Honey do!

At country stores, gourmet food markets, and gift shops, consumers can find a variety of Kentucky-produced honey to sweeten their morning tea.
In early Kentucky, the discovery of a swarm of bees and a bee tree was considered even more valuable than big game, according to Kentucky Hospitality, a 200-Year Tradition.
A single bee tree might have yielded hundreds of pounds of honey and provide a family with sweetening for months. Honey and sorghum were the primary sweeteners before cane sugar from the Deep South became widely available.
Many kinds of honey can be found throughout Central and Eastern Kentucky including sourwood, linn, locust, poplar, wildflower, and clover. Lighter colored honey is mild in flavor while darker honey tends to have more minerals and a stronger taste. Honey from clovers and black locust trees are the clearest and mildest honey. Sourwood is a light amber; tulip poplar and fall wildflowers are a light to medium amber color that are strong in flavor and can replace sugar in baking, according to Midway Honey Company.
Years ago in the mountains, farmers made a drink called “switchell.” “They mixed equal parts of honey and vinegar and then diluted this mixture with water using about a teaspoon per cup of water for a mild drink, or twice that amount for something with a bit more flavor,” Mark Sohn of Pikeville said in Appalachian Home Cooking.

These tips are from the National Honey Board.

Health benefits

Honey should not be fed to infants younger than 1.
Honey is a safe and wholesome food for children and adults.
Research has shown that unlike most other sweeteners, honey contains small amounts of a wide array of vitamins, minerals, amino acids and antioxidants.
Honey, a rich source of carbohydrates, provides a quick source of energy.
Honey’s unique composition makes it an effective antimicrobial agent, useful for treating minor burns and scrapes, and for aiding the treatment of sore throats and other bacterial infections.

Cooking with honey
For best results, use recipes developed for using honey. When substituting honey for granulated sugar in recipes, begin by substituting honey for as much as half of the sugar called for in the recipe.
With a little experimentation, honey can replace all the sugar in some recipes. When baking with honey, remember the following:

Reduce any liquid called for by 1⁄4 cup for each cup of honey used.
Add 1⁄2 teaspoon baking soda for each cup of honey used.
Reduce oven temperature by 25 degrees to prevent overbrowning.
Because of its high fructose content, honey has a higher sweetening power than sugar. This means you can use less honey than sugar to achieve the desired sweetness.
When measuring honey, coat the measuring cup with non-stick cooking spray or vegetable oil before adding the honey. The honey will slide right out.
A 12-ounce jar of honey equals a standard measuring cup.

Storing honey
Store honey at room temperature. Your kitchen counter or pantry shelf is ideal.
Storing honey in the refrigerator accelerates the honey's crystallization. Crystallization is the natural process in which liquid in honey becomes solid.
If your honey crystallizes, simply place the honey jar in warm water and stir until the crystals dissolve. Or, place the honey in a microwave-safe container with the lid off and microwave it, stirring every 30 seconds, until the crystals dissolve. Be careful not to boil or scorch the honey.

Color, flavor and form
Honeys differ in color and flavor, depending on which blossoms the honeybees visit in search of nectar. Honey color ranges from almost colorless to dark amber brown, and its flavor varies from delectably mild to richly bold. As a general rule, light-colored honey is milder in taste and dark-colored honey is stronger.
Honey comes in a variety of forms, including liquid, whipped and comb. Liquid honey, free of any crystals or wax, is extracted from the comb in the hive by centrifugal force, gravity, straining or other means. Whipped honey is finely crystallized so that it remains creamy and spreadable. Comb honey is honey that comes as it was produced - in the honeybees’ wax comb.

This recipe for honey-lime vinaigrette is from Wild Oats Market.

Honey-lime vinaigrette

1 1⁄2 cups lime juice, fresh-squeezed
3⁄4 cups honey
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 package fresh mint leaves (1⁄2 to 1 ounce)
1 tablespoon sea salt
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 cup olive oil
Measure and combine all ingredients but oil in a large blender cup or mixer bowl. Blend until thoroughly mixed. With the blender or mixer running, add the oil in a slow, steady stream until all the oil has been incorporated and dressing is emulsified. Makes about 3 cups. Refrigerate.