Local Honey

Photo: Micha Szota / Istock

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Think about all those bee hours the next time you stir a little local honey in your tea. In search of nectar used for honey making, these industrious honey bees pollinate numerous fruit and vegetables such as blueberries, avocados, almonds, tomatoes, zucchini, cranberries, cucumbers, sunflowers, and even herbs. And the next time you enjoy that handful of sweet summer cherries, you may want to give an appreciative nod to the noble honey bee too.

Check out the full list of plants (flowers, fruits, and vegetables) a honey bee's golden touch is responsible for courtesy of The Daily Green's blogging beekeeper, Kim Flottum.

Lovin' Spoonful Honey has been touted for its healing properties as well as for its positive nutritional profile. It's also considered an effective antimicrobial agent and may actually be used to treat minor skin injuries and prevent scarring. It's a wonder our mothers didn't come running for us with a honey squeeze bear every time we scraped a knee or elbow as a kid. As far as sweeteners go, honey actually contains small amounts of B vitamins, minerals such as copper, calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium and zinc as well as antioxidants and amino acids — a claim no other sweetener can make. Antioxidant content isn't as high as many of the foods we consume, like kale for instance, but it does serve a necessary dietary antioxidant need.

If you're looking for a quick carb boost before exercising (honey is primarily made up of carbohydrates and water), a bit of honey might be the way to go. Data from the University of Memphis Sports and Nutrition Lab suggests "honey is as effective as glucose for carbohydrate replacement during endurance exercise." Eating honey before exercising? We're all over it like honey on a biscuit — a whole wheat biscuit that is.

And, given its decent nutrient make up, instead of taking a spoonful of sugar to help make that medicine go down, it might be more beneficial to make it a spoonful of liquid honey on its own for that allergy-induced scratchy throat or cough you may be experiencing these days. Although there's no scientific proof to support the notion that ingestion of trace amounts of local pollen in honey can help alleviate allergies, many swear by a daily dose of local honey to help reduce their allergy symptoms. The quality of local honey comes down to the care from the beekeeper. When you buy from a local beekeeper, you can be pretty sure that the honey produced was done so using traditional and ethical methods and that there was minimal stress to the honey bees.

So support your local beekeeper (and your local bees) and buy local honey. If you're having trouble sourcing locally produced honey after visiting your usual markets and state fairs, check out www.localharvest.com for an extensive list of local honey sources or try www.honeylocator.com.

A Taste of Honey Although great slathered on warm biscuits or scones, honey lends its unique flavor characteristics to many dishes you may not have thought of. Here are a few ideas that stray from the expected:

• Stir honey into fruit salsas and add to your favorite fruit smoothie.
• Melt with some butter and drizzle over tender cooked carrots, asparagus or braised endive.
• Drizzle a teaspoon into a cream soup or over a simple bread pudding to add an extra touch of complex sweetness.
• Honey makes an ideal glaze for fish like wild Pacific salmon and adds extra flavor to homemade barbecue sauces.
• Forgo the hot fudge and drizzle over ice cream to create a simple and refreshing dessert that shouts summertime.

Food Editor's Tips for Cooking with Honey: Having honey on hand is not only a great way to keep your pantry fresh and green (by replacing other refined sweeteners), it's also one of the most versatile ingredients you'll find for cooking and baking.

• On average, honey is 1 to 1 1/2 times sweeter than sugar. So when cooking with honey instead of refined sugar, it's best to substitute it for up to half of the sugar called for in the recipe you're making.
• When baking with honey, use about 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda for each cup of honey used.
• Reduce the liquid in your recipe by 1/4 cup for each cup of honey used.
• Reduce your oven temperature by 25 degrees Fahrenheit to prevent over-browning.

Trick of the Honey Trade: For easy measuring and clean up, coat your measuring utensils with vegetable cooking spray before adding the honey.

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