An article I read by juicing devotee Jason Vale pointed out that we are quick to embrace the latest health food product when a new ‘super’ enzyme or nutrient is isolated from, for example, a tomato. He made the wise observation that instead of taking the pill we should just eat more tomatoes. Ok, it is an overly simplistic view as an element may not be present in sufficient quantities for this to be practical, but I get and agree with the general gist of what he is trying to convey. We should stop being so hung up on what’s in everything and just eat natural foods for health, energy and of course, taste. (And just for the record I have no problem with supplements.)
One of nature’s best offerings has to be honey. Any time I see one of those ridiculously tiny pots of honey in hotels or guest houses I am instantly reminded of Chic Murray’s now infamous comment. On being presented at breakfast with one of these miniature jars he hilariously said to the landlady, “Oh, I see you keep a bee.”
I have just put down a new study on the benefits of honey and after reading quite a number of pages of detailed information I can condense it down to this, good honey is just very good for you! Raw honey is of course the ultimate, but unlike Chic Murray’s landlady, few of us are keeping our own bee these days so we are dependent on local producers for their integrity. Fortunately Tipperary’s honey producers are particularly good so if you buy local you’ll be fine.
Honey, that rich, golden liquid is nothing short of a miraculous feat of genius by those tiny little creatures. The process begins when the bees feast on flowers, collecting the flower nectar in their mouths. The collected nectar then mixes with special enzymes in the bees’ saliva. On returning to the hive they deposit the mixture into the cells in the hive’s walls. The collective fluttering of wings within the hive provides the necessary ventilation to reduce the moisture content making it ready for consumption. When you stand back and watch nature at work on this level it makes all man made processes look clumsy and inadequate. The elegant and magical process of making honey is truly remarkable.
Raw honey offers active enzymes, vitamins and trace amounts of minerals such as silica, copper, magnesium, iron and others. Ancient peoples in Spain, India and Egypt knew that honey supplied a unique richness of nutrients. They didn’t squeeze their honey from plastic containers or scoop it out of jars; they ate their honey freshly harvested from local bee hives. They thoroughly understood the medicinal benefits of raw honey far better than we do today. When Jesus Christ walked the earth honey was one of the premier medicines of the time. Raw honey was used for sinus problems, rheumatism, arthritis, poor circulation, infectious diseases and topically for a whole host of other problems.
Raw honey contains bee pollen which has many benefits including allergy relief, detoxification, anti-cancer properties, increased energy, amino acids, vitamins and thousands of beneficial enzymes. Propolis, a material that bees use for constructing their hives, is another beneficial part of raw honey. Propolis is believed to have antioxidant and even anti-cancer properties and is said to boost the immune system and improve the health of the liver as well. Most health food shops sell a propolis tablet as a natural antibiotic.
Like everything these days you need to pay close attention to the labels to make sure you are getting quality honey. It should be completely unprocessed and unheated as the valuable enzymes in honey are preserved only if the honey is never heated above 105 degrees. (Although purists claim that for honey to be truly raw, it should never be heated at all.) For that reason raw honey should only be added to foods after they have been cooked and never before, since any exposure to heat risks destroying the beneficial nutrients. If honey is stored in sealed, airtight jars it won’t go off. Like a fine wine, it becomes finer with age. Even open jars will stay fresh for at least several months and even then, raw honey will simply ferment and not spoil. Fermentation enhances the benefits of raw honey, although the taste may become too strong for some palates.
Like all sugars honey stimulates the taste buds and gets the juices going. It has long been used as a tasty addition to ham and bacon. I know several weight watchers who add honey to their porridge instead of sugar and another who adds a spoonful to bolognaise sauce just before it is about to be served. I’ve actually adapted that idea and often use it as my secret ingredient in a home made tomato sauce. It is a perfect base for homemade pizza or an addition to pasta for a quick and healthy children’s supper.
Of course honey is always prescribed for sore throat sufferers or those with laryngitis but we lost much of what the ancient’s knew about its wound healing properties and are only now rediscovering them. Honey has been used topically as an antiseptic therapeutic agent for the treatment of ulcers, burns and wounds for centuries. One study in India compared the wound healing effects of honey to a conventional treatment in 104 first-degree burn patients. After one week of treatment 91 percent of honey treated burns were infection free compared with only 7 percent receiving the conventional treatment. Finally, a greater percentage of patients’ burns were healed more readily in the honey treated group. Another study examined the wound healing benefits of honey applied topically to patients following Caesarean section and hysterectomy. Compared to the group receiving the standard solution of iodine and alcohol, the honey treated group was infection free in fewer days, healed more cleanly and had a reduced hospital stay.
Honey is a natural sweetener and a great item to have in any store cupboard for hundreds of different recipes from ham to flapjacks. Always buy local, quality honey as the first difference is always going to be in the taste. I welcome your feedback to pat@jwb.ie
Roast Leg of Lamb with Honey Orange Glaze and Port and Mint Dressing
Serves 8-10
Ingredients
- 1 leg of lamb, trimmed
- 3 cloves garlic, sliced
- Few sprigs of rosemary
- 2 onions, roughly chopped
- 1 head of garlic
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed to a paste with some salt
- The rind of 1 orange
- 2 tablesp. runny honey
- 2 tablesp olive oil
- Glass of white wine
Port and Mint Dressing
- 4 tablesp. redcurrant jelly
- Juice of 1 orange
- Dash of port
- Few sprigs of mint
To Cook
Method
To cook, set the oven 200°C (400°F) Gas Mark 6.
Make about 10 incisions in the lamb with a sharp knife. Push a sliver of garlic and a sprig of rosemary into each hole. Place the lamb in a roasting tray with some chopped onions and a head of garlic cut in half. Mix together the crushed garlic, orange rind, honey and olive oil. Spread the mixture over the lamb. Place in the oven and roast for 30 minutes. Then add the glass of wine and a glass of water, this will stop the honey from burning. Reduce the oven temperature to 180°C (350°F) Gas Mark 4 and continue the cooking for another hour for pink lamb. Rest for 15 minutes before serving.
When the lamb is cooked remove from the roasting tray and strain the juices, keep the garlic to serve with the lamb. To the juices, add another dash of wine and a tablesp. of redcurrant jelly. Boil it up to make a jus, finish with a knob of butter and taste for seasoning.
To make the dressing, gently heat the redcurrant jelly, orange juice, port and mint. Add a little lemon juice if you think it is too sweet. Serve warm with the sliced lamb.
Serving Suggestions
Boulangère Potatoes are very good with the roast lamb and can be cooked in the oven at the same time. Simply layer some thinly sliced potatoes in a baking dish with thinly sliced onions which have first been sautéed in a knob of butter. Add seasoning and a few more knobs of butter as you do the layers. Finish off with some chicken stock and a sprinkling of Regatto cheese. Bake for 40-50 minutes until the potatoes are tender and the topping is golden and crispy.
