A current drive through any city neighborhood tells you farmers’ market season is upon us, and with the markets, come lots of vendors selling honey.
The honey making process takes many steps for bees and humans. Worker bees forage for nectar and pollen, while honeybees simultaneously visit flowers around their hive to collect sweet, sugary nectar. Then the worker bees store the nectar from the honeybees in a special honey stomach where it mixes with enzymes to reduce the water content. The process continues at the hive, as worker bees chew the honey to mix it with more enzymes, creating a simple syrup. Honeybees place the syrup in a honeycomb cell. They fan the cell to help dry and thicken the syrup. Eventually, the cell is capped with beeswax and stored for eating or harvesting. Vendors of flavored honey have fields of specific flowers for foraging bees.
While I don’t plan to have a beehive or make honey, I am interested in using honey in new ways. A visit to Robert’s Pizza and Dough Company introduced me to the concept of hot honey on pizza. The sweet and spicy combination drizzled on my pizza had me hooked at first bite. Whether or not it was true novelty or just novel to me, I started asking for hot honey when visiting other pizza places.
Around the same time, my parents gifted me with a quart of honey. At first, I wondered what I would do with so much honey and then I started experimenting with my own variations of “hot honey.” Why buy “hot honey” when you can make it?
Essentially “hot honey” is honey infused with a spice agent. A common spice agent is red pepper flakes, but that is only the beginning of the variations. Try jalapeño, roasted garlic, black garlic, fresh herbs, dried spices, or orange peel. The list goes on, and the process is similar no matter the infusion.
So far, my favorite is the simple chili-spice variety, but my experimenting may not be over. I also haven’t tried the cold method. This involves letting the honey sit at room temperature for at least 5 days or until the chosen flavoring has penetrated the honey to your taste. The heating method takes about 10 minutes and results in a thinner product.
No matter your process, infused honey is delicious and as a sweetener has some health benefits. This is not a rumor. Honey is rich in nutrients and antioxidants, has antibacterial properties, and can play a role in diabetes management as part of a balanced diet. Darker varieties are higher in antioxidants than lighter varieties. Like all sweeteners, honey raises blood sugar, but its antioxidants help protect against type 2 diabetes.
Studies have also shown that honey may help improve heart health and function by helping to lower blood pressure, improving blood fat levels, regulating heartbeat, and preventing the death of healthy cells. Of course, we should practice “everything in moderation,” so keep balance in mind when using honey.
Try the following recipe for hot honey on baked goods, bread, pizza, drinks, cheese or eaten straight off the spoon.
Hot Honey
Yields: 1 cup
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Inactive time: 15 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes
1 cup honey
3 Tablespoons crushed red pepper flakes
1 to 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
1. Simmer the honey and crushed red pepper flakes in a small pot over medium heat until the honey very lightly begins to bubble.
2. Give the mixture a quick stir to combine, then remove pan from the heat.
3. Rest the mixture for 10 to 15 minutes so that the flavors can infuse.
4. Taste for heat level. Add more red pepper flakes for a spicier flavor and let the mixture continue to sit.
5. Stir in the apple cider vinegar.
6. Strain the honey through a fine mesh strainer.
7. Serve or store at room temperature.
As farmer’s markets start populating city neighborhoods, support the local farmers and then start creating. Once you make a batch, you'll want to put it on everything!
Want to learn how to make a great meal to utilize your hot honey? Consider Hands-On Nashville Hot Chicken on Saturday, May 24 at 12pm or consult with our spirits expert about infused honey in cocktails at Cocktail Happy Hour on Friday, May 30 at 5pm. We're also serving up hot honey on the Buttermilk Biscuit, Fried Chicken and Egg Sandwiches featured in our Father's Day Family Brunch class on Saturday, June 14 at 10am.
