From Bee to Bottle to YOU
- Honey starts as flower nectar.
- Flower nectar is collected by bees. It is naturally broken down into simple sugars and then stored in honeycombs.
- The honey comb design combined with constant fanning by the bees’ wings causes evaporation, and ultimately creates the thicker, sweeter liquid: Honey!
- Honey color and flavor varies from hive to hive.
- Honey color and flavor varies based on the type of flower nectar that the bees collected.
- Honey is harvested by collecting honeycomb frames and then scraping off the wax cap that the bees have made to seal the honey within each cell.
- Honeycomb frames are placed in an extractor, a centrifuge that spins the frames and forces the honey out of the comb.
- The honey is spun to the sides of the extractor and then gradually falls to the bottom where it is collected.
- Extracted honey is then strained to remove remaining pieces of wax and other particles
- Sometimes the honey is heated to make it easier to strain.
- After straining, honey is bottled, labeled, and distributed.
- No matter what shape or material of the bottle, if the label says “Pure Honey,” it was obtained in exactly the same way!
Information from the National Honey Board (www.honey.com)
Storage and Usage Tips
- Honey can be used for several years after purchase.
- Store at room temperature for best taste.
- A natural crystallization process takes place over time, but the honey is still good to use.
- You place your honey jar in warm water and stir until the crystals dissolve, but be careful not to boil or scorch the honey.
- Be traditional: Use honey in tea or on toast.
- Be daring: Use honey in place of other sweeteners when baking or cooking.
Honey: Pure Energy
- Honey has a unique carbohydrate composition: Natural sugars and trace elements of antioxidants, enzymas, minerals, vitamins, and amino acids.
- 17 grams of carbohydrates per tbsp of honey.
- 64 calories per tbsp of honey.
- Honey is made up of approximately 17% water.
- Honey has benefits pre-exercise, during exercise, and post-exercise!
Mmm, Yummy!
- Combine honey with fruits and vegetables.
- Add honey to a bottle of water.
- Mix peanut butter and honey (Hello, PB & Honey sandwiches on whole wheat bread!)
- Combine honey with light cream cheese.
- Visit www.honey.com for more recipes.
Nature’s Beauty Secret
- Create a Soothing Honey Balancing Balm to help reduce lines and wrinkles caused by dry skin.
- Create Aloha Honey Hawaiin Delight to help balance some of the hyper pigmentation caused by sun damage and diminish fine lines.
- Create a Simply Sweet Honey Facial Scrub to exfoliate and moisturize.
- Create a Zesty Lemon Honey Mask to manage breakouts while moisturizing your skin.
I love honey. It’s delicious! I need to start using it more often. I can’t wait to make my own beauty products.
Honey is sugary sweet.
But nothing is sweeter than friendship! 
COMMENTS
2 Comments
1. Melinda
September 20th, 2010 10:55 AM
We get a honey here that is very good and local (from another island) and it is sold at our organic market. Honey has a lot of good benefits, but like everything else, moderation is important. Too much honey can add up fast in calories.
2. kim
September 20th, 2010 05:57 PM
Love this blog…so informative. I can’t wait to try the facial ideas. Hope it really works.