How Sweet It Is!

For this week’s blog, my co-worker, Martha Spiegel, offers some sweet thoughts on honey, one of nature’s sweeteners that can be enjoyed in so many delicious ways. 

We have some more SWEET NEWS!  Pathfinder Produce will be opening a new, SECOND MARKET, at the United Methodist Church, 17 Church St., in Morris on Friday afternoons from 1 to 4 p.m.  This project, another great partnership with the Bassett Research Institute’s 5210 Program and members of the Morris community, is so exciting as it will offer more fresh and yummy fruits and vegetables in support of local families’ nutritional health.  It is another way that members of Pathfinder Village’s Adult Day Program provide important services and help our local communities.

Watch the Wharton Valley Pennysaver for our ads, and if you know folks in the Morris area, please tell them to stop by to try the “little market that could!”

ALSO, this week, Pathfinder Village will be paving its roadways, so Produce patrons are asked to park on at the Program Office lot. (Pull in on the driveway next to Pathfinder's Kennedy Willis Center, and drive past the yellow house to the large parking lot area).

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Along with fresh fruits and vegetables, Pathfinder Produce also features products from local vendors. One of these vendors is Kutik’s Honey Farm, which is located in Norwich.

I’ve always been a huge honey fan. I love it in tea, on oatmeal, in a peanut butter sandwich, on biscuits, and I’ve even tried it in coffee, which was not too bad.  During the time that I worked in a synagogue, we had apples and honey at Rosh Hashanah to wish everyone a sweet New Year.

Growing up, the honey in my house was typically clover honey, but I have enjoyed tasting other varieties. I had no idea how the different kinds of flower nectar could change the taste. I’ve become a big fan of buckwheat honey, which is very dark and has quite a bold taste, so a little goes a long way (nice if you are trying to cut back on the quantity of sweetener).

According to WebMD, honey has a long medicinal history, dating back to the ancient Egyptians. One of their uses for it was to dress wounds. Indeed, it has been proven useful for this purpose, although the best honey for that job is Manukah honey from New Zealand (not exactly part of our local market!).

Honey can also help to soothe a cough. In fact, according to the same WebMD article, some studies showed evidence that honey is more effective than cough syrup for treating nighttime coughs in children. My mother would heat a bit of honey mixed with lemon juice for me when I had a cough or an irritated throat. Not only did it help, but it sure tasted better than cough syrup! (A word of caution: NEVER give honey to children under 1 year old, as there is a high risk of botulism which is very dangerous due to their less-developed digestive tracts.)

Honey has a lower glycemic index than refined sugar (see Benefits of Honey ), which means it has a slower absorption rate.  While this evens out “sugar spikes” it is still good to keep in mind honey is still a form of sugar and should be consumed in moderation. The nice part about that is your jar of honey will last you a long time!

Honey storage is easy: Just store it at room temperature, and if it starts to crystalize, simply place the jar in a bowl of hot water to liquefy it again. As stated on The National Honey Board's website, “Crystallization is the natural process of glucose sugar molecules aligning into orderly arrangements known as crystals. It is not an indicator of spoilage, impurity, age or quality.”

I leave you with a quote from A. A. Milne’s The House at Pooh Corner:

    ‘ “What do you like doing best in the world, Pooh?"

    "Well," said Pooh, "what I like best--" and then he had to stop and think.
Because although Eating Honey was a very good thing to do, there was a moment just before you began to eat it which was better than when you were, but he didn't know what it was called.” ’

Have a sweet day!

Martha (and Lori)