Kitchen Wisdom is my series of home remedies using foods commonly found in your kitchen. This series is in no way a replacement of proper medical care. It is intended for informational use only.
Honey….mmm….the sweet stuff. Honey is the sweetener of choice in my house. It has been around for ages and I trust it more than any of these new trendy sweeteners.
Honey can be medicinal. I’m not talking about the honey in the little packets found in your chain coffee shop. I’m talking about real honey collected from your local beekeeper that you can find at your farmer’s market or small health food store. This honey is raw and unfiltered. It may not be perfectly clear like syrup- it’s usually a little cloudy, thick and might even crystallize. This is the good stuff.
Plus, by choosing local honey you are supporting those hardworking bees in your area. We really do depend on bees for all the plants, trees and flowers around us.
Please note that honey is not recommended to give to children under the age of one year old because their developing digestive system can not destroy the botulinum spores naturally found in honey.
And, please do not ingest honey if you know you are allergic.
Here are my favorite medicinal uses for honey.
Colds and Coughs
There’s nothing as soothing as cup of herbal tea with honey when you have the sniffles or a sore throat. When you combine honey with hot herbal tea, you will open up your sinus passages with the hot steam, stay hydrated, and moisten your throat.
A spoon of raw honey is a perfect remedy for a dry sore throat or an irritating cough. Add a spoon of honey to herbal teas such as licorice, slippery elm, marshmallow root, and peppermint leaf.
Constipation
One of my favorite home remedies for mild constipation is to drink first thing in the morning: combine 8 ounces of hot water, a teaspoon of honey, and the juice from 1/2 lemon.
Minor Burns
Use raw honey on mild first degree burns- sunburns and cooking burns, etc. Yes, it’s sticky and it might not be appropriate on all areas of the skin, but it really helps speed up the healing.
DO NOT use this on open skin or infected areas!