Pantry Staple: Honey

Used primarily as a sweetener today, honey comes in a variety of colors and flavors depending on the region and floral source. A few flavors produced in the U.S. include wildflower, alfalfa, orange, clover, safflower, wild berry, buckwheat, mint and carrot.

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There are 5,000 honey producing colonies in Kentucky alone. That is a lot of honey!

 

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Using honey in recipes is a great way to cut down on added and processed sugar. Instead of going for the prepackaged sweet items in the grocery store, try making your own at home.

Instead of fruit flavored yogurt, try plain yogurt, fresh fruit and a drizzle of honey.

At first glance, granola bars are seemingly a “health” food, but when you look at the ingredients list, you often find one of the first items listed to be “high fructose corn syrup” or “sugar”. This can take away from the benefits that oats in a granola bar can have. Try making your own granola at home, which will allow you to control the amount of sugar that goes in. Replacing sugar with honey will also help granola bars keep their shape.

Honey will last 2 years on average. You should store honey in a dry cool place such as a pantry or cabinet.

Let us know your favorite way to enjoy this sweet addition to healthy food options.

Source: https://www.usda.gov/media/blog/2017/02/21/honey-sweet-topic-new-data-spring