How to Use Honey in the Kitchen & Benefit from Its Powerful Nutrients

It’s not difficult to find uses for honey in your kitchen. It’s an obvious substitute for sugar in tea and other hot or cold drinks. There’s no such thing as sugar nutrition, but there is such a thing as honey nutrition. Yes, used in moderation, this syrupy liquid is good for you!

You can bake with honey, too, but you will have to adjust your recipe, as the honey may cause foods to brown more quickly. A good formula is to reduce the oven temperature by about 25° and use one quarter cup less liquid in your recipe. About one half cup of honey equals a cup of sugar.

Don’t keep honey in the fridge, since the cold will cause it to crystallize. If the honey does crystallize, put the container in a bowl of warm water and the crystals will dissolve. Avoid heating honey in the microwave because this can alter the taste.

Suggestions for Using Honey

• Add a tablespoon to smoothies and shakes.
• A super after-school snack is a sliced apple or pear drizzled with honey and sprinkled with cinnamon.
• Some fruit-on-the-bottom yogurts have quite a lot of sugar. Make your own version by adding a bit of honey and some fresh fruit to nonfat or low- fat plain yogurt.
• Make a honey-mustard salad dressing by mixing a few tablespoons each of honey with Dijon mustard, a drizzle of lemon juice, and about a quarter cup of extra virgin olive oil. Delicious served on peppery greens like arugula.
• A great way to start the morning: Steep 2 green tea bags in 3 ounces hot water for 3 minutes. Squeeze the tea bags into the water and add 1 teaspoon honey plus 4 to 5 ounces silk vanilla soymilk. Stir and enjoy.
• Toast a slice whole-grain bread and spread with natural peanut butter,
dark honey, and a sprinkle of cinnamon.