Sourwood honey is among the 3 top kinds of honey in the U. S., and it is also very popular worldwide. Undoubtedly, it has won multiple out of the six contests for world champion honey. The Appalachians in North Georgia, North Carolina, and some parts of Tennessee are where it comes from. It is picked from June to July whenever the Sourwood trees are in full bloom.
Furthermore, It has received its name from the sourness of its leaves, which hikers and rock climbers have used to quench their thirst. But it doesn’t taste at all like sourness.
Honey has a taste that is all its own: fragrant, floral, and buttery. It also has a very light, amber color, which is different from the dark, rich taste of honey from tulip poplar trees. It tastes so good that foodies from all over the world want it very much. It smells like cinnamon, cloves, and anise, all mixed.
Benefits of Sourwood Honey for Your Health
- It can reduce inflammation and help heal wounds
- Easing the symptoms of a cold or cough
- Gives you energy
- Some tasty Recipes; you may try at home
Basic ingredients
You will get the most benefits from Sourwood Honey when it is in its raw, natural state. This is because, like milk, honey is often heated to make it last longer. But this kills most of the raw healthy nutrients, enzymes, and vitamins. Because of this, you should only use raw honey.
One serving has 60 calories, 17 grams of carbohydrates, and 0 grams of fat and protein in just one tablespoon.
It contains vitamins and minerals, especially A, C, D, and E. Moreover, it also has a lot of B vitamins, such as thiamine, niacin, riboflavin, pantothenic, and other amino acids. B vitamins help with your metabolism, your energy level, and the way your brain works. The B vitamins and carbohydrates in the honey make this treat a great way to give your body more energy.
Like most raw honey, it has essential trace minerals, including calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, and zinc.
Benefits of Sourwood Honey for Your Health
Researchers have found that all types of honey are good for you, but the health benefits of Sourwood honey are unique.
It can reduce inflammation and help heal wounds
Since ancient times, honey has been utilized to help heal wounds. It helps a wound heal because it kills bacteria and reduces inflammation.
When honey is put on a wound, its slightly acidic pH (between 3.2 and 4.5) makes the blood release oxygen, which helps the wound heal. The acidic pH also reduces the number of proteases (usually present between a pH of 4 and above). Enzymes called proteases break enzymes into amino acid residues and peptides. Too much protease activity can make it harder for a wound to heal and slow down the healing process.
Also, the natural sugar in it adds to its healing properties. Even though sugar has an osmotic effect, which means it draws water out of tissues, it soaks any moisture bacteria cells need to stay alive. When there are no bacteria in the wound, this can heal much faster.
Loaded with antioxidants
This honey has a lot of antioxidants, like flavonoids, phenolic acids, beta-carotene derivative products, organic acids, amino acids, and more. These antioxidants can help prevent several diseases, such as cancer, heart disease, inflammatory disorders, neurodegeneration, and aging in general.
Antioxidants help your body fight free radicals. Your body’s normal metabolic processes make free radicals, but things like UV light, a bad diet, and air pollutants can also make them.
If you eat honey, you can stop this oxidation reaction from happening, keeping your tissues healthier for longer.
Easing the symptoms of a cold or cough
The antioxidants, antibacterial, and antimicrobial properties of this honey make it the ideal medicine to battle colds, coughs, and other flu symptoms.
Its thick texture also naturally soothes a sore throat, and its high nutrient content helps the immune system. This makes you feel better faster and reduces the chance of getting a cold in the future.
In one study, 139 children have been coughing. It was found that honey helped ease, especially at night, coughing fits and improved sleep more effectively than the famous cough respiratory depressant dextromethorphan and even decongestant.
Gives you energy
This amazing product can boost your energy right away.Honey’s natural sugars make it a healthy way to get calls and energy when your body needs them most. Indeed, it is a great way to fight fatigue and satisfy your body’s natural desire for something sweet.
This is because honey is made up of sugars that are easy for the body to break down, like fructose and glucose. Once the honey is digested, it is easy for the body to turn it into energy. It is also high in calories, with only 20 g giving you 3% of your daily energy needs.
Some tasty Recipes; you may try at home
This honey’s unique flavor makes it a great ingredient for cooking. You can drizzle it on pancakes, cheeses, pieces of bread, granola, and oatmeal, but you can also use it in sauces, marinades, muffins, and other dishes.
Following are a few suggestions to get you going:
Honey can be used anywhere sugar is used, but since it is sweeter than sugar, only 3/4 of a cup of honey is needed for 1 cup. Honey BBQ sauce (It is frequently the secret ingredient), hot cornbread with sourwood honey and a little butter on top, mini honey muffins, honey muffins, sweetie waffles or waffles, and honey bread pudding are all good ways to serve this amazing product.
Inside the Appalachian Mountains, “switched” was a beverage for hot summers when people made hay. A ½ cup of honey and a 1/2 cup of cider vinegar were blended. This was kept in a jar, and to make a refreshing drink, four teaspoons of the combination were added to a glass of water.
Conclusion
In the Appalachians, these petals are called “angel fingers,” where the name Lily-of-the-Valley tree comes from. The leaves smell and taste sour (or sharply acidic), which is how the tree got its name (from oxalic acid). The word “oxy” means “sharp” or “acidic” in Greek, and “dendron” means “tree.” In the fall, leaves turn bright red, tangerine, and scarlet shades.
