Honey
has been holding a key place in food & medicinal products for long. This
organic and natural sweetener is widely adopted in cooking processes and used
in a number of food products like baked goods, marinades, beverages, and
more.
The
reference to honey has been dated long back in 5500 BCE and has been the most
reliable natural sweetener for man. Honey bees though are far older than
mentioned in the records and were making honey perhaps millions of years before
that. Until cane sugar came into existence in Southeast Asia, honey was the
major sweetening agent used as a natural sweetener in teas, cakes, jellies,
candies, etc.
Varieties of Honey –
There
are over 300 varieties of honey available all around the world. This
distinction in varieties is due to the flower from which the nectar is
collected by honey bees. The color, flavor & aroma of the honey varieties
differ from flower to flower. Some popular & loved varieties of honey are –
·
Buckwheat
honey
·
Linden
honey
·
Acacia
honey
·
Wildflower
honey
·
Oak
honey
·
White
honey
·
Black
Forest honey and many more.
What to Look for
Buying Best Quality Honey –
Most
of the honey available today is ultra-filtered to make it look more appealing.
It has become somewhat problematic to find unadulterated honey today. The best
way to shop for sustainable, pesticide-free honey is to choose a local &
genuine producer of honey. There are many different honey preparations done
before putting out the actual product in the market.
· Pasteurized honey – This type of honey is the most
commonly available honey preparation & is generally presented by removing
dust & pollens.
· Raw honey – This unfiltered & unpasteurized
honey offers wonderful health benefits and is light yellow in color. Being
cloudy in appearance, it is the most common type of liquid honey.
· Comb honey – This is the leftover honey in the
honeycomb. The comb is chewed to squeeze the honey & wax is spitted out.
· Creamed honey – This type of granulated honey
preparation is more spreadable than the normal liquid honey.
The Longevity of Honey
–
Honey
bees are indispensably significant as pollinators for some products of the soil
— here is an extensive rundown of food crops that are pollinated by honey bees
— thus any inescapable issues with honey bees may straightforwardly influence
our food supply. There are various environmental issues affecting honey bees
and nectar creation. First is state breakdown problem (CCD), a staggering honey
bee infection.
Large
honey bee makers use antibiotic medication to control sickness, and shockingly,
anti-microbial opposition has been found in honey bees. Further, in large scale
honey production, minimal honey is left for the honey bees to devour in the
colder time of year. All things considered, they are taken care of sugar or
high fructose corn syrup rehearses that may likewise add to the decrease in honey
bee states.
At
last, an unnatural weather change may significantly affect honey bees and
different pollinators, basically \"uncoupling\" the unpredictable and
minimal comprehended connection among honey bees and the blossoms that they
have developed to fertilize.
Honey Storage –
It
is usually stored in a cool & darker place and in original plastic or glass
jars to prevent crystallization. This is particularly one food that does not
spoil the composition.
Honey
has been used in a variety of ways as a natural organic sugar with no additives
that can be easily consumed on empty stomach. If stored correctly, honey has
almost an indefinite shelf life. If these wonderful little creatures would
disappear from the planet there would be a serious food shortage. To reverse
the impact of the declining honey bee population, Geohoney
is dedicated to following several practices that can save the life of bees
& our nature too!
I always use honey to make delicious desserts.