Gaye Levy
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The information in this article, 15 Alternative Uses For Honey, has been updated and incorporated into an all-new, enhanced article.
20 Ways to Use Honey for Wellness and Survival
14 Responses to “15 Alternative Uses For Honey”
I have heard that only raw honey has medicinal properties and that most of the honey you get from the store has been processed and therefore has no nutrients. How true is this?
It’s mostly true, Steve. In fact, recent information has come to light that the cheaper brands are actually honey-flavored syrup! Raw, LOCAL honey is the most beneficial,
Hi Gaye – Great site! I love honey, it most definitely is one of Mother Nature’s miracle medicines! Like Brian, I too was wondering about the Mead, since it is just so yummy!! 🙂 Here is a great site for all things Mead:
//www.stormthecastle.com/mead/brew-1-gallon-of-honey-wine-mead.htm
An absolutely fabulous cough syrup I make for my family (except those under 1 year) is with honey & onions:
-Slice an onion (yellow or white) fairly thin (like you would for burgers) and place in a shallow bowl, rounds are lying flat but can overlap.
-Cover COMPLETELY with honey & tightly cover. (Preferably sealed with a tight lid, but saran wrap will do.)
-Let concoction sit for 1-4 days, in a cool dark place.
-Gently strain resulting liquid into a dark (pref glass) bottle. (A standard metal sieve works best. Do not use cheesecloth, as the honey will absorb into it!!!) **This will take some time, to ensure that ALL the honey has drained off of the onion pieces!!**
-Administer 1-2 Tbs, as needed!
Does the cough syrup taste like onion? Curious. I guess I will need to make some myself and give it a try. Thanks so much for the recipe and the link.
You are most welcome! The cough syrup does not taste like onions per say, but it doesn’t taste like your average honey either… The honey does a fabulous job of masking the onion juice flavor. Using sweet onions also helps! Neither of my kids ever objected to the flavor, in fact they preferred it to standard OTC cough meds! 🙂
On behalf of the home brewers out there Honey Mead was lacking from the list and one of the easiest brews to make.
Brian – I am working on a follow-up article on honey and will be sure to mention Honey Mead. Can you refer me to a credible link or two?
My mom always swore by honey to heal a bruise. I never tried it until a few weeks ago when my husband and I were cutting firewood. He was running the chain saw through a pretty large log and didn’t see a smaller chunk in the path of the saw as it went through the log. When the chain hit the loose piece it kicked it back right into my husband’s shin. It instantly raised a knot the size of a golf ball cut in half stuck to his leg. I ran to the house and got the jar of locally obtained honey (not pasteurized). I smeared some on the knot and bandaged it so we could go on working. The next day the knot was still there, but it didn’t hurt and it didn’t turn black like it normally would have. It took a couple of weeks for the knot to go down, but it wasn’t painful at all. Thanks Mom!
Great tips and information’ thank you.
I have had direct experience with honey as a salve: When I was a kid, a bike accident resulted in my ankle being scraped down to the bone on the pavement. A wise old lady poured honey on it, and instructed my mom to keep it saturated and lightly covered. I barely have a scar today. I also used it in my 20’s after skinning both knees rollerblading. Honey takes the pain away NOW, and promotes fast healing. Best shampoo ever is 2 tbsp honey, 1 egg yolk, 1 cup of beer. Cleans and conditions like crazy! And as a cholesterol-lowering treatment combine equal amounts of honey and ground cinnamon, take 1 Tbsp twice a day. I recommended this to a client, and her cholesterol went from 220 to 146 in a week!
Those are fabulous tips! I want to try the shampoo – my hair is a mess condition-wise from too much abuse from the flat iron. I wonder if it will work with FD eggs?
Powdered eggs would probably work, because they are basically still raw, and might add a little extra protein to the shampoo (from the whites). Freeze dried eggs that I’ve seen have usually been cooked, which would probably reduce the conditioning effect of the shampoo. For a really good conditioner, just mix 1/2 cup mayonnaise with 2 tbsp lemon juice or apple cider vinegar, leave on for 10-30 minutes, then shampoo off. (I’ve been doing hair professionally for 37 years, and have yet to find a commercial conditioner that works as well!) On that note, if you have to flat iron your hair a lot, you might want to look into the Keratin treatments that are available in salons. They will smooth and de-frizz your hair for up to 6 months, and strengthen it by sealing on a layer of the hair’s own protein.
Hi, Gaye — I have two uses for apple cider, vinegar, and honey. One is as an appetite suppressant taken about 30 minutes before I eat, and the second is drunk very hot like a tea and works great for sinus headaches. I like your blog and frequently check out some of the links. I’m sure it is a lot of work for you. Well done!
Thank you so much for the tips and the kind words!