  Certified Organic Honey will come from beekeepers located in remote areas that are far from industrial emissions, roadside toxins, and agricultural chemicals.  Organic beekeepers will usually manage large acreages of pesticide free landscape ensuring the purity of the honey and pollens collected by the bees.

Special Note:  Bees are naturally environmentally friendly!  Honey should naturally contain only minute traces of residue from industrial emissions, car exhaust and agricultural chemicals.  Why?  Because these wonderful little bees act like biological filtering agents.  A bee will die first when they come in contact with environmental toxins before they bring anything back to the hive.  These little bees sacrifice their lives for our health!

Caution:

DO NOT give unpasteurized honey to infants.

Honey contains a type of bacteria called Clostridium botulinum that is harmless to older children and adults but can be dangerous to babies under 1 year old.  Clostridium botulinum spores are naturally present throughout the environment and may be found in dust, soil and improperly canned foods.  Infants with environmental sensitivities will be most affected.  Adults and older children will have natural immunities.

Sources:
www.brownielocks.com/honey.html

Pheylonian Honey is Certified Organic - What does that mean?

Simply stated, organic produce and other ingredients are grown without the use of pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, sewage sludge, genetically modified organisms, or ionizing radiation. Animals that produce meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products do not take antibiotics or growth hormones.

The USDA National Organic Program (NOP) defines organic as follows:

"Organic food is produced by farmers who emphasize the use of renewable resources and the conservation of soil and water to enhance environmental quality for future generations. Organic meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products come from animals that are given no antibiotics or growth hormones. Organic food is produced without using most conventional pesticides; fertilizers made with synthetic ingredients or sewage sludge; bioengineering; or ionizing radiation. Before a product can be labeled "organic," a Government-approved certifier inspects the farm where the food is grown to make sure the farmer is following all the rules necessary to meet USDA organic standards. Companies that handle or process organic food before it gets to your local supermarket or restaurant must be certified, too."

Source:  www.organic.org