September is National Honey Month

Make the month of September extra special with the sweet taste of honey. It’s amazing what honeybees can produce and the science of making this honey is pretty amazing. In the United States, most of the honey is made in the spring and summer. It is bottled and promoted in September so we can use it in all our favorite recipes and making sure it’s plentiful for all the upcoming holidays.

Honey, which is nature’s original sweetener, is a natural source of energy and has many nutritional benefits. In addition to the natural sugar, honey contains a wide variety of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and amino acids. Eating honey regularly makes good nutritional sense.

For generations, honey has been used as a medicinal tonic for soothing sore throats. If a virus causes your sore throat, it may have to run it’s course and maybe with a doctor’s help. However, for just the simple irritated throat from singing or maybe talking too much, a teaspoon of honey can coat and soothe the pain. Try it in tea with a bit of lemon too.

There are about 300 varieties of honey in the United States. The mild tasting honey is lighter colored, while dark, deep colored honey is bolder in flavor. This is due to which nectar source (blossoms) are visited by the honeybees. Here are a few varieties you may have tried:



Alfalfa: Found in Utah, Nevada, Idaho, Oregon and many of the western states. Alfalfa is a legume with blue flowers. It’s a good table honey.



Avocado: This honey is gathered from California avocado blossoms. Avocado honey is dark and has a buttery flavor.



Clover: This is the most popular honey here in the United States. It has a mild and delicate flavor.



Eucalyptus: This honey varies in color and flavor, but tends to be bold-flavored with a slightly medicinal aftertaste.



Orange Blossom: This honey is often a combination of citrus and floral. It is mostly found in southern Florida, Texas, Arizona, and California. Orange Blossom honey has a distinctive flavor and the aroma of orange blossoms.



Tupelo: This honey is produced in the southeastern United States. It comes from the Tupelo trees with their clusters of greenish flowers and berrylike fruits. They are popular in Georgia and northern Florida. This honey is mild in flavor.


Source: http://www.honey.com



Experience the wonderful taste of honey in these recipes below:


Fruit & Honey Nuggets



You will need:

One-quarter cup dried pitted prunes

One-quarter cup dried apricots

One-quarter cup dried figs

One-quarter cup pitted dates

One-third cup wheat flakes cereal (which is one cup uncrushed)

One-quarter cup honey

One-half square unsweetened chocolate—melted

Non-stick vegetable oil cooking spray

Chopped nuts and/or coconut flakes for rolling



Soak the prunes and apricots in a bowl of boiling water for about 5 minutes. Drain. Put all the fruit through a food chopper and chop fine. Blend with the crushed cereal. Combine with honey and melted chocolate. Spray your hands with the non-stick vegetable oil spray and shape this mixture into one-inch balls. Roll in the chopped nuts and coconut. Chill in the refrigerator until ready to eat.



Makes about 20 nuggets.


Banana Honey Pops



You will need:

Four bananas, peeled

Eight wooden Popsicle sticks

One-half cup honey

One and one-third cups of toppings such as: toasted coconut, finely chopped nuts, graham cracker crumbs, chocolate candy sprinkles.



Cut the bananas in half crosswise and insert a craft stick into each cut end. Assemble these pops over waxed paper to catch any drips. Spread honey all over the banana and then roll it in a dish full of toppings. Place the finished pops onto a waxed paper lined cookie sheet and chill in the refrigerator till serving time.


Beehive Snacks



You will need:

One and one-half to two cups popped rice cereal

One-cup peanut butter

One-third cup honey

Empty Styrofoam egg carton

One-half cup raisins



Mix these ingredients together (it will be sticky). Grease your hands first and then press this mixture into the sections of the egg carton. The raisins can be placed on top (pressed in) to represent the bees. Chill in the freezer until firm and then pop out each beehive from the carton. Enjoy these fun snacks!


Sandwich Spread



You will need:

One apple; peeled, cored

One cup roasted peanuts

One-third cup honey

One tablespoon lemon juice

One-teaspoon cinnamon

Sandwich bread



Place the apple pieces, peanuts, honey, lemon juice, and cinnamon into a food processor. Pulse and process until the mixture is smooth and spreadable. Spread on bread to make a “yummy” tasting sandwich. For fun, cut bread into shapes with cookie cutters—these make small fancy sandwiches.


Honey Dip



One-half cup peanut butter

One-quarter cup honey



Mix these two ingredients together to make a delicious dip to use with carrot and celery sticks, and/or apple and pear slices.



NOTE: The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that raw honey not be given to infants under one year of age because of the rare possibility of being infected with the bacteria that causes botulism (Clostridium botulinum). Once a toddler reaches one year old, their digestive system is mature enough to kill any botulism germs. Also, be careful when using peanuts in your recipes as some children may be allergic. Always check with the parents.





Let’s Talk About It:



Which is your favorite honey flavor?

How do you use honey? In tea? Coffee? Recipes?

Have you ever used honey as a natural medicine? Tell us about it.

Did you know that honey could be used as a beauty spa treatment? Have you ever put honey on your face? In your bath?



We would love to hear your feedback and ideas about using honey. Feel free to add a comment below or go over to our child chat forum and start a post.



Tania

Associate Editor/ EverydayTLC