They say a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down, but with honey you may not even need the medicine. For centuries honey has been used to alleviate some symptoms of the common cold, including being a natural cough suppressant. It may also help relieve some seasonal allergies, provide comfort for burns and can strengthen the immune system.
Sweet benefits aside, honey is a must-have ingredient in your kitchen. And living in Wisconsin, we have so many opportunities to find local beekeepers to get your fix (for a list, check out the Wisconsin Honey Producers’ website at wihoney.org). But their jobs, and that of the bees, is no small feat. In fact, it takes about 556 worker bees to gather one pound of honey from around 2 million flowers.
But not all honey is created equal. Its flavor and color can vary greatly depending on the plant whose nectar and pollen are collected by the bees. Generally, lighter-colored honey tends to taste milder, whereas darker honey has a bolder flavor. Some common plants that bees may pollenate include sunflowers, goldenrod, coriander, lavender and coneflowers.
Nature’s natural sweetener, honey, can be used in anything from sweet to savory applications. Try it in a homemade salad dressing with olive oil and vinegar or use it to help roast your favorite vegetable, like green beans or carrots. You could also use it to make a sauce for fried chicken or sautéed beef.
When making a dessert, add a little bit of honey to freshly whipped cream as a topping for pies or strawberry shortcake. It can also be the star of the show in a honey cake, bar or muffin recipe. Or try whipping it with butter as a topping for toast, muffins or scones. But if you want a simpler way to enjoy honey, add it to your tea, use it as a topping for fresh fruit or add it to your next peanut butter sandwich.
Honey has even made its way to the world’s oldest fermented beverage. Mead (“honey wine”) is an alcoholic drink made when yeast is added to honey-water, and it dates from 9,000 years ago.
What’s even better about honey is that it doesn’t spoil, and it needs no refrigeration. But if your honey does crystallize, just place the honey jar in a pot of warm water (just remember to remove the lid first!).
Counter Culture zeroes in on a single food or ingredient (or sometimes, technique) to help readers broaden their horizons in the kitchen. Alysha Witwicki is a retail copywriter and food writer living in Whitefish Bay. Contact her at alyshawitwicki@hotmail.com.
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Honey
Properties: A sweetener made from honeybees that never spoils.
Flavor: Bright and sweet, but each variety is largely dependent on the plants the bees pollinate.
Uses: Everything from sweet to savory applications. It’s also a must-have for teatime.
Where to get it: Farmers markets for local honey or your local grocery store.
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Honey is the main ingredient for the sauce in this Chinese-style chicken recipe. This version is adapted from the blog Together as Family. Feel free to add sautéed vegetables, such as broccoli or bok choy, to the finished dish to round out the meal.
Crispy Honey Chicken
Recipe tested by Alysha Witwicki
Makes 4 servings
For honey sauce
½ cup honey
2 tablespoons soy sauce
¼ cup water
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
Pinch of red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon water
For chicken:
3 large chicken breasts (about 1 ½ pounds cut into large bite-sized pieces)
1 ½ cups flour
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon coriander
½ teaspoon onion powder
1 ½ cups buttermilk
Canola oil for frying
Sesame seeds for garnish
Cooked white rice for serving
Pour about three inches of canola oil into a large Dutch oven. Turn the burner to medium-high heat and let the oil preheat to 350 degrees while you prepare the sauce and other ingredients.
To make the honey sauce, place a saucepan over medium heat, add the honey, soy sauce, water, sesame oil, red pepper flakes and vinegar. Whisk together and bring to a boil.
In a separate bowl stir together the cornstarch and water. Set aside. Once the sauce is boiling, slowly add the cornstarch mixture and whisk. Bring back to a boil, while whisking constantly, and then turn the heat down to low and let simmer for 5 minutes.
To make the chicken, add flour, chili powder, cumin, coriander and onion powder to a large, shallow bowl. Stir with a fork to combine. In a separate bowl, add the buttermilk.
In three batches, dredge the chicken in the flour mixture, then the buttermilk, then back to the flour mixture before placing into the hot oil. Cook for about 5 minutes, or until the chicken is golden brown. Then place the chicken on a paper towel-lined plate. Continue cooking the remaining chicken in batches until done.
Combine all the cooked chicken into a large mixing bowl. Pour the hot honey sauce over and gently mix together until all chicken pieces are coated.
Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve with cooked rice.
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Honey is healthful, and such a sweet addition to your kitchen - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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