Honey has been used throughout time as both a natural sweetener and for its medicinal purposes. In fact, honey is recorded as the oldest sweetener and has been widely accepted and used across generations and civilisations1.
As sugar and other sweeteners have become more accessible, honey remains a favourite that withstands the test of time and - with good reason - the health benefits and versatility of honey cannot be argued.
And, if you’re looking for a delicious honey, you really don’t need to look any further than our Pure Tasmanian Kunzea Honey.
Zea Gourmet Kunzea Honey is organically harvested from bees foraging in the remote and pristine wilderness of Flinders Island, Tasmania. It is a nutritional, cold-extracted, 100% raw Tasmanian honey that has a deliciously sweet taste and aroma.
Why Is Honey A Good Sugar Substitute?
Honey has been used for millennia for health and food purposes and plenty of research has been undertaken to determine its benefits compared to other sweeteners, such as sugar.
Honey has been linked to many health benefits because of its trace minerals, including:
- Aiding digestion and good bacteria in the stomach
- Bioavailability of antioxidants
- Better energy source because it’s low G.I
- Oral Health because of its antibacterial properties1
Honey typically has more calories than sugar, but provides more health benefits and nutrients, as well as being sweeter - meaning that you don’t need to use as much to get the same sweetness.
Sugar also burns quickly, which can lead to sugar crashes, while honey’s low GI profile means that you get more energy for a more sustained period of time.
Here are some of our favourite ways to use honey as your go-to sweetener.
7 Delicious Ways To Use Raw Honey
1. To Sweeten Your Favourite Drink
Instead of a teaspoon or two of sugar in your tea, mix in some honey instead. It works as a great substitute in chai or black tea, as well as a sweetener and extra energy boost in smoothies and shakes.
You’ll get the sweet flavour as well as the added nutritional benefits of honey - perfect for that 3pm pick me up.
2. As A Topping On Your Breakfast Or Snack
Especially in the cooler months, a spoonful of honey in your porridge is the perfect winter warmer. Just stir it into your oats before serving, the heat will melt it enough to mix evenly through.
It’s also the perfect topping for toast or crumpets, just drizzle a little on top and dig in!
Grab some crumpets, ricotta cheese, and fresh strawberries, add a drizzle of honey on top and you have a delicious healthy snack.
3. To Soothe A Sore Throat
The antibacterial properties of honey can help soothe a sore throat. You can take a spoonful of raw honey to take the sting out of a swollen throat, or mix a spoonful with hot water and lemon juice.
For an extra immune system boost, try adding in some finely sliced fresh ginger.
4. In Cooking Marinades or Glazes
There are so many delicious marinades, glazes, and dressings you can make with raw honey instead of buying store bought.
Think honey soy chicken, honey mustard dressing, honey soy - the possibilities are endless.
We love Pinterest for discovering all the delicious recipes to use our raw honey with! Make sure if you try any of them with Kunzea honey, that you tag us on social media so we can see.
5. To Replace Sugar When Baking
Aside from all the delicious cakes, cookies, and muesli bars you can make easily with honey (hello honey lemon tea cake, we’re looking at you), raw honey can often be used as a healthier alternative for baking.
There are a couple of things to be mindful of when replacing sugar in a recipe:
- Use less honey than the recipe calls for: Because honey is sweeter than sugar, it’s recommended you substitute half to a third less honey than the recipe calls for. So, if you need a cup of sugar, try with half a cup or two thirds of a cup of honey, depending on how sweet you like things.
- Reduce liquid: For every cup of honey you use, you’ll want to reduce one of the liquids in the recipe by a quarter of a cup.
- Add Baking Soda: Unless it is already in the recipe, add ¼ teaspoon of baking soda for every one cup of honey to balance the acidity of the honey.
- Reduce over temperature: Honey burns faster than sugar, so make sure to reduce the heat a few degrees and keep an eye on the oven2.
6. Make Your Own Muesli or Granola Bars
Raw honey is the perfect addition to a simple muesli or granola bar recipe. Simply combine your dry ingredients (oats, nuts, grains, seeds, and dried fruit, cinnamon, anything you like really) and drizzle honey in to hold it all together.
If you want to make a toasted version, pop your mix on a tray and into the oven on a low heat for around 20 minutes. Yum!
7. To Make Your Own DIY Skincare Products
Honey is a key ingredient in many natural beauty products because of its antibacterial and antioxidant properties. It can be used in so many ways to make your own DIY face masks, lip balms, moisturisers, and hair masks that smell good enough to eat.
This homemade honey sugar scrub by Little House Living sounds divine. This honey cinnamon lip balm is the perfect DIY for dry lips this winter. And these three honey face masks are so easy to whip up to get the best nutrients from raw honey straight into your skin!
Sweet As Honey
We love how versatile honey is as a natural sweetener and for all its health benefits, which is why it’s the first product in our Zea Gourmet Range.
Not all honey is created equal, though. Many honey options on the market are heavily heat processed and some are more sugar syrup than honey!3 Raw, cold pressed, organic honey is the best quality option to make sure you’re getting the best minerals and nutrients available.
If you’re a honey lover, make sure to try our Kunzea Honey and let us know what you think!
About the Chef - Hamish Brass
A culinary professional with almost 10 years experience in well-established cafes and restaurants throughout Australia, Hamish has worked in many different cuisines including Italian, modern Australian and cellar door fine dining. Hamish enjoys getting creative with his family-friendly food and developing dishes that are fun, healthy and full of flavour. Hamish particularly enjoys working with the abundance of native ingredients that Australia has to offer. He is playing a key role in bringing the Zea Gourmet Range to life.
References
- NCBI. Nutraceutical values of natural honey and its contribution to human health and wealth. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3583289/. Accessed on July 23 2020.
- Kitchn. 4 Rules for Successfully Swapping Honey for Sugar in Any Baked Goods. https://www.thekitchn.com/4-rules-for-successfully-swapping-honey-for-sugar-in-any-baked-goods-230156. Accessed on July 23 2020.
