Honey has been beneficial to man for thousands of years. The Romans, early Greeks and Egyptians all used this marvelous natural product not only as a sweetener, but for many purposes, including antiseptic and offerings to their gods. Here’s what you can do with the multitalented honey.

Health Benefits of Honey

Today honey is used in kitchens all over the world, and its health benefits are now becoming more and more apparent. As a sore throat remedy or a topical dressing for minor burns and cuts, this miracle of nature gets better and better the more we learn.

Honey has long been used for digestive issues such as stomach ulcers and gastroenteritis. It has detoxification benefits, and it helps maintain a healthier immune system. Honey contains most B vitamins: B1, B2, B3, B5 and B6. Minerals such as potassium, magnesium, calcium, sulfur, iron and phosphate also are present in small quantities.

Many natural elements are found in honey, derived from the plants and flowers that bees get from the pollination process. These natural herbal elements can vary in quantity and type, depending on the location of the hives harvested and what plants and flowers they are pollinating. Honey is an excellent source of antioxidants and is widely known to aid prevention of heart disease and some forms of cancer because it has a lower calorie count than the same size serving as sugar — we get the energy without the weight gain. Honey possesses antimicrobial properties, preventing infection by destroying the bacteria around the wound.

Honey in the Kitchen

Other than spreading over toast, what can honey do in the kitchen to make our recipes even more flavorful and healthful? Other than the obvious uses, such as a spread for bagels, toast and English muffins, honey can be used in baking breads, cakes, pies and pastries. As a healthier and more nutritional sweetener than sugar, honey is ideal for recipes of all of the food groups.

As a flavor enhancer for almost any meat or poultry, honey is superb. Honey-glazed ham wouldn’t be the same without it. Honey based barbeque sauces are a classic way to bring out the flavors of beef, pork and chicken. In Asian dishes, it is great as the sweet component of sweet-and-sour combinations, or with teriyaki or an orange-based glaze.

It can be an interesting accent when combined with different varieties of cheese as well as yogurt and hot and cold cereals. Honey in fruit salad recipes or as a dip can bring a healthier, low-calorie appetizer to your table. Used as a topping for ice cream and drizzled over pies, honey is a winner.