“Pure and natural” are two very confusing words.

As consumers strive to improve their health, they fall prey to the easiest marketing: ‘pure and natural’. Yet many of us are clueless as to what that truly means.  As food consumers, we are removed from the relationship between nature and the food we eat, assuming ‘natural’ means healthy.

There are many things in nature which are harmful to humans, including food.  Honey, which provides every essential ingredient needed for human survival, is deathly to a child under the age of two (2).  Fennel, a natural essential oil used to improve kidney health can cause miscarriages in pregnant women in their first trimester.  Truly ‘raw’ cashews contain urushiol in their shell, the same chemical found in poison ivy, and can cause serious reaction when consumed.

Did you know MSG (monosodium glutamate) is a naturally occurring amino acid? It is found in foods like oysters, clams, tomatoes, cheese, and soy sauce. However, those three letters (MSG) caused a flurry of fear from consumers a few years back. People banned Chinese restaurants and many pre-packaged foods such as potato chips. Today chain restaurants, such as Panda Express, display signs saying ‘No MSG added’. This doesn’t mean an absence of MSG; their food is doused in soy sauce and therefore carries a certain level of MSG.  Someone who is truly allergic to MSG will avoid the amino acid altogether. But for the rest of us, the non-allergic population, naturally occurring MSG is just that…NATURAL.

Which brings me back to my original point; understand what you consume. Investigate to understand the definition of ‘pure and natrual’ and be ready to accept or reject what Mother Nature really has to offer you.

Fall brings magnificent things to our table, but fall honey with its dark texture and earthy flavor is my favorite!

Yes, honey varies based on the season. That sweet, transparent honey in a bear-shaped bottle sold by large commercial companies is a mixture of harvests which makes a homogenized product. Small producers are conscious of the delicate variety offered throughout the seasons so they separate their harvests to offer consumers a wonderful assortment. In the United States alone, we have over 300 varieties of honey but only a small percentage are known or purchased by the general consumer.

There is another fact that consumers might be missing about mass honey production besides the lack of assortment; heating and processing.  Large manufacturers send honey through an industrial processing system which heats and filters the honey. 

So what is wrong with that?  Well, there is some concern surrounding this process.  Studies have shown that antioxidants and mineral levels are unscathed by the heating process. However, those same studies show that heating and filtering honey reduces the overall quantity of enzymes by 35%; certain enzymes, such as invertase, drop on average by 73%. 

This isn’t a huge surprise given most enzymes are destroyed by heat, but consumers who buy honey for certain health benefits should be aware of this damaging process.  Unless the bottle reads ‘raw’ or ‘unprocessed’ then there’s no guarantee that certain beneficial enzymes exist in that jar of honey.

So next time you want to challenge your palate, pick up a bottle of Fireweed or Sage honey…and always buy raw, unprocessed honey to ensure you reap all the benefits Mother Nature has provided in her liquid gold.

To kick start your honey adventure, here is my favorite fall honey recipe. It cures my fall allergies and soothes a sore throat:  

Stacy’s Hot Toddy

Makes 1 serving

• 1 serving of Bliss Organic Chamomile tea
• ½ shot of whiskey or bourbon
• 2 Tablespoons of Pumpkin Blossom Honey
• Squirt of fresh lemon juice

Fill a mug 3/4 full with hot water (do not boil the water) and steep tea for 2 minutes. Remove tea contraption. Next, add honey and stir until completely dissolved. Lastly, mix bourbon and lemon juice into the mug.  Enjoy!  

Fooducopia: Our mission is simple — we connect food entrepreneurs and local farmers to customers across the country. If you’d like to discover delicious artisan foods filled with the heart and soul of the people who made them, Fooducopia is a place we think you’ll love.

Although the cause of Colony Collapse Disorder remains an unsolved mystery, the honey bee population is slowly rebounding from its 2006 tragedy where over 50% of America’s bees disappeared into thin air.  In 2010, the loss from Colony Collapse Disorder was reduced to 34% and improving.  As their population increases we are ever more thankful for their wonderful creation, HONEY.

In celebration of the beloved honey bee, we wanted to share ten healthy benefits which honey provides.

Did you know honey is…

1. A natural immune system builder with its high levels of antioxidants
2. The only food that includes all the substance needed to sustain life, including enzymes, vitamins, minerals, and water
3. Used to expedite healing on post-surgery cancer patients
4. The only food that contains pinocembrin, an antioxidant associated with increased brain functioning
5. A widely used home remedy for an array of ailments, from athletes foot to a sore throat
6. Helpful for a hang-over due to its natural sugars which expedite the oxidation of alcohol by the liver, acting as a ‘sobering’ agent
7. A natural antiseptic which prevents infections by killing bacteria in and around cuts
8. Helpful for regrowth of skin on minor burns
9. Effective in the treatment of pathological conditions of the intestinal tract, heart, and nerves
10. Often mixed in milk and consumed to improve your skin’s sheen and softness

Now that you know some of the benefits, dig into some liquid gold!

To get you started, we’ve listed a few of our favorite honey products at Fooducopia; enjoy…

• Katherine Anne’s Soft Honey Caramels made with local wildflower honey are the perfect mid-day treat
• Honey Acres’ Cinnamon Honey Creme Spread is a perfect spread for your morning toast
• Mystic Hickory’s Shagbark Hickory Syrup is delicious on pancakes or as a marinade for pork chops
• Jo Snow’s Tangerine Lavender Honey Syrup makes a heavenly cup of coffee