Long-term emergency meals? Check. Water storage and filtration? Check. Honey?
This versatile food and first aid item might not be stockpiled in your survival pantry yet, but it sure will be soon!
When you consider the kind of supplies to stock up on in the event of an emergency, honey might be the last thing on your list. Sure, it makes a sweet stir-in for beverages and breads, but how can it help when your survival is at stake?
There are multiple uses for honey in an emergency. Keep reading to find out how honey can come to your aid when it matters most!
Treating Ailments & Improving Health
Cleans Wounds
Making your way through an emergency can get messy. A common cleaning chemical, hydrogen peroxide, can keep wounds clean and help them heal quickly.
How? Honey naturally contains hydrogen peroxide! According to WebMD, honey has natural antibacterial properties that can help speed up wound healing. When the glucose in honey is diluted, hydrogen peroxide is released. To initiate this process, mix honey with water or spread it onto an open wound. When applied directly to an abrasion, honey will work to prevent the appearance of scars and stop wounds from sticking to bandages, gauze, and other dressings.
In addition to antiseptic properties, honey also has antibacterial benefits. Bacteria, germs, and microorganisms are trapped and killed off, all thanks to an acidic pH balance and viscous base.
Treats Burns
From fire starting to meal preparation, a few burned fingers might be on the menu. Smear honey onto each spot for fast relief and reduced scarring.
Reduces Inflammation
Loaded with high levels of antioxidants, honey has long been used to lower inflammation.
Improves Allergies
Out in the wild? Bug bites, poisonous plants, and changes in the season can all cause allergic reactions. And while the science isn’t quite there to prove it, rumor has it that consuming locally harvested honey can strengthen your immune system and minimize allergic reactions to plant pollen. The Mayo Clinic suggests that local honey can help acclimate your body to the allergens in your area, potentially reducing symptoms.
If you end up in an emergency situation, give it a shot and see how it helps!
Fortifies Blood Formation
Sweet and sugary honey is filled with glucose. Glucose, a sugar found in food, transforms into an energy source as it becomes absorbed by the bloodstream. It fortifies blood formation, giving it the ideal consistency for flowing smoothly through the vessels.
Balances Blood Sugar
Once the glucose from food is absorbed by the bloodstream, it becomes blood glucose, more commonly called blood sugar.
Honey is a natural source of sugar. While it raises blood sugar, it doesn’t result in the spike that refined sugar causes. The combination of sugar and carbohydrates in honey keeps blood sugar in a balanced, healthy range.
Soothes Sore Throats
Can’t find the cold and flu medicine? No worries. As it turns out, a helping of honey might be a better medicine anyway!
Mix honey with fresh-squeezed lemon juice, then stir and sip. This mixture will soothe your sore throat. Be sure to keep it up until your cold passes.
Minimizes Acid Reflux
Acid reflux may be minor, but the frustration it causes can be major. To relieve acid reflux, consume one tablespoon of honey every day.
Balances Gut Biome
Bunkered down or on the run, an emergency might bring unfamiliar foods. And an upset stomach can seriously slow you down during disaster!
Honey’s antibacterial benefits add balance to the microbiome of your gut. With just a few teaspoons each day, good gut bacteria can flourish while the bad bacteria falls away.
Reduces Nausea
The thickness of honey can come in handy when your stomach is queasy. It will coat your stomach, soothing discomfort and stopping the rumbles and grumbles. Simply swallow it straight or combine it with a clear liquid before consuming.
Packed with powerful enzymes, honey can take a stand against the harmful bacteria that often leads to sick feelings. An added bonus? They can better break down food and improve overall digestion.
Promoting Personal Care & Wellness
Skin Moisturizer
Is your skin suffering in the frigid winter or dry, desert heat? There’s a reason that hand soaps, body lotions, and hair treatments often have honey in the ingredients list—honey comes packed with moisturizing properties that are gentle on sensitive skin.
To make your own moisturizer, combine four tablespoons of honey with a few tablespoons of flour and egg whites. Stir the mixture until it reaches your preferred consistency. Then, use it to hydrate your body, hands, or face.
Acne Treatment
Though honey is an excellent alternative to the harsh chemicals that can be added to care products, it still remains capable of reducing acne and other blemishes.
Simply apply a small dollop to each pimple, then cover with adhesive gauze or bandages. Repeat this process until the appearance of acne has faded.
Dental Care
Short on toothpaste? Honey can help promote dental health, as well as treat tooth troubles like gum disease and decay.
Hair Conditioner
Hair care often falls to the wayside in an emergency. If your hair has become split, dry, or otherwise damaged, pour a teaspoon of honey into your shampoo bottle. Shake it up and lather it onto your hair for smoother strands.
Anxiety Reduction & Relaxation
No doubt about it, stressful feelings often arise when disaster strikes! But in the event of an emergency, everyone in your survival circle is better off being as calm and level-headed as can be.
Eating or drinking substantial servings of honey can help create those calm-down feelings. The nutrients in honey have a calming hold on the brain, and honey’s natural sugars promote the production of serotonin.
If you still have ample access to water in your specific emergency situation, draw a bath and drop in a few tablespoons of honey. Your water will smell sweet, feel soft, and send you into a relaxing state!
Sleep Support
Disaster can disrupt sleep. But when disaster strikes, a good night’s sleep is essential to survival.
Honey contains tryptophan, an amino acid that acts as a precursor to melatonin. And melatonin is the hormone responsible for indicating “bed time” to the brain and body.
Before bed, stir some honey into a warm drink—like cocoa, milk, or tea—for uninterrupted rest.
Energy Booster
Need an energy boost in an emergency? Mix honey into a glass of water, then gulp it down. The glucose in honey will help reduce fatigue, in turn increasing energy levels. As Healthline points out, natural sugars in honey can provide a quick energy boost during physical exertion.
Pairing with Food & Drink
Enhance Flavor
In survival circumstances, you might have to settle for food you normally wouldn’t come close to. (For example, parts of an animal you can barely stand to stomach!)
A hearty helping of honey can help mask the flavor of food, making it easier to get—and keep—down.
Sweetens Naturally
With the right long-term meal products and bug-out gear, you don’t have to put your favorite foods and drinks on hold.
Sweeten coffee and tea, add flavor to soups and stews, make marinades for meat, and more with a sound supply of honey.
You can even use honey to bake breads and tasty treats, as long as you have the Ember Oven around!
Substitutes Sugar
Short on sugar? Never fear, honey is here!
To replace one cup of sugar, use a three-quarter cup of honey. For the best results, reduce another liquid in the recipe by one-quarter cup and add one-quarter teaspoon of baking soda. Turn down the oven temperature 25 degrees, too.
Preserves Fruit
Help preserve your fresh, homegrown fruit with honey. Simply place the fruit in a jar, then pour one part honey to ten parts water over the fruit.
Responding to Emergencies
Repels Insects
Though they have their place in the ecosystem, insects can be a pain. They can also cause pain through bites and stings, as well as transfer dangerous diseases.
Sweet and sticky honey—when mixed with essential oils like eucalyptus or citronella—can keep insects away, preventing their itchy trail and the spread of serious illness.
Removes Parasites
Out in the woods or navigating foreign, unfamiliar areas, it’s possible to pick up a parasite. To kick that sucker out of your system, simply stir together equal parts honey, vinegar, and water, then drink.
Sustains Fires
Cook your food and keep warm in the cold with a honey-fueled fire. Gather dried leaves, small twigs, and other flammable fuel, douse it all with honey, then light.
The sugar found in honey can help ignite and sustain a flame. Fuel your fire with honey!
Barter or Trade
Arguably the most important use of all? Putting up honey for barter or trade.
In an emergency, especially a long-term emergency, currency becomes more and more useless. What people want is whatever it takes to survive.
With a long shelf life and obvious versatility, honey is invaluable in an emergency. Be sure to keep a full stock of honey in your home, just in case!
Turning Honey Crystals into Honey
Sealed inside a steel #10 can, our Honey Crystals are packaged to last as long as thirty years in proper storage.
Simply mix with water to rehydrate this real, sweet, and smooth spread!
