Wednesday, May 24, 2017

Raw Honey ~ Foods with No Expiration Date ~ Pantry Builder #2


"What is sweeter than honey?"
~ Judges 14:18b

Welcome to our Pantry Builder #2 post which is a part of our Proverbs 31 Preparedness Series! Raw honey is my favorite food to stock up on since it is so versatile! It is nice and sweet, medicinal, cosmetic and culinary! The only downside is that it can be expensive (beside coconut oil, it is probably the most expensive item we splurge on in our pantry). We are fortunate to have a beekeeper nearby who sells local honey to us at a very discounted price. Before that, I found a reputable bee-farmer on Ebay who reasonably sold 5-gallon buckets through the mail. It is worth it to shop around when making a large purchase such as this!


"And let them gather all the food of those good years that come..."
~ Genesis 41:35

As I mentioned in our first pantry builder post, "there are many reasons that people prepare and not all of them are doomsday scenarios. Our main reason is for "lean times". We are full-time farmers which means our income is very sporadic. In the winter, it is almost stagnant. Having a supply of food which has been gathered in the good times creates a sense of proverbial peace. Like the biblical ants who collect in the summer, so must we! Because of this, I am also going to include projects we can make and do with our pantry building supplies that can be used for everyday household use and gift giving -- it may help us to be creative in the challenging times when we are working with limited resources. Plus, by seeing how versatile these pantry items are, perhaps it will encourage you to store more abundantly when you have the opportunity. This information will also be shared in a printable for each item to include in your Proverbs 31 Preparedness binders."



RAW HONEY

When properly stored, the shelf life of raw honey is indefinite.

Storing Tips:

According to the National Honey Board, honey is best stored in a sealed container at room temperature. Cooler temperatures will hasten honey's natural crystallization process. If honey does crystallize, remove the lid and place in a jar of warm water until crystals dissolve. Honey stored at temperatures above 85°F for extended periods of time will darken in color and be subject to subtle flavor changes but will still be good. We keep our honey in basic, large containers with lids in our pantry and have never had any problems.


To prove its versatility, here are some things you can make and do with honey:

  • cook and bake healthy desserts and snacks (such as these oatmeal muffins
  • face wash (use honey in place of soap for a gentle cleanser alternative) 
  • herbal oxymels (see sample here
  • make medicinal honey (aka honey based-tinctures -- see sample here
  • preserve foods (you can can jams, marmalade and syrups with it) 
  • sweeten teas and other beverages naturally 

"My son, eat thou honey, because it is good;
and the honeycomb, which is sweet to thy taste..."
~ Proverbs 24:13


Do you have any more useful ideas for honey to add to this list?

You will find our printable "Proverbs 31 Preparedness" sheet for ways to use honey HERE!

For further homemaking hints and tips about honey usage, visit this post here!

Your homework for the week:
  • Assess the amount of raw honey you store in your pantry. Could you add more to your food storage knowing it has no expiration date and is so versatile? 
Extra Credit:
All the fine print. This post may be shared with some or all of the following link-ups: The Art of Home-Making MondaysModest Mom Monday'sMonday's MusingsGood Morning Mondays,  The Scoop, Tuesdays with a TwistRaising HomemakersWise Woman Link UpHomestead Blog Hop Wow Us Wednesdays,  Coffee and ConversationHomemaking ThursdaysHome Sweet HomeOur Simple HomesteadAwesome Life Friday Link Up and Create, Bake, Grow & Gather. Thank you lovely ladies for hosting these. This post may contain affiliate links (which are merchant links that help to support this site at no additional cost to you if you purchase an item through them).

18 comments:

  1. We bought a 5 gallon bucket of honey. I still use it but it did get darker and has a stronger taste now.
    I think honey is a must have in the pantry.
    Thanks for sharing ideas on how to use honey :)

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    1. You are welcome! Thanks for stopping by! :)

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  2. When I clicked on the printable link for honey it took me to the one for sugar....did I miss something....I really wanted to add the honey one.
    Mama Bear

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    1. Oops, I fixed it! Thanks for letting me know! :)

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  3. The link for the printable isn't for honey, it's for sugar. :)

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    1. Thanks for letting me know! I fixed it! :)

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  4. Not an idea but I only buy Tupelo honey. I love the flavor and it doesn't crystallize like other honeys. It is more pricey though. I've had some for 5 years and it's never crystallized.

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    1. Wow, I have never heard of it! I will have to look into it! Thanks for sharing :)

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  5. We love honey and butter melting over hot biscuits. Now I'm hungry. lol
    I try to keep at least a gallon on hand all the time. Loved this post.

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    1. Have never melt it over biscuits!!! I really need to try that! :)

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  6. What a great resource you have put together! We love honey here too. I make homemade bread with honey and it is amazing. I love how you shared all the various uses along with recipes. It does always feel good to have extra food stored up in your pantry that won't go bad, just for those lean times, like you said. Have a blessed day :)

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    1. Bread made with honey is very moist and it helps the shelf life too! Thanks for sharing! :)

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  7. JES,
    I can attest to using it for wound care. I have used it several times and on some really bad wounds. One when my son cut his finger really bad with an Xacto knife and my dog had an infected hot spot on his neck. It pulls the infection out pretty quickly and does require changing the bandages often because they get seepy fast, but it works really well.
    XOXO
    Vicky

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    1. Wow- thanks for the testimony! That is great to hear!

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  8. JES we are fortunate to be able to buy honey at a great price here from a local beekeeper. We buy it in bulk and always have it in the pantry.

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    1. Excellent! It is worth its weight in gold!!

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  9. Hello JES - thank you for sharing the different uses for honey! We have used raw honey on bee stings and burns, with good results. When we have coughs and/or sore throats, I make up a honey-based tincture/syrup which helps. For a special "sweet tooth" treat, I use a recipe for a healthy "fudge" which is very easy to make. It uses coconut cream, coconut oil, raw honey, vanilla extract, and a pinch of sea salt. We also have used honey to sweeten fresh lemonade and hot coffee, and as a spread on bread and biscuits. Years ago we use to purchase our honey from a natural foods store until we discovered the bees were fed high fructose corn syrup. I do not know how much of it got into the final product we ended up with, but this just didn't sound good to us. It's nice if one can get honey from a local bee keeper to know more about the product you're getting. Enjoy the day! ~ Lynne

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    1. Thanks for sharing Lynne! That is horrible about feeding the bees HFCS - that defies the healthy reason you are purchasing it! We too love the honey fudge you mentioned! :)

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