Excerpt The Beekeeper's Digest Copyright © Deborah Dolen 2011 This e-book is available in full version on Amazon Kindle and Barnes and Noble Nook. By Deborah Dolen Mabel White
Favorite Formula’s From Beekeeper’s Digest (Excerpt)
Copyright 2006 Deborah Dolen Photo of Deborah Dolen courtesy of World News
The bee is such a magical pest, among many other credits, we owe 30% or more of our food crops to pollination from bees. In 2007 many bees started dying as their immune systems seemed trashed. They were catching everything so it was hard to isolate the cause. Rumors from cell phone towers to pesticides were rampant. This was distressing news to me also. It took a few more years for me to understand Monsanto, a relationship to Monarch Butterflies dying just from being brushed with genetically modified corn pollen-that I began to understand my take on what may be responsible for dropping the immune systems of the bees. Cornell University conducted the Monarch Butterfly experiments. Cornell knew as early as 1999 there were serious environmental ramifications regarding altering DNA and then introducing it into our food chain.
About the same time we had bee issues in the states I was filming in London when I received an invite to be a teacher on a Mercy Ship. The specific area had to do with teaching beekeepers in Africa what finished products to make with their bee by-products and I would stay on a rather new ship. I actually found that to be a fascinating challenge, I had been wanting to learn beekeeping. If I had been able to attend I would have been with the best beekeeping master the world had to offer on that ship and on land. I also had waited ten years to be accepted into the Mercy program and the timing could not have been worse. I caught pneumonia in London and spent several week recovering in Florida. While in bed recovering I studied more about bees and bee by-products. I ended up writing a book as a permanent way of teaching products people can make with bee by-products in lieu of my absence. The beekeeper’s digest is a result of my passion for bees and my odd gift of industry.
In the book I discuss it is important, as just a consumer, to know your source of your honey. I buy bee by-products from the least polluted areas, even as high up as north Canada. What they are pollinating off of can also be medicinal, so I also buy from areas in Oregon that are plush with Eucalyptus and lavender fields. This is essentially how the Manuka honey zone became popular in New Zealand. So, I buy honey from everywhere as long as I know the pollination source and its attributes.
My favorite honey recipe is a medicinal type syrup. You can also do many variations of this basic syrup and they are discussed in the recipe below. Vegetable glycerin is not a must, and can be substituted with more honey in its place. But vegetable glycerin is a really good humectant for dry mucus membranes. It is not always easy to find locally though. I dubbed this recipe “United Kingdom” because I was in London at the time I wrote it and was with a bunch of herbalist at Napier’s. Their input helped me build this recipe and its variations.
Basic Honey Cough Syrup with Lemon and Glycerin: United Kingdom
Copyright 2006 Deborah Dolen Photo of Deborah Dolen courtesy of World News
The bee is such a magical pest, among many other credits, we owe 30% or more of our food crops to pollination from bees. In 2007 many bees started dying as their immune systems seemed trashed. They were catching everything so it was hard to isolate the cause. Rumors from cell phone towers to pesticides were rampant. This was distressing news to me also. It took a few more years for me to understand Monsanto, a relationship to Monarch Butterflies dying just from being brushed with genetically modified corn pollen-that I began to understand my take on what may be responsible for dropping the immune systems of the bees. Cornell University conducted the Monarch Butterfly experiments. Cornell knew as early as 1999 there were serious environmental ramifications regarding altering DNA and then introducing it into our food chain.
About the same time we had bee issues in the states I was filming in London when I received an invite to be a teacher on a Mercy Ship. The specific area had to do with teaching beekeepers in Africa what finished products to make with their bee by-products and I would stay on a rather new ship. I actually found that to be a fascinating challenge, I had been wanting to learn beekeeping. If I had been able to attend I would have been with the best beekeeping master the world had to offer on that ship and on land. I also had waited ten years to be accepted into the Mercy program and the timing could not have been worse. I caught pneumonia in London and spent several week recovering in Florida. While in bed recovering I studied more about bees and bee by-products. I ended up writing a book as a permanent way of teaching products people can make with bee by-products in lieu of my absence. The beekeeper’s digest is a result of my passion for bees and my odd gift of industry.
In the book I discuss it is important, as just a consumer, to know your source of your honey. I buy bee by-products from the least polluted areas, even as high up as north Canada. What they are pollinating off of can also be medicinal, so I also buy from areas in Oregon that are plush with Eucalyptus and lavender fields. This is essentially how the Manuka honey zone became popular in New Zealand. So, I buy honey from everywhere as long as I know the pollination source and its attributes.
My favorite honey recipe is a medicinal type syrup. You can also do many variations of this basic syrup and they are discussed in the recipe below. Vegetable glycerin is not a must, and can be substituted with more honey in its place. But vegetable glycerin is a really good humectant for dry mucus membranes. It is not always easy to find locally though. I dubbed this recipe “United Kingdom” because I was in London at the time I wrote it and was with a bunch of herbalist at Napier’s. Their input helped me build this recipe and its variations.
Basic Honey Cough Syrup with Lemon and Glycerin: United Kingdom
Copyright © Deborah Dolen 2006-2011
Makes 8 ounces or 234 ml
2 lemons
4 Ounces Vegetable Glycerin (117 ml)
4 Ounce Honey (117 Ml)
The recipe is basically one part honey to one part vegetable glycerin. Heat the lemons by boiling them in water for 10 minutes. Cut in half and squeeze out the juice. Add the glycerin and honey. Take 1 tsp as needed. Cute if packaged in Boston Round type bottles.
Variations of Cough Honey and Glycerin Cough Syrup
You can get fancy and add any of the following to enhance your basic recipe. ¼ part to all Triple strength Horehound Tea, and/or a Teaspoon of whiskey (if for an adult.) ONE drop of Thyme essential oil. Thyme is VERY potent and could be hard on the liver. One or two drops is enough. A drop or two of Anise essential oil (tastes like licorice.) Menthol crystals can be added and would dissolve in the heat phase. ¼ teaspoon of menthol crystals if you have them.
In addition to Horehound's expectorant and demulcent qualities, as an antispasmodic it helps to relax the coughing spasms so common with bronchitis. The added sweetness of horehound candy/cough drops that are available commercially makes the very bitter herb more accessible. Or one can obtain Horehound's healing qualities with a tea, tincture, or syrup. Hyssop is similar in chemical makeup and function to horehound but is much less bitter. Both of these herbs mix well with peppermint. Some other herbs that can be helpful in treating coughs are: wild cherry bark, violets, osha, bee balm, slippery elm, nasturtium, red clover and plantain. Ginger, ground cloves and cinnamon can also be great variations. Cinnamon by nature is very strong. Like Thyme, be very prudent with it.
Makes 8 ounces or 234 ml
2 lemons
4 Ounces Vegetable Glycerin (117 ml)
4 Ounce Honey (117 Ml)
The recipe is basically one part honey to one part vegetable glycerin. Heat the lemons by boiling them in water for 10 minutes. Cut in half and squeeze out the juice. Add the glycerin and honey. Take 1 tsp as needed. Cute if packaged in Boston Round type bottles.
Variations of Cough Honey and Glycerin Cough Syrup
You can get fancy and add any of the following to enhance your basic recipe. ¼ part to all Triple strength Horehound Tea, and/or a Teaspoon of whiskey (if for an adult.) ONE drop of Thyme essential oil. Thyme is VERY potent and could be hard on the liver. One or two drops is enough. A drop or two of Anise essential oil (tastes like licorice.) Menthol crystals can be added and would dissolve in the heat phase. ¼ teaspoon of menthol crystals if you have them.
In addition to Horehound's expectorant and demulcent qualities, as an antispasmodic it helps to relax the coughing spasms so common with bronchitis. The added sweetness of horehound candy/cough drops that are available commercially makes the very bitter herb more accessible. Or one can obtain Horehound's healing qualities with a tea, tincture, or syrup. Hyssop is similar in chemical makeup and function to horehound but is much less bitter. Both of these herbs mix well with peppermint. Some other herbs that can be helpful in treating coughs are: wild cherry bark, violets, osha, bee balm, slippery elm, nasturtium, red clover and plantain. Ginger, ground cloves and cinnamon can also be great variations. Cinnamon by nature is very strong. Like Thyme, be very prudent with it.
Gardeners Hand Crème Makes 6 Ounces or 170 Grams
Copyright © Deborah Dolen 2006-2011
Copyright © Deborah Dolen 2006-2011
2 Ounces Castor Oil (56 Grams)
2 Ounces of Olive Oil (56 Grams)
2 Ounces of Beeswax (56 Grams)
2 Tablespoons of Sterile Warm Water
1/2 Teaspoon White China Clay
½ Teaspoon of Borax
9 Drops of Peppermint Essential Oil
9 Drops of Orange, or Mandarin Essential Oil
Using a dependable heat proof glass measuring cup, melt the beeswax in the microwave for about 5 minutes—continually watching it. Remove with gloves and stir. Heat a few more minutes if the beeswax is not almost melted.
Remove again with mittens to avoid being burned. Slowly add the china clay in while using a hand held whipper or whisk and then add the water with the borax into it while still whipping. Add the essential oils last. Your creation should start looking “fluffy” and is ready to go into containers. Use a spatula to work it into you jars and avoid air pockets. If it is not binding, try to whip more and add another teaspoon of borax.
Copyright © Deborah Dolen 2006-2011
No honey book would be complete without this!
1 Cup of Honey
1 Cup of Sugar
2 Cups of Dry Powdered Milk
2 Ounces of Almond Paste or Crushed Almonds
To Make:
Melt the honey, sugar and almonds until reaching 270 degrees F, stirring constantly as not to scorch. Let cool to 180 F and then stir in dried milk powder. Allow to cool to 110 degrees F and then roll onto a cutting board. Cut into rectangular chucks. Allow to harden. Wrap in wax paper to store. This makes about 6 dozen pieces.
A Variation of this high energy treat is known as Halva.
2 cups brown sesame seeds1/2 cup flax seeds4 T honey4 T sesame oil
Finely grind all dry ingredients together and then slowly add warm honey and sesame oil. You can roll these into balls and store in the refrigerator. We like to dip ours in “dipping chocolate” and at times add pistachios to the mix.
No honey book would be complete without this!
1 Cup of Honey
1 Cup of Sugar
2 Cups of Dry Powdered Milk
2 Ounces of Almond Paste or Crushed Almonds
To Make:
Melt the honey, sugar and almonds until reaching 270 degrees F, stirring constantly as not to scorch. Let cool to 180 F and then stir in dried milk powder. Allow to cool to 110 degrees F and then roll onto a cutting board. Cut into rectangular chucks. Allow to harden. Wrap in wax paper to store. This makes about 6 dozen pieces.
A Variation of this high energy treat is known as Halva.
2 cups brown sesame seeds1/2 cup flax seeds4 T honey4 T sesame oil
Finely grind all dry ingredients together and then slowly add warm honey and sesame oil. You can roll these into balls and store in the refrigerator. We like to dip ours in “dipping chocolate” and at times add pistachios to the mix.
Excerpt The Beekeeper's Digest Copyright © Deborah Dolen 2011 This e-book is available in full version on Amazon Kindle and Barnes and Noble Nook. By Deborah Dolen Mabel White
Visit us on fr f YT Subscribe Free Top Supplies Archives Members
Share
*Republish my work all you like-but make sure I get credit, a link to this source, and it is for positive and like purposes.
