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HONEY FACTS
History of Honey
Honey Tips and Hints
Honey and Babies
History of Honey
Honey is as old as written history, dating back to 2100 B.C. where it was
mentioned in Sumerian and Babylonian cuneiform writings, the Hittite code, and
the sacred writings of India and Egypt; and it is presumably even older than
that. Its name comes from the English hunig, and it was the first and most
widespread sweetener used by man.
Legend has it that Cupid dipped his love arrows in honey before aiming at
unsuspecting lovers. In the Old Testament of the Bible, Israel was often
referred to as "the land of milk and honey." Honey was valued highly and often
used as a form of currency, tribute, or offering. Mead, an alcoholic drink made
from honey was called "nectar of the gods," high praise indeed. In the 11th
century A.D., German peasants paid their feudal lords in honey and beeswax.
Although experts argue whether the honeybee is native to the Americas,
conquering Spaniards in 1600 A.D. found native Mexicans and Central Americans
had already developed beekeeping methods to produce honey. In days of old, honey
has been used not only in food and beverages, but also to make cement, in
furniture polishes and varnishes, and for medicinal purposes. And, of course,
bees perform the vital service of pollinating fruits, legumes, vegetables and
other types of food-producing plants in their business of honey production.
Honey Tips and Hints
It's very easy to substitute honey for sugar in your recipes. Honey is up to
twice as sweet as table sugar, so you will need to reduce the amount called for
in the recipe by one-third to one-half honey for granulated or table sugar.
Also, since honey is composed of up to 18% water, you will need to reduce the
liquid called for in baked goods by about one-fifth. When baking sweets, you
should also lower your oven temperature by 15 degrees C.(25 degrees F.).
To help accurately measure, know that a 250g container of honey will equal a
one-cup measure. And, to help that honey slide smoothly from your measuring
utensils, simply lightly coat the utensil with cooking oil before
measuring the honey. Unless the recipe calls for sour milk or cream, some cooks
add the merest pinch of baking soda to the recipes of baked goods to counteract
the slight acidity of the honey which may cause overbrowning.
Since it has the ability to absorb and retain moisture, honey is used in the
industry to keep baked goods moist and fresh. Use honey in baked goods you plan
to mail to keep them bakery-fresh. Honey is also an excellent choice to use in
salad dressings, since its emusifying qualities make it a perfect stabilizer.
Random Honey Facts
●
Honey is a natural energy restorer. Need a quick boost? Try a teaspoon of honey
in warm water. This will not only restore your energy, but it will help your
digestive track too!
●
Honey is one of the earliest forms of saccharine substances known to man.
● The colours of honey comes from the nectar of the
plants. The lightest colours of honey have the mildest flavours, while the
darker colours have fuller flavours.
● Did you know honey bees must tap over two
million flowers to make 500 grams of honey, flying a distance equal to more than three
times around the world?
●
The average worker bee will make only one-twelfth of a teaspoon of honey during
its lifetime.
Honey and Babies
Honey is not recommended for babies under one
year of age. Although honey is a natural, healthy food that normally cannot
support bacterial life, it's important to note that it can carry C. botulinum
spores which may be harmful to the undeveloped immune systems of infants.
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