The honeycomb itself is made of wax produced by younger bees and molded into hexagonal-shaped cells strong enough to hold the honey. As the worker bees unload the nectar into the cells, they fan it with their wings to help evaporate moisture so it becomes even thicker, stickier, and more resistant to spoilage. The bees then seal the honeycomb cells with more wax to protect the honey during storage. (1,2,4) Beekeepers use various methods to squeeze or otherwise extract honey from the honeycomb. Some methods drain the honey while preserving the wax comb so it can be used again, while others melt or otherwise manipulate the wax to remove and separate out the raw honey. (1) Small-scale beekeepers usually stop here and sell honey in its raw state, but most mass producers of honey sold in supermarkets take the process a step further, buying up big batches of honey and then diluting, heating, and filtering the raw product to remove pollen and other naturally occurring substances. (5) You can substitute your favorite honey for sugar in almost any dish or drink. Because honey is sweeter than sugar, you’ll probably want to use less. Honey is also considered a liquid, so you may need to make adjustments to some of your recipes.
Substitute about ½ cup honey for 2⁄3 cup white sugar (the stronger the flavor, the less honey you need).Reduce the liquid called for in the recipe by ¼ cup for every 1 cup sugar replaced.For every ½ cup honey you use, add 1⁄8 teaspoon baking soda along with the other dry ingredients (unless the recipe already calls for baking soda, then there’s no need to add more).Reduce the oven temperature by 25 degrees Fahrenheit to avoid too much browning.
But honey is mostly a combination of glucose and fructose — some of the same sugary substances that make up white sugar (though in varying proportions) — as well as other liquid sweeteners from natural sources, such as agave and maple syrup. (10,11) Compared with granulated sugar, honey is sweeter, higher in calories, and higher in carbs and total sugars. One tablespoon (tbsp) honey, equal to 21 grams (g), provides about 64 calories and 17 g carbohydrates (16 to 17 g from sugar); while 1 tbsp granulated sugar provides 49 calories and 13 g carbohydrates (13 g from sugar). (12) Honey’s natural antibacterial qualities are well known. In the hive, as the original nectar dehydrates and is converted into what we know as honey, small amounts of antiseptic hydrogen peroxide are produced. (13) Because hydrogen peroxide has antibacterial qualities, honey has traditionally been used as a topical medication and is currently used to promote healing and prevent infection in skin wounds, burns, and ulcerations, including surgical wounds, pressure sores, diabetic foot ulcers, and various types of leg ulcers. When modern antibiotics were developed, medicinal use of honey fell out of favor. But with the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in recent decades, researchers are looking anew at honey’s antibacterial qualities. Because bacteria do not generally seem to develop resistance to honey, it has therapeutic potential for use as a broad-spectrum antibiotic (one that can treat different types of infections). Just be sure to follow your doctor’s orders. This potential benefit doesn’t trump the known benefits of modern medicine. Honey is the subject of ongoing research as a potential ingredient in supplements and medications that could be used to treat a wide range of health issues, including asthma, gum disease, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, diarrhea, fungal infections, inflammation, internal and external ulcerations, viruses, and even certain types of cancer. (9) Because most experiments to date have been performed on laboratory animals and in petri dishes, using specially prepared, medical-grade honey, it’s not yet clear if or exactly how honey can be used successfully by people for most of these conditions. If future research confirms honey’s effectiveness in humans, scientists will also need to determine which types of honey are potent enough to have a medicinal effect and, when taken orally, how much honey is effective for different conditions. (14) Traditional Indian Ayurveda medicine, sometimes incorporated into alternative and complementary medical practices in the United States and other Western countries, finds many uses for honey as a home remedy. These include mixing 2 parts lime juice with 1 part honey to use as a gargle for sore throats, and mixing an equal amount of honey and ginger juice for use as a cough syrup. For children, a 2018 review of studies showed that honey probably relieves cough symptoms to a greater extent than no treatment, diphenhydramine (Benadryl), and placebo, but it may make little or no difference compared to dextromethorphan (Delsym). However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says honey should never be given to babies under 12 months of age due to the risk of botulism. Ayurveda practitioners may have been among the first to use honey as a topical remedy for burns, cuts, and various forms of dermatitis and eczema. And if you partied a little too hard last night, Ayurveda medicine also recommends stirring about 2 teaspoons (tsp) honey and ½ cup plain yogurt into ½ cup orange juice as a hangover remedy. (1,18) If you are trying to lose weight, have high blood sugar (hyperglycemia) or diabetes, or are watching your carb intake for any reason, take your honey in small doses if at all. In fact, if you have any blood sugar issues, speak with your doctor or dietitian about incorporating honey into your diet. Although animal studies have shown that honey can lower both blood sugar and blood fats (triglycerides) and increase the amount of insulin released into the bloodstream, these benefits occurred while using honey in combination with diabetes medications and have yet to be confirmed in humans. (20) Although rare, there have also been reports of allergic reactions ranging from rashes and hives to life-threatening anaphylactic shock from both topically applied and ingested honey. Take extra care if you know you are allergic to bees or pollen. Honey is a known allergen, and those with an allergy to it should take extra caution. (21,22) The same substances that give honey its medicinal qualities also make it shelf-stable and resistant to spoilage. In fact, as long as it’s tightly covered to keep out humidity, and no liquid is added, you can store honey indefinitely at room temperature. It may thicken and crystallize over time, but that’s not a sign of spoilage. (23,24) Q: Is there any benefit to buying honey from a beekeeper rather than from a supermarket? A: If you buy from a beekeeper, the honey that comes to your table is likely to be harvested pretty much straight from a hive, with nothing added or removed. But honey products purchased from a supermarket or grocery chain, even those labeled “pure honey,” may be highly filtered, and some may even be diluted with less expensive sweeteners like corn syrup. (5) Filtering removes beneficial pollens and other natural ingredients that are thought to contribute to its healing power and also help identify its source, when necessary. While the brand name may be familiar, there’s no way for you to tell where ultrafiltered commercial honey actually came from. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued nonbinding recommendations for honey production, packaging, and labeling, but products are not strictly regulated, nor are the FDA’s rules necessarily enforced; they are simply presented as guidelines for the industry. (25) To be sure you’re getting the real thing, it’s best to buy raw honey from a locally known and respected beekeeper. You’ll also have the pleasure of knowing that you’re supporting a local industry. Q: Is it true that honey is actually bee vomit? A: Technically, no, and it’s not a form of bee poop either (another common misconception). As bees buzz around, collecting nectar that ultimately becomes honey, they carry it in their crop, or “honey stomach,” an expandable, pouchlike organ separate from their regular stomach. From there, the nectar is transferred to worker bees back at the hive that have been busy building honey storage cells. These worker bees chew on the nectar to eliminate some of the liquid, and then deposit it into the cells of their hive. It is correct to say, however, that nectar is regurgitated from the collector bee’s crop or the worker bee’s mouth parts to transfer honey from bee to bee and make these deposits into the hive. (1)
