Honey In The Kitchen

1. If sweetening a hot drink, wait until it’s at a drinkable temperature before adding 1–3 tsp of honey.

2. Liquefy thick honey and make it easier to pour and mix. Stand a jar of honey in hot (not boiling) water for 15 minutes. Stir occasionally.

3. Keep your honey in a dark place, or an opaque or dark glass jar. This preserves its antimicrobial power.

4. Coat your spoon or cup with vegetable oil when measuring your honey, so the honey can slip out easily.

5. Weighing honey: one tbsp honey weighs about 23g (or three-quarters of an ounce). One standard measuring cup of honey (240ml / 8 fl oz) weighs about 350g / 12oz.

6. Less is more: use 165g honey for 220g of sugar plus one extra tbsp. This is equivalent to 5oz for 7oz, or three-quarters of a cup for a whole cup.

7. Turn down the oven by 20 degrees C / 25 degrees F when baking honey-containing cakes and biscuits, as they brown more easily.

Natural Remedies

These suggestions should not replace any necessary medical diagnosis and therapy.

1. Colds: Consume one to two tsp honey three times a day. Also, gargle with one tsp honey in half a glass of warm water, for honey's soothing, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties.

2. Constipation: Consume one tsp of honey three times a day. Honey attracts water, making stools softer and easier to pass. Also, its acetylcholine stimulates bowel movement.

3. Cough: Take one to two tsp of raw honey three times a day. Honey’s antimicrobials, anti-inflammatories and antioxidants can help. Honey is said to loosen phlegm.

Beauty Treatments

1. Nail Conditioner

Mix 2 tsp of thick honey, 2 tsp of extra-virgin olive oil and 1 drop of lemon or neroli essential oil. Massage into cuticles, leave for 20 minutes, then rinse.

2. Bath Milk

Stir 4 tbsps of runny honey, plus five to six drops of neroli, rose or ylang-ylang essential oil, into bath water.

3. Face Mask

Apply any one of these to your face then relax for 30 minutes before rinsing with warm water:

For normal skin: mix 2 tbsps of honey with 1 tbsp of extra-virgin olive oil, an egg yolk and a handful of fine oatmeal.

For dry skin: mix 2 tbsp of honey with 1 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil, 2 egg yolks and mashed banana.

For oily skin: mix 2 tbsp of honey with 2 whisked egg whites, 1 tbsp of lemon juice and a handful of fine oatmeal.

4. Exfoliating Scrub

Rub one of these onto your skin, then rinse with warm water.

For normal / oily skin: mix 1 tbsp honey with 2 tbsp ground almonds and 1 tsp of lemon juice.

For dry skin: mix 1 tbsp honey with 2 tbsp coarse sea salt and 1 tbsp olive oil.

5. Hair Conditioner

Mix 2-3 tsp liquid honey into 1.5 pints / 5 cups of rinsing water. To enhance hair colour: add 1 tsp lemon juice for blonde hair, or 1 tsp vinegar for brunette.

Apply to hair after shampooing. No need to rinse and the honey won't leave your hair sticky.

6. Cleanser

Dissolve 1 tsp of runny honey in 4 tbsp of warm water — or warm milk — to make a honey-water cleanser or cleansing milk. Gently smooth either of these over your face to loosen grime, then rinse well.

7. Toner

Peel and purée 5cm / 2in of cucumber, then mix with 1 tsp of runny honey. Apply to your face, leave on for five minutes and rinse off with cold water.