Sweet Honey Facts – PLUS  -This week’s 30 Days of Preparedness links

In addition to National Preparedness Month, it is also National Honey Month.

Honey has been known for its healing properties for thousands of years – the Ancient Greeks used it, and so have many other peoples through the ages.

Even up to the second world war, honey was being used for its antibacterial properties in treating wounds. Honey has antioxidant effects – the darker the better

Honey keeps easily, in fact it never goes bad. It doesn’t need to be canned, frozen or even kept cool. Refrigeration will hasten the granulation process, so just store it where temperatures are 40-75 degrees. If you are buying in bulk, a wide mouth container is best for storage. That way you can scoop out a small supply for the kitchen pantry and keep the rest in long term storage. Your kitchen honey should be kept in a fairly warm place to discourage crystallization.

Re-Liquedify Crystallized Honey

When the honey in your jar gets sugar crystals you can reheat it and the sugars will go back to liquid. Just put a few inches of water and the jar in a sauce pan on a stove and heat it under very low heat. It will go back into solution as fast as it warms.  Honey in a glass container can be placed in a microwave oven and heated on high for 30 second increments until it is once again liquid. Don’t boil your honey! That ruins its flavor.

Honey Onion Syrup

Syrup is a traditional way to make herbal preparations more tasty for children (adults too!) and the sweet flavor of a syrup helps to make the medicine go down, so to speak. Honey Onion Syrup is a simple herbal remedy for a sore, scratchy throat using simple ingredients you already have at home. It might sound like a strange combination, but I promise, it’s tasty!

Take this simple syrup at the first sign of a cold.  Make this now so you will have it on hand before the cold winter months set in.

Onion is one of natures greatest anti-inflammatory troopers and is effective against many bacteria including Bacillus subtilis, Salmonella, and E. coli.  It stimulates the immune system, and the essential oil is an expectorant, antiseptic, anti-fungal, anticoagulant, and has analgesic properties. The more pungent the onion the more potent its powers.

Ingredients: 2 large onions + enough honey to cover them

To Make: slice the onions into quarter inch rings and place in a deep sauce pan. Just barely cover the onion slices with honey. Warm them slowly over very low heat until the onions become soft and mushy and the honey tastes strongly of onion.

You can add garlic to the mix for an added boost and a more powerful remedy.

This is an old herbal recipe. If you are interested in other syrups and herbal preparations we recommend Rosemary Gladstar’s Medicinal Herbs: A Beginner’s Guide

See also 9 Super Sweet Facts About Honey from Huffington Post, with ideas for making masks, facials and repairing scars with honey. Cox Honey of Idaho’s recipe page is  sure to please your sweet tooth. I’m going to try Honey Apple Almond Cake soon!

This week’s 30 Days of Preparedness Links

Day 6 – The Escape Exercise from Laughingbear Adventures

You may have heard the term “bugging out” in your search for information. You may have even already put together a “bug out bag”. Perhaps you’ve developed some preparedness items to keep in your car. As part of getting ready, those are all good things. Now consider, your children and spouse have gathered with you at the Family Meeting Place. You look around at the world as it’s unfolding and decide “this isn’t a good place to stay”. What to do? Where to go? Practice your escape!

Day 7 – It all Falls Apart Without Mental Preparedness from PreparednessMama

If you want to say “we are prepared” for the challenges that face you, you must imagine what it will take for your family to get there. Imagine the possible scenarios and know how you will respond. The needs will be different for each family. Those who live in the city will prepare differently from those who live in the country. It all comes down to mental preparedness.

Day 8 – It’s a Matter of Emergency Kits from A Matter of Preparedness

Having had to live through several natural and man-made disasters, will help you learn to appreciate the peace of mind that comes from having your own emergency kits.  This article will get you thinking and to get you to spring into action. When you are in the throws of a challenging situation, trying to locate all the parts and pieces, strewn around your home, is nearly impossible. let’s start with ‘doable’ and then get into ‘suggested items’ that you may want to consider and gather over time.

Day 9 – Nine Great Emergency Light Sources Other Than Flashlights from Food Storage & Survival

The lights go out and you feel around to get the flashlight that you diligently stashed in its secure location on top of the refrigerator (stepping on somebody’s blocks and toy soldiers in the dark on the way) and to your horror you find that your handy flashlight isn’t there! Someone used it and didn’t put it back. So you stumble through your house to your bathroom and find the flashlight you keep there with dead batteries. Has this ever happened at your house?

Day 10 – Cooking Without Power from Mama Kautz

Do you love food? In an emergency situation when there is no power you better have a plan to make it edible. Mama Kautz is looking at several ways to cook without power using wood, propane, charcoal and solar.

Day 11 – The Importance of a Shelter & Staying Warm and Dry from Trayer Wilderness

We all live in varying climates, terrain and areas. Some of you may live in the city, in a small town, in the country or in the wilderness as we do. No matter where you are located, the first thing you need to be concerned about in a survival situation is where you will take shelter.

If you live in the city, you may need to sleep in your car or dependent on the situation you may need to humble yourself and sleep in a dumpster. You need to be prepared and yet creative at the same time.

Day 12 – The Importance of Having The Right Tools In Your Pack from Trayer Wilderness

Having the right things in your pack is comparable to wearing the right shoes in a race! You wouldn’t run a race in ski boots and you need to take what you are putting in your pack very seriously. There are essential things that you need to consider. Let’s break them down in this post.