How to use honey (and five favorite recipes)

Right this minute in The Perfect Pantry, I can show you six jars of honey. Really. Six. One is from Costa Rica, a gift from Cousin Martin. Another my husband Ted and I snagged at a monthly Boston event called Mass Innovation Nights, an entrepreneurs' showcase. The others are local. Very local. From my friend Christine's farm in the next town from mine, from Aquidneck Honey in Rhode Island, from farms near Boston. Each honey tastes unique, reflecting the characteristics of the area where those bees have grazed.

The one pantry ingredient that does not spoil, honey might crystallize or even change color if stored in the cupboard (no need to refrigerate) for a long time. It will be perfectly safe to use, and a few seconds in a microwave will restore the viscosity. For more about honey, see my original ingredient post.

These five recipes top my list of sweet and savory favorites made with honey:

Broccoli slaw salad with honey-mustard yogurt dressing pairs perfectly with grilled chicken, pork or beef.

The honey-mustard combination works well in a vinaigrette, too, and it's the perfect dressing for this deconstructed spinach salad.

Honey provides the body for the ponzu and honey glaze on this grilled flank steak. (Ponzu is a mix of soy sauce and citrus.)

At this time of year, you can never have too many great side dishes on the picnic table. Try this black bean, quinoa and red pepper salad with honey-lime vinaigrette.

For dessert, give these honey gingerbread cookies a try, perhaps with a scoop of vanilla ice cream close at hand.

What's your favorite way to use honey?

The one pantry ingredient that does not spoil, honey might crystallize or even change color if stored in the cupboard (no need to refrigerate) for a long time. It will be perfectly safe to use, and a few seconds in a microwave will restore the viscosity. For more about honey, see my original ingredient post.

These five recipes top my list of sweet and savory favorites made with honey:

Broccoli slaw salad with honey-mustard yogurt dressing pairs perfectly with grilled chicken, pork or beef.

The honey-mustard combination works well in a vinaigrette, too, and it's the perfect dressing for this deconstructed spinach salad.

Honey provides the body for the ponzu and honey glaze on this grilled flank steak. (Ponzu is a mix of soy sauce and citrus.)

At this time of year, you can never have too many great side dishes on the picnic table. Try this black bean, quinoa and red pepper salad with honey-lime vinaigrette.

For dessert, give these honey gingerbread cookies a try, perhaps with a scoop of vanilla ice cream close at hand.

What's your favorite way to use honey?

Comments

I can never resist a jar of honey. I'm heading out East today to pick blueberries, and I'm hoping for a new selection at the farm stand. I really love to drizzle it over Greek Yogurt, and use it as a flavor booster in home baked bread.

All these recipes sound so good!

OOHHH these all look incredible! I love honey in all the same things listed like dressings, as a a tea sweetners etc, but my favorites are in the smoothies I make for my husband and in the brines for my pork/chicken.

I am a honey lover and always have a few jars in my cupboard. I always try to buy local, and my sister just got her bee hives, so I'm hoping this time next year, I will be having extremely local honey.

TW, I also love honey over Greek yogurt, and in yogurt smoothies (of which we've been consuming quite a lot around here).

Kalyn, truly it was hard to choose favorites.

Carol, our "house" salad dressing calls for honey or agave nectar. I don't really have a sweet tooth, but honey balances out the vinegar flavors.

Kristi, how exciting, to have honey in the family!

I'd have to say that my pantry looks the same. What's left of some thyme honey from Greece years ago, blackberry honey and some local Arlo's honey. Loving all the choices.

Bellini, blackberry honey sounds wonderful. I've never had anything like that.

Lydia,
I only have 1 jar of honey in my pantry, but it does just fine--I buy it by the giant bucket (Hillsdale, MI county fair honey ran out recently and was replaced by farmer's market honey). And local honey in Ohio is considerably cheaper than local honey in the DC area. I guess the rent for hive space is correspondingly higher.

Your recipes look marvelous, especially the spinach salad. My spinach bolted but I hear the farm share still has some.

Thanks!

I have 3 jars in my pantry currently. My current favorite is one I got at a local vineyard here on Long Island. So tasty. I love to make my own honey mustard, as a glaze on carrots, and in many marinades. I can't wait to try your flank steak!

Kirsten, how great that you can get local honey by the bucket! Reminds of of our local maple syrup...

Winnie, somehow the honey we buy close to home always tastes best, doesn't it? I wonder if that's because the scents of our area are built into it.

Honey mustard dressing on spinach salad sounds good to me right now for lunch! Great ideas Lydia.

Jeanette, I make a good sized jar of this dressing and keep it in the refrigerator. This salad would be a great lunch today. Too hot to cook!

I have two 5-gallon buckets of honey in my pantry from our own bees. :-) That's the only kind we use. Honestly, no others really compare. Love all these recipes, Lydia, and that you're spreading the bee and honey love! ;-)

Shirley