The following information is shared in the spirit of promoting personal health and well-being. It goes without saying you should always do your own research and consult with your health care practitioner for any health concerns you may have.
HONEY! A gift from God: That is what our early ancestors believed honey was. Rock carvings in Valencia, Spain from 7000 B.C. show people harvesting honey with bees flying all around. Ancient civilizations did not know how bees made honey but understood its value as a food and medicine and revered its powers. In fact, Egyptians would sometimes embalm bodies in honey as they knew that they would not decompose!
Today we know a lot more about honey or ‘bee barf’, as my grandfather so bluntly described it to me decades ago! It is anti-microbial, anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, a gentle astringent, a sterile dressing, and a delicious ingredient for many syrups, drinks, sauces and spreads. Honey varieties are as diverse as the flowers around the world; however my favourite honeys to use are unpasteurized (raw) and harvested from our local region. Honey may not be ‘cheap’ but when you consider its many health and beauty benefits and uses I believe this ‘liquid gold’ is a steal at any price!
I use honey topically for a wide range of effects. It is a dressing for wounds, rashes, insect bites, scratches, acne, chapped lips etc. One of my favourite uses is as a face mask. Place a warm cloth over your face for a few minutes to soften your skin. Then take a spoonful of honey and slather it all over your face. Leave on for a few minutes and then rinse off with warm water. You won’t believe how it firms and brightens your skin and alleviates redness without leaving it feeling tight or dry. I especially love it when the honey jar is almost empty and the honey has started to crystallize in the bottom because then it becomes a fabulous facial scrub and mask.
Medicinally I use honey in so many ways in foods and teas. Many of you are probably familiar with the honey and lemon in hot water treatment for a variety of ailments. When my girls have a sore throat it is their ‘go-to gargle’ as they really dislike gargling with apple cider vinegar (see my article in the March 2017 edition of Backroads).
However my preferred medicinal honey is herbal honey because of its simplicity and effectiveness. You can use fresh, dried or powdered herbs and either heat the mixture very gently in a double boiler for immediate use or let it steep on a sunny window sill for a few days or weeks. I make all kinds of herbal honey but the following recipe is my hands-down, all-time favourite.
Garlic’d Honey
Peel garlic cloves and put them in a clean jar. Add honey slowly until the jar is full. This could take a couple of days depending on how thick the honey is. Place the jar in a sunny spot for up to a month until the garlic juices have been absorbed into the honey. You will know when this happens as the cloves become limp and opaque, and the honey has become runnier. Remove the garlic from the honey and start using.
Garlic’d honey will soothe a sore throat like nothing else. As a cough remedy take a spoonful every couple of hours as needed. Remember this is a powerful syrup and each spoonful can embody many garlic cloves, so you may want to dilute each dose with a bit of water- especially for children. Apply a bit on a cold sore, pimple or boil to soothe and heal. I love to use garlic’d honey for so many things even as a delicious baste for chicken!
There is an incredible amount of research about the power of honey. For those interested try ‘googling’ Manuka Honey and prepare to have your mind blown! Honey truly is one of nature’s most wonderful gifts!