September is National Honey month

Posted By Timber.


Honey Guide

By: Allrecipes Staff

From deep-flavored buckwheat honey to delicate linden honey, this golden nectar is rightly prized around the world. The word itself is derived from an Indo-European term meaning "yellow."
Savory Honey Recipes

There are hundreds of distinct types of honey around the world, from New Zealand's manuka honey (thought to contain beneficial bacteria that help ward off infection) to Sundarbans honey, gathered from the mangrove forests of Bangladesh. Most cooks can find what they need at the local supermarket, although farmers' markets will offer more variety.

Types of Honey

Honey can be mild or spicy, buttery, fruity, herbal, or woodsy, depending on the source of the nectar. The general rule is: the darker the color, the stronger the flavor.

* Clover honey--the most common type--is light and neutral. It will sweeten, but not dominate, a recipe.
* Orange blossom honey is also a good, light floral choice to use in recipes.
* Buckwheat honey has a bold, musky flavor (think of buckwheat pancakes).
* Linden honey is characterized by its herbal and aromatic notes.

Honeycomb is fun as a novelty--try spreading it on toast--but it's not useful in recipes. Honey butters and creams are generally in a crystallized and semi-solid form; they're best used as spreads, as they tend to be more expensive than liquid honey.


* Honey Butter
* Cinnamon Honey Butter
* Honey and Feta Spread

Honey Recipes

Honey is a wonderful ingredient in many sweet and savory applications--as well as in beer and fermented as wine (mead).

Honey can also be infused with herbs such as rosemary, thyme or sage. These flavored honeys are especially nice for glazing meats.


* Lithuanian Krupnikas (Honey Liqueur)

Baking with Honey

For people trying to cut refined and processed foods out of their diets, honey is the original all-natural and unprocessed sweetener. And, since it's sweeter than white sugar, you can use less of it when baking:

* Use ¾ cup plus 1 tablespoon of honey for every cup of sugar
* Decrease the liquid in the recipe by ¼ cup
* Add ½ teaspoon of baking soda for every cup of honey
* Reduce your oven temperature by 25 degrees

Another reason honey is great to use when baking is because it's hygroscopic (water-attracting): it absorbs moisture from the air, keeping your baked goods moist and delicious for days.


* Baking with Sugar and Sugar Substitutes

Storage and Safety

Honey is relatively shelf-stable, but it should be stored in an air-tight jar. Heat will cause it to degrade over time, so you may wish to store your honey in the refrigerator if you don't eat it very often. If your honey has crystallized, gently heat it in a pan of simmering water (or uncap the jar and microwave on medium power until fluid, checking every 30 seconds) to restore its consistency.

Note: Never give honey to children younger than one year old. Honey may contain trace amounts of botulism spores. While these spores are harmless to most people, immature digestive systems are susceptible; infants can develop breathing problems or paralysis. (Pasteurization or cooking will not destroy the spores.)
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