TIP OF THE DAY: Organic Honey From Whole Foods Markets

September 1, 2013 at 8:40 am · Filed under Food Holidays, Honey-Sugar-Syrup, Organic, Rosh Hashanah

September is National Honey Month, a good reason to focus on our favorite ways to use honey.

Even if you’re not Jewish, you can start this week with a Rosh Hashanah tradition:

Celebrate the Jewish New Year with a traditional snack of apples and honey. The custom ushers in a sweet new year.

We never thought to dip apples and honey until we were invited to our neighbors’ home one Rosh Hashanah 10 years ago. It’s become a favorite treat.

TIP: Instead of placing the honey into a small dish for dipping, as in the photo, think of hollowing out a large apple and placing it, filled with honey, in the center of a plate of apple slices.

We recently discovered that there’s a special prayer to recite before the honey and apples are consumed. THE NIBBLE doesn’t publish religious content, but we were so charmed by the thought of a prayer of thanks for honey and apples that we couldn’t resist:

Honey and apples are a Rosh Hashanah tradition. Photo courtesy Voices-Magazine.Blogspot.com.

Recite the first part of the prayer: Blessed are you Lord, our God, Ruler of the world, Creator of the fruit of the tree. (In Hebrew: Baruch atah Ado-nai, Ehlo-haynu melech Ha-olam, Borai p’ree ha’aritz.)

Take a bite of an apple slice dipped in honey.

Recite the second part of the prayer: May it be Your will, Adonai, our God and the God of our forefathers, that You renew for us a good and sweet year. (In Hebrew: Y’hee ratzon mee-l’fanekha, Adonai Elohaynu v’elohey avoteynu sh’tichadeish aleinu shanah tovah um’tuqah.

Enjoy the rest of the apples and honey.

The new 365 Organic Mountain Forest Honey
line. Photo courtesy Whole Foods Market.

CERTIFIED ORGANIC HONEY FROM WHOLE FOODS

Just in time for fall apple-dipping, Whole Foods Market has introduced 365 Everyday Value Mountain Forest Honey, U.S. Grade A in four varieties:

Light Amber

Amber

Raw Honey

White Raw Honey

Organic honey is made from the nectar of plants in fields that have not been treated with chemical pesticide. The fields must be pesticide-free for 20 miles in every direction of the beehives.

In addition to organic certification, the honeys are also Whole Trade, a certification similar to Fair Trade. It ensures that the products were produced in a way that ensures fair prices to producers, safe and healthy working conditions for farm workers and environmentally-friendly production. (More about Fair Trade and similar certifying organizations).

RECIPES WITH HONEY

Try honey in these delicious recipes from Whole Foods:

Honey Lime Salmon Kabobs

Honey Mustard Coleslaw

Baklava With Honey Syrup

MORE BUZZ ABOUT HONEY

Here’s everything you need to know about honey: types, storing and using, pairing, trivia, history, and more recipes.

Have a sweet September.

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