Most people know honey from their excursions to the grocery store, but few realize the importance of honey not only to us but also to the bees that produce it. Honey is a viscous food substance that bees make from floral nectar or from honeydew and is stored in honeycombs for use by the bees or by humans if they harvest it.

Honey has been used by humans for thousands of years as not only a sweetener but also to make alcoholic beverages and as medicine. It has been such an important product that there has even been a month created to celebrate it. September is known as National Honey Month. This month is the perfect time for people to enjoy honey in a variety of different ways.

The History of National Honey Month

This month, like many food observances that fall during September, was initially created at the end of the 1980s, in 1989, to be exact. This is when the National Honey Board created the month to not only encourage people to purchase more honey but also to support the beekeepers and honey manufacturers around the U.S.

Interesting Facts About Honey

We wanted to learn more about honey, so we rolled up our sleeves and did some research on the Internet. We then gathered all of these facts and placed them in a bulleted list below so all of our readers can enjoy them. We hope they’re as entertaining as they are educational.

• Foraging bees have to fly a total of 55,000 miles to produce a single pound of honey.
• Natural honey is filled with flower pollen grains known as melissopalynology.
• Honey has both antiseptic and antibacterial properties.

Observing National Honey Month

National Honey Month is best celebrated, at least in our opinion, by thinking about the bees that help to harvest our honey. Currently, these little creatures are facing a crisis as pesticides and climate change have had a negative impact on their population numbers.

That’s why we encourage everyone to learn more about bees during this month and to find out what they can do to be advocates for the honey bee. People can also use this month to enjoy honey or dishes made with honey.

Honey is a versatile ingredient that can be enjoyed in all kinds of different dishes. Some of our favorite honey dishes include Gingered Honey Salmon, Herb Chicken with Honey Butter, Honey Cornbread, and Honey Cinnamon Bars. People should also take the time to share their honey recipes online using the hashtag #NationalHoneyMonth.