Frugal Kitchens 101 - The Cost of Organic Foods

A couple of days ago I had to make a trip to one of the nearby small cities and as always managed to make a few foodie stops.  One of those stops was at the Real Canadian Super Store (RCSS) which is owned by Loblaws as is No Frills, my regular grocery store.  RCSS is like a souped up No Frills with a lot of extras, more like a Walmart but less sundry and clothing.  There is a large selection of organic foods, a fresh deli and seafood counter and small coffee shop along with a wine store and bank.  I was interested in the organic section, specifically looking for Oak Manor organic flours, organic peanut butter and organic granulated sugar.  My gosh, talk about sticker shock!

No Frills is basic shopping with a few extras and limited organic foods.  Walmart's prices is about 5% higher than No Frills and they also carry a limited range of organic foods.  Sobey's that no longer is in town had a larger selection of food but their prices would drive the average grocery cart up by about 15%.  RCSS would be about 20% higher for the average cart but that price would significantly increase if buying organic.  For example, our Walmart has organic bananas at 10¢ per pound higher than non-organic bananas but RCSS regular priced non-organic bananas were the same price as Walmart's organic bananas and their organic bananas were 30¢ per pound more!  A 1 kg jar of Kraft peanut butter at No Frills goes on sale for $3.97.  A 500 g jar of PC organic peanut butter cost me $4.29 at RCSS.   On the flip side, local organic produce in season is the same price if not a bit less than non-organic in the grocery stores and usually lower priced at farm stands, farmers' markets and orchards.   Store pricing aside, the cost of organic food is higher than non-organic for many reasons. 

The home grower and hobby farmer can grow organically for less money than it would cost to use chemical pesticides and fertilizers, they don't incur any labour costs and for the most part the yield will be as good as if not better than using non-organic growing methods.  Farmers growing produce organically for commercial purposes and wanting to label their produce as such must meet stringent criteria (eg. land must be free of pesticide use for 10 years) and they must pay for certification.  In most cases for a viable organic farm operation, labour costs will be incurred and the yield will be less because the fields cannot be watched 24/7.  Manual pest removal practices that work well for the home grower and hobby farmer are not as easy for larger scale operations.  Seriously, it takes me about 10 minutes in the early morning to check my beans for Japanese Beetles and manually remove them but imagine the manpower it would take to do this type of manual removal daily in a ten acre field.  Essentially, the higher cost of organic farming and certification for organic growers is passed on to consumers.  Food manufactures are consumers of the organic produce.  The price of the raw product is more so that cost is passed on to consumers who buy their foods.  However, there is a myth surrounding organic foods.

Many view organic foods as expensive food only yuppies or back-to-the-land folks who hang out in health food stores eat, and because of that view the food producers and manufacturers can price organic foods higher.  Think about it, free range chickens eat a normal diet of insects and vegetation rather than being grain fed.  In other words, it costs the farmer less money to raise free range chickens that produce the same number of eggs in the same amount of time (about 1 egg every 14 hours) than it does to gain feed the chickens and yet, both free range chickens and eggs are sold at a higher price than the mass produced factory grain fed chickens.  The food manufacturers can really take advantage of this.  Yes, the raw product may cost them more (eg. organic peanuts) but the end product (eg. organic peanut butter contains only peanuts) contains no preservatives or other additives so the cost of production is lower yet they sell in smaller quantities at a higher price.  Another thing to consider, it is now common for organic producers to also use Fair Trade, Ethical Trade as well as promote sustainable farming and support eco-friendly causes (eg. endangered species, wildlife habitats) by donating part of their proceeds from the product to the cause.  Food manufacturers using the Fair Trade, Ethical Trade and Dolphin Friendly pay to use that logo and must ensure they are buying from growers meeting those specifications.  Other organic food manufacturers are co-ops owned, operated and supporting local growers which helps to build a stronger local economy.  They are smaller operations that produce outstanding quality in the foods produced so that is reflected in their price.

Organic growers, food producers and manufacturers as a whole are not only concerned about healthier, safer foods.  They are concerned about social responsibility and being good stewards of the earth.  More so, the consumer holds these same concerns and in fact are demanding that the food industry make changes.  Currently, the divide continues to grow between the organic and non-organic with many now preferring to buy organic.  Organic foods need not break your wallet.  They can be every bit as frugal as non-organic foods.  In some cases organic is less expensive than non-organic especially whatever you grow yourself.  In general, organic whole foods (eg. produce, meats, flours, sugars) like their non-organic counterparts are less expensive than organic convenience foods.  I kid you not, RCSS even had organic boxed mac & cheese!  Sorry, but even paying a bit more for the organic whole foods, the price is still less expensive per gram than buying the organic mix.  However, that does show that the popularity of organic foods is growing.  I did find the price or the organic pastas a bit high which could be off set by making your own using organic flour and free range eggs or buying on sale.  I know the Bulk Barn sells organic dry pastas that are considerably less expensive than the packaged organic dry pastas at RCSS so it pays to shop around.  The one caveat when buying packaged organic foods (eg. coffees, chocolate, pastas, cereals, flours, sugars) is to look for the Canada Organic/Biologique Canada certification logo or the USDA Organic certification logo on the package.   Legally to be labelled as organic the grower must be certified and the manufacturer can only used foods produced by organic growers to label their product as organic.  Buzz words like farm fresh, home grown, organically grown are not proof of an organic product, only the certification logo is.  Be leery of buying any produce labeled as organic at farmers' markets and farm stands as unless you know the farmer, you have no idea whether they are practicing organic growing methods or not.  If in doubt, always assume they aren't.  Not that you can't buy the produce if it not organic, just be sure it is organic before paying a higher price.  When it comes to organic foods especially meats and produce, it is very much buyer beware!

Frugal Kitchens 101 - Natural Verses Organic

On this last day of 2012, the last Frugal Kitchens 101 post for 2012, I thought it would be interesting to discuss a topic that become a growing concern over the past year.  Food manufacturers have been using two product labels to help increase the sales of their products.  The first term is natural and the second is organic.  All organic foods are natural foods but many natural foods are not organic.  This creates confusion for the consumer especially when they find that their natural food product contains one or more GMO and/or synthetic food additives even though they thought they were buying a safer, healthier product.  Over the past year, a couple of the larger manufacturers (Kashi and now General Mills) have been on the hot seat over GMO and the implication of GMO ingredients in their food products.  In fact, General Mills is currently in the midst of an anti-GMO backlash after contributing $1.1 million dollars to the anti-Proposition 37 campaign in California, a bill that if passed would force the food industry in California to declare any GMO ingredients in their food products.  Despite this, the food industries use buzz phrases like 'natural source of fibre', 'farm fresh goodness', 'naturally good for you' and so on when in fact the word natural on any product is nothing more than a touchy, feel good buzz word to get the consumer to buy the product.  I grow organically, buy organic meats/poultry/eggs and use both edible and inedible organic products.  If I have a choice between organic and non-organic, organic wins every time.  So what is the difference between natural and organic AND why is organic the frugal choice?

Natural

• The word natural or any implication that the food product is natural is merely a sales tactic.  It implies the food is good for you in some way playing off the consumer's belief that natural is better.  The reality is there are a lot of natural substances that are toxic to the human body and even have the potential to be fatal (eg. Bella Dona, poison ivy).
• No certification or testing is required in order for the food manufacturer to use the word natural. 
• Although the word natural implies healthier, better for you it in no way guarantees the absence of GMO ingredients nor does it guarantee less sodium, sugar, fat or preservatives.
• The word natural especially when used to describe food additives is about as confusing as it gets.  Dried beaver castor glands (anal sacs) are used as a natural food flavouring for vanilla, raspberry and strawberry flavoured foods and beverages.  True, the castor glands are natural but let's face it if the food industry actually put that on their food products rather than 'natural flavour', how fast do you think that product would sell?
• Any product labelled as natural is usually so heavily processed to begin with.  Heavily processed foods are a poor food value choice because they are high in calories, high in food additives especially sodium/sugar and high priced when compared to whole foods.
• In general any food product labelled natural is close to the same price as similar products not labelled as natural.  There are exceptions (eg. PC natural vinegar $2.99/4L vs PC plain vinegar $1.49/4L) but for the most part most foods labelled as natural won't increase your food budget.

Organic

• In order to use the word organic on a food product, the food manufacturer must be government certified BUT more importantly the food producer (farmer, grower) must be government certified as using organic growing methods.  This includes testing to ensure petroleum products are not used on or near the fields, no synthetic pesticides or herbicides AND the soil, growing area cannot have any of the above in or around it for a period of a number of years that includes regular testing before the farmer is ever granted organic certification.  The regulations are very stringent.  For example, to be certified an organic grower you cannot use manure from a source where the animal was exposed to growth hormones or anti-biotics.  In addition to all the rules, regulations and testing, the entire certification process is expensive.
• The word organic is viewed by many consumers as meaning a more expensive product.  This may or may not be the case depending on what food it is.  For example, I can buy locally grown, organic produce in season from the farm and roadside stands considerably less expensive than buying non-organic produce in the grocery store.  In short, the organic grower can have lower yield and higher costs which may or may not be reflected in the price of the produce.
• Consider what you are buying when buying a certified organic food or food product.  It was grown on a smaller farm using organic growing methods so you aren't getting pesticide residue, synthetic chemicals leaching into the food, and in most cases the food has been harvested manually (aka providing jobs).  It hasn't been injected with artificial dyes to make the fruit look ripe as some commercially grown citrus fruits are.  It has not been sprayed with ethylene to make it convenient for the farmer to harvest the field all at once even though some of the produce is not ripe as is common practice for commercially grown tomatoes.  The produce has not gone through a lye (very caustic) bath to remove skins before processing as some commercially processed vegetables do.  Organic eggs have not been washed in any chemical solution other than plain water if even that.  Aside of using organic growing methods, organic growers tend to use sustainable and eco-friendly methods.  
• Certified organic meats, poultry and dairy means you aren't ingesting anti-biotics (linked to increased anti-biotic resistance), growth hormones (now linked to girls maturing at much younger ages) and you aren't getting that extra dose of corn in the meat (corn allergies are on the rise).  You are getting a protein product that was grown using above standard animal husbandry skills where the animal lived a good life prior to slaughter.  Animals raised organically are not cooped up in small spaces where they have less than a few inches to move.  Confined like this, it is very common for hens to pick another hen to death.  The thirst for low fat, white meat has caused chicken producers to use hormones to grow chickens with larger breast to the point that even though they can only move a few inches in the crowded barns, they are so top heavy they can't even walk if they wanted to.  I've been in commercial pig and chicken operations.   Let me tell you, it is not a pretty sight!  Our beef, pork, poultry and eggs at home here in Ontario are bought directly from friends who produce organically or one of two local organic farms.  We buy certified organic meats and poultry when we are at our vacation home in Florida.  When it comes to meats and eggs, there is a big difference in flavour between organic and non-organic, with organic being far superior AND our organically raised meats and poultry are less expensive than commercially produced in the grocery store.  
• Certified organic is your guarantee that the food is not GMO.  In fact, many certified organically grown fruits and vegetables are from heirloom varieties rather than hybrids.  Heirloom varieties helps to maintain plant diversity.  Don't get me wrong as many hybrids are good as well but some hybrid varieties (eg. roma tomatoes, delicious apples) have been tweaked to the point of have no flavour.
• Certified organic produce, meats, poultry and eggs are generally grown with a 100 mile radius of your home meaning they are fresher.  They haven't had to travel the average 1,500 miles to get from grower to your table.  
• Organic really is eco-friendly.  Foods grown and produced organically have a considerably lower carbon footprint than foods grown and produced by any commercial method.  
• Organic foods have considerably less potential to cause you future health problems.  In the end, even though a organic foods and food products may cost a bit more it can save you a bundle in long term health care costs.  In fact, organic foods are healthier for you and because they tend to be grown closer to home, their nutritional value is higher.  

Drying Green Beans

Earlier this week I posted about buying 20 lb of organic green beans from the organic farm.  I ended up with 7 L jars and 24 - 500 ml jars of home canned green beans.  I am testing the Tattler reusable canning lids so 11 of the jars canned were Tattler lids while the rest were the regular, single-use, metal Bernardin canning lids.  Of those jars one of the Tattler lids failed but I think I figured out the cause.

About 19 lbs of the green beans were canned.  I reserved about 1½ lb of the green beans for drying.  Green beans are best dried when young and tender.  As with all produce choose organically grown if at all possible.

Method:  Wash and clean the ends from the beans.  Cut into 1" pieces.  Steam blaanch for 4 to 6 minutes.  Arrange on a drying tray in a single layer.  Place the drying tray over a sided baking sheet to catch any pieces that fall through the drying rack as they dry.  Dry at 125ºF until beans are brittle.  The dried beans can be used ins soups, stews and casseroles.

The green beans took overnight to dry.  Once dried I packaged into a 500 ml mason jar then vacuum sealed.  Vacuum sealing is one of the best ways to ensure dried foods are protected from humidity, rodents and insects.  This provided another good opportunity to test one of the Tattler reusable lids.  According to the package these lids can be used for vacuum sealing as well.  The Tattler lid performed without a hitch when vacuum sealed.  I removed it then replaced with a used metal lid because I have a lot of used lids but only a few Tattler lids to work with.

It will be quite some time before I will need to use Tattler lids for vacuum sealing but it is nice to know that they do seal as promised.  I use canning lids that were previously used for canning for vacuum sealing.  Once they get to a point I can no longer get a seal the lids go into the recycle bin.  It will be quite some time before I run out of used metal canning lids to use for vacuum sealing even with gradually switching to the Tattler reusable canning lids providing I am happy with the results over the testing period.

Organic Food Doesn't Have to Break the Bank

One of the biggest complaints I hear about organic food is that it is expensive.  From a home gardener perspective I understand why it it more expensive and why it is healthier for you.  Organic foods don't have the synthetic chemical residues from using synthetic pesticides.  That means those residues don't have a chance to become carcinogenic within your body.  Organic foods are by far a healthier food choice that may prevent health issues as well making them a frugal choice.

I organically grow as much produce and herbs possible.  My gardens are even expanding as I struggle to fit yet one more fruit or vegetable into them.  The strongest chemicals I use in my garden is white vinegar (weed control) and a homemade soap solution for controlling insects but only if absolutely necessary.  That's it. In addition to using organic practices I also rely fairly heavily on growing heirloom varieties.  That way I know the seed has not been genetically modified (GM0) and will breed true.

Pictured are the marketmore cucumber and my very first brandywine tomato of 2010.  Don't the look yummy?  Both are heirloom varieties.  They are good, well behaved garden performers that demand minimal attention yet reward you with wonderful tasting produce.  Seeds for either variety should be collected and stored for use in the following year's garden.

Accompanying the beautiful organic cucumber and tomato was organic, hormone free Canadian beef (roasted sirloin tip) and organic vegetables.  The potatoes were cooked in with roast while the green beans were from the jar of home canned recently done that had a lid failure so were reheated.  Everything you see on the plate is organic, pesticide and hormone free!  There are no preservatives or artificial anything.  It is just plain old fashioned, home cooked food!  Rather than thickening the gravy that was made using homecanned tomato stock I left is as an au jour.  Tomato stock is something I experimented canning last year that has been a huge success so I will be canning up a couple of cases of it this year!

So you are likely wondering how much this meal actually cost me?  The total cost for everything including the electricity to cook the meal came in at just under $11.  There was enough for 2 servings over 2 meals which works out to $2.75 per serving or in perspective almost half the price of a McDonald's Happy Meal per person and a heck of a lot healthier!  I would hazard a guess there was a lot more food than in the comparison meal as well.  If you start breaking down the cost benefits of using organic produce, meats and fish it quickly becomes apparent that yes some (not all) is a bit more costly but quite a frugal food choice.  Using organic doesn't have to break the bank.

Grilled Chicken Thighs with Organic Vegetables

This is the time of year where garden fresh vegetables are featured with most meals.  A lot of those meals involve grilling not only because it keeps the heat out of the kitchen but also for the wonderful flavour.  Grilling gives a flavour to food that you can't get by any other cooking method!

Grilled chicken is always a summer delight.  We grilled the chicken thighs mopping with Sweet Baby Ray's barbeque sauce.  The potatoes were cooked on indirect medium heat on the grill in a foil packet then garnished with garden fresh chives.  The organic zucchini was sautéd in olive oil with a little butter added for flavour. 

The lighter green round slices is an organic Armenian cucumber.  This is a long, slender fruit that tastes like a cucumber but is actually a variety of melon.  It is eaten raw or pickled.  It was an interesting side for the meal.  The next visit to the organic farm I will pick up a couple more for making pickles.

Frugal Kitchens 101 - Is Organic Food Worth It?

Organic has become the new buzzword in food over the past decade.  The reality is well before organic became a marketing buzzword, many recognized the importance of eating organically produced foods. Organic foods cost more because they are grown without the use of synthetic pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers.  The use of machinery is kept to a bare minimum to avoid contaminating the soil and in fact to be certified organic in some areas machinery cannot be used on the farms where the produce is grown.  Produce grown organically is more labour intensive and subject to a lower yield due to loss through plant diseases and insect damage.  Organic foods tend to be higher priced as a direct result of growing organically.  This week's Frugal Kitchens 101 addresses the issue of whether organic food is worth the extra cost.

Organic produce is free from synthetic pesticide, herbicide, fertilizer residues and are not genetically modified (GMO).  Organic meat products are free of animal by-product feed, antibiotics and hormones.  There has been a growing concern as to the negative side effects these residues have on the body.  It is better to avoid consuming them.  There are twelve produce items known as the dirty dozen.  These items have thin skin with no protective layer so synthetic residues can penetrate through the entire fruit or vegetable.  They are: peaches, apples, sweet bell peppers, celery, nectarines, strawberries, cherries, lettuce, grapes, pears, spinach and potatoes¹.  These fruits and vegetables should always be purchased organic.  There are 15 fruits and vegetables that are known as the clean 15.  These fruits and vegetables have a thicker skin or protective layer that prevents synthetic pesticides and fertilizers from penetrating the entire food.  They are: onion, avocado, sweet corn, pineapple, mangos, sweet peas, asparagus, kiwi, cabbage, eggplant, cantaloupe, watermelon, grapefruit, sweet potato and honeydew melon².

In my opinion the price of organic food is worth.  How do you find organic produce and other foods?  There are several available sources for organic foods.  They include:

• Grow an organic garden yourself and extend that growing greens, herbs and other fruits and vegetables indoor through the winter months.
• Shop organic fruit and vegetable stands for fresh produce.
• Take advantage of organic U-picks where picking the produce yourself is cheaper.
• Organic is the marketing buzzword so many grocery stores now have an organic foods aisle for dried (flours, cereals, grains, pastas), canned (fruits, vegetables, condiments) and bottled (fruits, vegetables, juices) foods.  Quite often organic produce is marked with some type of sign in the produce section however if it isn't check the little produce code stickers.  If the number starts with a 9 it is organic. 
• Shop specialty stores (bulk food stores, health food stores) for dried foods like cereals and grains.  Some health food stores also carry refrigerator items.
• Buy local honey directly from the beekeeper.
• Buy organic meats directly from a farmer that raises organically or buy certified organic meats in the grocery store.  Buy organic, free range chickens and eggs again either directly from the farmer or certified in the grocery stores.  In some municipalities it is possible to raise your own backyard chickens giving you a good source of fresh organic eggs.
• Many organic items such as jams, jellies, herbs, cheeses, seafood and much more can be ordered online and delivered right to your door.
• Ask at the health food store and organic stands where to find other organic growers in your area. 
• Do a Google search for organic growers in your area.

Cod with Organic Vegetables (Low Fat)

I use organic growing methods for my gardens so when I buy produce out of season I like to buy certified organic if at all possible. Last weekend one of our kids picked up a basket of organic produce for us from Pfenning's Organic Farm in Baden, Ontario. The basket contained Jona Gold apples, blood oranges, rainbow carrots, blueberries, English cucumber, yellow onions, red leaf lettuce, red potatoes and button mushrooms. The cost for all this great organic produce was $17. In comparison to fruits and vegetables that are not grown using organic methods, this produce is more expensive. However, more grocery stores are now carrying organic produce so as the demand grows, the price will decrease somewhat. Why is buying organic produce important?

Organic Produce

Organic growers use no chemical fertilizers, herbicides or fumigants so there are none of these residues remaining in the food. The food is free of toxic chemical and growing organically keeps toxic chemicals out of the air, soil and water. In addition to this, growing organically provides a safer working environment for field workers. Growing and/or buying organic produce is:

• eco-friendly
• socially responsible
• healthiers, free of toxic chemicals
• supporting sustainable farming practices

In some but not all cases, buying organic produce will cost a bit more. The reason for this is two fold. There is less demand for organic produce. Organic methods are more labour intensive. For example weeds are manually removed when growing organically rather than using a chemical herbicide. Organic farms tend to be smaller with lower yields. In addition to this, organic produce is not always blemish free and perfect looking contrary to what consumers have come to expect. As a result the uninformed consumer doesn't buy organic produce on the basis of looks and cost even though it is a healthier choice.

Ingredients

Pictured are the organic vegeatables (top) and cod (bottom) used to make an easy, low fat meal. Rainbow carrots are carrots that have been selectively bred to red, purple, yellow and white. Each have their own unique characteristics and flavours. When used as a blend they have a nice eye appeal as well as interesting flavours, quite gourmet. Rainbow carrots can easily be grown in the home garden so this will be one of my new varieties to try growing this year. Red potatoes are always a delight! We love them steamed.

Our butchershop has Highliner brand cod fillets on sale for $5.99 per pound, a $4 per lb savings. We bought 10 fillets which is enough for 2 meals for 2 adults. Cod is a lean white fish with a mild flavour and firm texture that can be baked, steamed, poached, pan fried or coated English style in batter then deep fried. It can also be used in chowders. Cod has 105 calories per 3.5 ounce (about 1 pictured fillet) serving making it a health conscious choice. It is also an economical choice in terms of price. As with all fish, it is important not to over cook cod.

The Meal

We coated the cod fillets with Krusto Fish Batter mix then pan fried until just golden. This is a fish coating that can be used dry as we did here or can be made into a batter for deep frying. We steamed the red potatoes and rainbow carrots together. Notice the contrasting colours of the carrots. The bag we got only had yellow and 2 shades of orange carrots so I will be looking for one with both red and white carrots. Adding in a few regular carrots would give a bit more contrast as well. Rounding out the meal was a small spinach side salad making for a healthy, low fat meal.

Organic Produce & Freezing Blueberries

Last Thursday I had to take a short road trip and as always I was on the look-out for places to stop for farm fresh produce. Even though the kitchen is not functional at the moment if I really had to I could can a batch of jam or prepare a small amount of food for freezing using the side burner on the outdoor grill. I stopped in at an orchard on the way home to find that the orchard is now owned by the same owners who operate two nearby health food stores. Everything is being grown using organic methods. The produce is chemical and pesticide free. Not only that but they are supporting local organic growers by buying produce they do not grow from them and selling it in their store. They have two key criteria that must be met. First the produce must be chemical and pesticide free, grown using organic methods. Second the produce must be local grown. I'm elated! One of the organic farmers I bought from decided there was no longer enough money in organic farming so has moved on leaving me looking for other organic growers.

How does this relate to this blog? Anyone who has been following this blog knows that I grow as much as possible using organic methods in raised gardens planted in the square foot gardening method using companion planting. What produce I can't or don't grow myself, I prefer organically grown local produce. Organic means I'm not getting those chemicals I work so hard to avoid. Locally grown means lower prices and keeping local area farmers aka friends, family and community members earning an income to support their families. This results in a stronger community. So the short answer is organic, locally grown produce fits in with my value system.

Organic Berries

Pictured are the organically grown blueberries, blackberries and raspberries I purchased. Now what I noticed is the organically grown raspberries were $1 per quart cheaper than where I normally buy them. Now I'm hit with a delimna as where I normally buy them is considerably closer to where we live. It is a small mom & pop operation and we know the family. What I will end up doing is supporting both as you really can't have too many raspberries.

The organically grown blackberries are huge! They have a wonderful flavour as well. The first quart is destined for topping plain homemade yogurt for breakfast. I will pick up enough for low sugar blackberry jam my next trip. I will also be picking up other berries to make a low sugar, tri-berry jam.

Blueberries are one of the healthiest berries you can eat. They are rich in anti-oxidants that neutralize the damaging free radicals in your body. The organically blueberries are large and sweet. At $4 per quart they are less expensive than those in the grocery store! I will be buying blueberries for canning syrup, jam and pie fill but blueberries are ever so easy to freeze!

Method: Pour ripe, unwashed blueberries onto a sided baking sheet in a single layer. Flash freeze. Pour the desired amount (1 c or 2 c) frozen berries in a vacuum freezer bag or zipper style bag. Vacuum seal. To use, pour the berries into a food strainer. Rinse with cold water then use in your recipe of choice.

Raw Honey

One of the first things I do when trying a new recipe is to adjust the sweetener. If a recipe calls for granulated sugar, it is replaced with either organic sugar in a lesser amount if possible or honey. One of the reasons for this is reducing heavily processed foods where possible. The other reason is flavour. White granulated sugar adds only sweetness, no flavour and is heavily refined. Honey is by far my favourite sweetener for cooking or baking. Not only does it add flavour but also health benefits.

Raw Honey

I buy my raw honey from a local beekeeper several times a year. Local honey is important because there is less chance of developing an allergy to it. The best time to buy honey is in the summer and fall months when it is freshest. The colour of the honey will range of a pale amber to a deep golden amber depending on what flowers the bees collected the nectar from. The darker the honey the stronger the flavour. If buying honey in the stores, look for 100% pure.

Honey is about 25% sweeter than sugar because it has a higher fructose content. It is easier to digest than white sugar. To substitute 1 c white sugar use 2/3 c honey. Not only do you get more flavour but you save calories as well. Honey adds moisture that gives a nice texture to baked goods. When baking with honey reduce the oven temperature by 15ºC (25ºF).

Store honey in air tight containers to prevent the honey from absorbing moisture from the air in a cool, dry place. I like to vacuum seal in 500 ml mason jars for storage. Honey will keep almost indefinitely but will crystallize during storage. This does not harm the honey as it a natural property. If this happens, simply warm the container in hot water for 15 minutes. Do not microwave as this will alter the flavour. Store bought liquid honey is pasteurized to prevent crystallization whereas raw honey is not so it will crystallize sooner.

Raw honey is anti-bacterial, anti-viral and anti-fungal as well as having anti-tumour and anti-oxident properties. As a food, honey provides a lot of health benefits. Honey's antiseptic properties have been used for wound healing for centuries. The darker the honey the better it is for burn healing. Honey can be used in homemade skin treatments like facials.

Warning: Honey or honey- containing products should not be fed to infants under the age of one. Honey may contain Clostridium botulinum spores and toxin that can cause infant botulism. Honey is safe for those over the age of one year.

With all the benefits honey has to offer, this is one staple that should be on your shelves!

Ten Ways to Go Green in the Kitchen

Ten Ways to Go Green in the Kitchen

1. compost kitchen scraps
2. replace old refridgerator with Energy Star® qualified refridgerator
3. buy organic foods
4. avoid buying over-packaged foods
5. store foods in re-useable containers
6. concentrate on in-season food grown locally
7. cook from scratch
8. buy foods in recycleable containers
9. use dishcloths instead of paper towels
10. use non-toxic cleaners