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For
centuries, man has pursued bees for their honey. Honey is one of the world's
best natural sweeteners. Honey, pollen and royal jelly are all prized for
their medicinal value. |
Many people believe
that honey helps to cure colds and coughs, ensures good health and even
slows down the ageing process. As one Roman saying goes: 'Madam, treat your
husband with honey, and you will possess his heart'. |
The Ancient Egyptians were probably the first people to keep bees and even
today many people keep bees as a hobby. It is not an expensive hobby. A bee
farm need not be large, but it must be surrounded by meadows and wild
flowers. Honey can be naturally flavoured. For example, if the nearby area
has lots of lavender bushes then the honey can take on the aroma of the
lavender. |
The
bees are kept in boxes called hives. The hives have removable frames inside
them. Inside each frame are honeycombs on which the honey is deposited. One
way of removing the honey is to remove the combs and to allow the honey to
drip from the combs. The process of removing the honey can be dangerous as
the bees can get very angry and attack the harvesters. |
A bee sting is very painful and can sometimes be lethal. To avoid stings,
the harvesters wear protective clothing and sometimes use smoke to deter the
bees.
There is a strict social order within the hive. The queen bee is the biggest
bee and lays the eggs. The drones are the males and their job is to
fertilise the eggs. The workers feed the queen, gather the pollen and
produce the honey. |
There are
many ways of using honey in cooking. Try using honey
instead of sugar in your cooking. As a delicious
alternative, use honey to sweeten fruits and yoghurt.
Meat dishes can be subtly flavoured with a little honey
added to the sauce, or honey can be used for basting a
roast chicken or duck. Herbal drinks can be sweetened
naturally with a little honey and can soothe a sore
throat at the same time. By using a little honey in your
cooking you may improve your health at the same time. |
Recipes
with Honey |
HONEY & LEMON DRESSING |
A salad dressing for
the weight conscious.
The dressing tastes wonderful with salads using
fruits. |
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Whisk the ingredients together with a fork and serve.
The dressing makes about 4 tablespoons (60ml) |
Hot Honey
Drinks |
HONEY & LEMON
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Make a hot honey drink
if you are not feeling well.
Put 1 tablespoon (5 ml) honey,
1 tablespoon (15 ml) lemon juice and a slice of lemon in a glass.
Place a metal spoon in the glass (to prevent the glass cracking when you add
the hot water) then pour in a quarter of a pint (150 ml) of boiling water.
Stir and serve. Some people add a little whisky or rum for taste. You can
also make this drink with a small orange instead of the lemon. |
HONEGAR |
Put 1 teaspoon (5 ml)
each of cider vinegar and honey into a glass. Place a metal spoon in the
glass and stir in a quarter of a pint (150 ml) of hot water until the honey
melts. |
CARROT,
APPLE, CELERY & HONEY JUICE |
Use a juice extractor
to make juice from celery, carrots and apples. Combine the juices in a large
jug, stir in the honey. Refrigerate before serving. The juice makes about 4
cups (1 litre). |
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