May 9, 2002

Prairie Fare: Busy as a Bee

By Julie Garden-Robinson, Food and Nutrition Specialist
NDSU Extension Service

Some of us claim to be pretty busy. But we’re all slackers compared to honey bees.

Imagine yourself as a bee. To make a pound of honey, you’d need to gather all your winged friends, fly over 50,000 miles and collect nectar from a couple million flowers. And I don’t think you’d collect any frequent flyer miles.

The use of honey for food dates back to ancient times. Over the years, honey has been used as a method of payment, as a component of cement and furniture polish and, of course, as a sweetener.

Nutritionally honey is fairly complex. It’s mainly made up of carbohydrates like glucose and fructose, but it also contains small amounts of B vitamins and minerals, including copper, iron, manganese, potassium and zinc. A tablespoon of honey contains 64 calories and no fat.

We’re all born with a liking for sweet foods. Adults often enjoy honey in their tea and children may like the sweetness of honey in yogurt or fruit smoothies. Infants under age one, however, should never be fed honey because cases of infant botulism have been linked to the practice. Honey can contain inactive bacterial spores, which the infant’s immature digestive system cannot tolerate. Infant botulism could result in death without proper medical attention.

More than 300 unique kinds of honey are available. Depending on the bee’s choice of "floral restaurant," the resulting honey will have a unique flavor. Some common honey varieties include clover, orange blossom and alfalfa honey. In general, darker honey is more strongly flavored than light-colored honey.

Honey comes in different forms. Most people are familiar with liquid honey, which is separated from the honey comb by straining or some other method. "Comb honey" is sold with its edible comb intact, while "cut honey" includes parts of the comb. "Whipped honey" or "spun honey" can be readily spread.

If you’d like to incorporate honey in cooking or baking, there are some modifications that may be needed in your recipes. It’s easiest to use recipes that were specifically designed for honey. If you choose to experiment with baked goods, liquid should be reduced by one-fourth cup for every cup of honey used in place of sugar and one-half teaspoon of baking soda should be added for every cup of honey used. The sugars in honey promote browning, so the oven temperature should be reduced by 25 degrees.

If you’ve ever stored honey in the refrigerator, you may have found a solid crystalline mass awaiting you. It’s best to store honey in the cupboard. You can rejuvenate honey in a microwave oven, stirring regularly, but be cautious about over-heating. Or you can place the container of honey in a container of warm water, stirring until the crystals dissolve.

Here’s a recipe from , just in time for the grilling season.

Honey Barbecue Sauce

1/2 c. minced onion
1 clove minced garlic
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 can tomato sauce
1/2 c. honey
2 Tbsp. vinegar
2 Tbsp. minced parsley
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

Saute onion and garlic in oil until softened. Add remaining ingredients and bring mixture to boil; reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes. Sauce can be used to marinate chicken, beef or pork or it can be brushed on during grilling.

Makes 1 cup or about 16 servings. Each 1 tablespoon serving contains 46 calories, 0.8 grams fat and 11 grams carbohydrates.

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Source: Julie Garden-Robinson, (701) 231-7187, jgardenr@ndsuext.nodak.edu
Editor: Tom Jirik, (701) 231-9629, tjirik@ndsuext.nodak.edu