1. What is the shelf life of honey?
Honey stored in sealed containers can remain stable for decades and even centuries. However, honey is susceptible to physical and chemical changes during storage; it tends to darken and lose its aroma and flavor. For practical purposes, a shelf-life of two years is stated.
2. How mush “sugar” does a tablespoon of honey contain?
One tablespoon of honey weighs 21 grs. of which approximately 17 grs. are carbohydrates. The total sugar content is the sum of all mono-, di- and oligosaccharides.
3. What is the relationship between the color and flavor of honey?
Lighter honeys have a milder flavor and darker honeys have a more robust flavor. There are few exceptions though, for example, basswood honey is light in color but strong in flavor and tulip honey is dark-colored but mild tasting. |
| 1. NHB Membership in Emirates Culinary Guild
The National Honey Board became a corporate member in the Emirates Culinary Guild (ECG) in April 2009. NHB was granted on July 4, 2009 a membership certificate and an ECG member ribbon by the president of the ECG Chef Uwe Micheel.
2. U.S. Honey Culinary Chef Initiative Workshops
On Jul 4 and 5, 2009, the National Honey Board (NHB) sponsored two days hands-on culinary chef initiative workshops in Dubai - United Arab Emirates (UAE), at the Radisson BLU Hotel, in collaboration with the Emirates Culinary and the U.S. Agricultural Trade Office – U.S. Consulate in Dubai
During the activity, chefs participated in live cooking and hands-on experimentation.
Guests representing local suppliers of U.S. honey and the U.S. Agricultural Trade Office staff in Dubai joined the chefs for an exquisite lunch where freshly prepared dishes based on U.S. honey were offered to the guests for tasting. During the lunch, chefs explained to their guests the cooking properties and quality aspects that make the numerous natural types of U.S. honey so unique and versatile. |
U.S. Honey: Enhances Calcium Absorption
Honey is very likely the world's most ancient sweetener and has been in use across the millennia. There are more than 300 different types of U.S. honey, each with a distinct flavor and color profile influenced by the types of blossoms the bees visit when searching for nectar. U.S. honey has long been appreciated for its quality, unique taste and variety.
Honey is primarily composed of the two monosaccharides or simple sugars: fructose (about 38.5 percent) and glucose (about 31 percent). It also contains water (17.1%) as well as other sugars, trace enzymes, minerals, vitamins and amino acids.
Honey’s nutritional and medicinal power has been rediscovered in the past few years. One research shows that honey enhances calcium intake in the body noting that the absorption of calcium increases as the amount of honey increases. Calcium intake is directly related to reducing the likelihood of developing bone disorders such as osteoporosis or low bone mass. Of course, more important than consuming the adequate amount of calcium is the ability to absorb it. And this is where foods like honey play the vital role. |
| U.S. Honey Antioxidant Power and Energy Boosting Properties
Honey has always been considered a powerful food that boosts energy and supports overall good health and vitality.
U.S. Honey: An Energy Booster
Throughout history and across cultures, honey has been recognized as a natural energy booster for athletes of all kinds. In fact, studies have proven that athletes who took some honey before and after competing recovered more quickly than those who did not. Why? Because honey has a complex composition: 38% fructose, 31% glucose, 17% water and 2% sucrose. As a result of this composition, honey supplies 2 stages of energy. Glucose is absorbed by the body quickly and gives an immediate energy boost, while Fructose is absorbed more slowly providing sustained energy.
U.S. Honey’s Antioxidant Power:
Honey contains several “antioxidant” which are compounds that help to inhibit or neutralize the effects of cell-damaging organisms known as “free radicals”. In humans, oxidative stress is implicated in an ever growing number of chronic diseases including cardiovascular disease and cancer. Thus, increasing the body's antioxidant content may help protect against cellular damage and the development of chronic diseases. Research indicates that honey contains numerous phenolic and non-phenolic antioxidants, the amount and type of which depends largely upon the floral source of the honey. Darker honeys are generally higher in antioxidant content than lighter honeys. |
| U.S. Saw Palmetto Honey Benefits
More than 300 unique types of honey are available in the United States. Originating from different floral sources, each type of honey develops a color and flavor that characterizes it and makes it special. Most common honeys are Alfalfa, Basswood, Buckwheat, Sage, Clover, Eucalyptus, Orange Blossom, Tulip Poplar and Tupelo. One remarkable variety is the Saw Palmetto, which has been found to possess powerful medicinal and curative properties.
Palmetto honey is a rich yellow variety with a mild, pleasant flavor. It used to be blended with another type of honey to produce tropical wild honey whereas it is now available as a separate variety. Bees gather nectar and pollinate the long palmetto bloom stalks in early summer. When palmetto berries develop, they are harvested and saw palmetto extract is produced.
The Saw Palmetto honey is coveted for its high content of fatty acids (85% to 98%) and sterols, which are proven to help maintain a healthy hormone balance that encourages prostate health. It has been used for over 100 years to help tone and nourish the male reproductive system, maintain a healthy prostate and promote comfortable urination. |
Charbroiled U.S. Honey Marinated Chicken Breast
Ingredients:
4 chicken breasts, slit on top
¼ cup U.S. honey
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. garlic, minced
1 tbsp. mustard
1 tsp. tomato sauce
½ tsp. peppercorn, crushed
Salt to taste
Boiled asparagus and baby potatoes to serve
Celery leaves and cherry tomatoes to garnish
Method of Preparation:
Place chicken breasts in a shallow glass dish. Add U.S. honey, olive oil, garlic, mustard, tomato sauce, peppercorn and salt. Mix ingredients, turning the chicken until well coated with honey marinade. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Grill honey-marinated chicken breasts over hot coals until cooked through to desired doneness. Serve with boiled asparagus and baby potatoes. Garnish with celery leaves and cherry tomatoes.
Serves 4 |
U.S. Honey-Chocolate Fondue
Ingredients:
¼ cup U.S. honey
¼ cup milk
¼ cup cream
¼ cup pistachio nuts, toasted and coarsely chopped
8 chocolate bars, broken into pieces
1 tsp. vanilla
Colored candy to sprinkle
Fruit slices, cake and crackers to serve
Mint leaves to garnish
Method of Preparation:
Heat U.S. honey with milk, cream and vanilla in a fondue dish, stirring constantly. Add chocolate and stir until it melts. Gently stir in colored candy and pistachio nuts. Serve honey chocolate fondue with fruit slices, cake and crackers. Garnish with mint leaves.
Serves 4 |
U.S. Honey Vegetable-Rice Soup
Ingredients:
6 cups chicken stock
½ cup rice
½ cup celery, chopped
½ cup green peas
½ cup carrots, diced
½ cup red sweet pepper, diced
½ tsp. curry powder
2 tbsps. U.S. honey
Salt and pepper to taste
Parsley leaves to garnish
Method of Preparation:
Bring chicken stock to a boil in a large pot over medium heat. Add rice, stir once and bring to a boil. Add carrots, lower heat and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add celery, green peas, sweet pepper, U.S. honey, curry powder, salt and pepper. Stir and cook for 10 more minutes or until vegetables are tender. Serve soup warm. Garnish with parsley leaves.
Serves 4 |
U.S. Honey Colored “Nog”
Ingredients:
2 cups milk
2 cups light cream
½ cup U.S. honey
2 eggs
1 ½ tsps. cinnamon
½ tsp. bitter orange flower water
Few drops of food coloring as desired
Biscuits, as desired, to serve
Cinnamon sticks and candied cherries to garnish
Method of Preparation:
Place U.S. honey and eggs in a blender. Whip until frothy. Add milk, light cream, cinnamon, orange flower water and food coloring. Whip until well blended.
Pour honeyed “nogs” into glasses. Chill and serve with biscuits. Garnish with cinnamon sticks and candied cherries.
Serves 4 |
The Bee’s Life:
Honey bees, like any other insects, pass through 4 life stages: the egg, larva, pupa and adult. The queen bee inserts her abdomen into an empty cell and lays a tiny egg. After 3 days, a wormlike larva hatches from the egg. The larva is fed by worker bees and grows larger. On day 10, the larva spins a silk covering called a cocoon around itself. Inside this cocoon, a pupa develops and begins to grow eyes, legs and wings. Finally, an adult bee chews its way out of the cell.
Who lives in a Beehive?
Honeybees are social insects and live in groups called colonies. Within each colony are 3 types of honey bees: a queen, worker bees and drones. The queen bee is the largest of the honey bees and has a stinger that she uses to fight off other queens. Worker bees are the smallest of all bees and are all females. They perform all the work inside the hive: cleaning, guarding, nursing and feeding larvae, building wax cells and making honey. They have a stinger but when they use it their internal organs are pulled out and they die. Drones are the male members of the hive. They are fed by worker bees and they do not have stingers. Drone’s only purpose is to mate with the queen.
Why do honeybees dance?
Honeybees communicate with each other by dancing. After the bee has found food, she tells the other bees by dancing on the honeycomb. The most common bee dances are the round dance and the waggle dance.
How do bees make honey?
Honey is produced from the nectar of flowers. Worker bees transform the floral nectar that they gather into honey by adding enzymes to the nectar and reducing the moisture. The honey is then stored in the wax cells of the hive (honeycomb).
Honey is good for you...!
. Honey contains vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and amino acids...which are all nutrients that are important for strong health.
. Honey provides you with energy and gives you strength especially during exercise and sports.
. Honey is sweeter than sugar and it’s all natural. |
