Do you think honey is nothing more than nature's green tea sweetener? You would be wrong. There are many uses for the golden, sticky stuff, if you look beyond that cup of hot tea or a drizzle on your morning muffin.
There are hundreds of types of honey in the world today, each delivering distinct tastes created by the flower from which it is extracted.
There are endless ways to use honey ranging from health and beauty aids to cocktails and, of course, countless sweet and savoury recipes.
Read on to find some surprising uses for this culinary “liquid gold”.
Make glazed stir-fried vegetables
You have likely had honey-coated non-vegetarian dishes but have you tried honey-coated vegetables? Turn your ordinary stir-fried veggies into a sweet and savoury delight with this natural sweetener.
Mix honey, olive oil, salt and pepper, then toss your favourite vegetables in it. Stir-fry until they are caramelised and crispy. The honey glaze will give your veggies a deliciously sweet and savoury twist.
Add seeds to honey
Adding seeds to your honey is not only delicious, it’s incredibly versatile. It can bring a sweet crunch to a classic peanut butter sandwich.
Making seeded honey couldn’t be easier, just toast your favourite seeds – sunflower, poppy, sesame, flax – combine with some delectable honey and start drizzling.
Make a hot toddy
Tea isn't the only hot beverage that tastes better with a few drops of honey. For a cocktail that's easy on the taste buds and is sure to warm you up, try ordering a hot toddy on a cold winter's night.
Although it's a popular cold-weather drink, you'll be hard-pressed to find two bartenders who can agree on a hot toddy recipe.
It's one of the more loosely defined cocktails on the drink list, but nearly all hot toddy recipes call for a combination of the following: hot water or tea, honey, lemon juice, and a splash of whisky or brandy.
Most doctors we know are unlikely to prescribe alcoholic beverages, but the hot toddy is still a very common cold and flu remedy because it's said to soothe a sore throat, ease congestion, and, of course, help you nozzle out.
The danger is that because the cocktail's honey helps it slide down so easily, you might forget that you're tossing back hard liquor. So pace yourself.
Add a touch to homemade muesli
Mix homemade muesli, chopped fruits, nuts, and a drizzle of honey to make a hearty breakfast bowl. The honey adds a delightful sweetness that perfectly complements the earthy flavours of the muesli.
Use honey as a substitute for sugar
Honey is a great alternative to white sugar in many recipes. It is sweeter than sugar, so you can use less of it, and it adds a delicious, subtle flavour to baked goods.
When substituting honey for sugar, use about ¾ cup of honey for every cup of sugar called for in the recipe, and reduce the other liquids in the recipe by about ¼ cup.