Which Summer Honey Recipe Will You Try First?

Honey is a versatile kitchen staple, and not just for sweet treats and desserts
Honey is fantastic in everything from salad dressings and BBQ glazes to summer puddings and prosecco cocktails
Necta & Hive premium active healing honey is rich in antioxidants and anti-inflammatories and tastes amazing.

The summer holidays are in full swing, no one can remember what number heatwave we’re on and autumn feels like months away.

Food-wise, summer menus are usually lighter and now is the perfect time to experiment with the fresh, flavourful ingredients that are in plentiful supply. We love nothing more than adding honey to our kitchen concoctions, so here’s the pick of our favourite summer honey recipes…

Honey Summer Salad Dressing

Nothing beats a salad when it’s hot outside (and inside!), but we’re talking a proper salad, not just iceberg lettuce, cucumber and tomatoes. We’re talking chopped green pepper, juicy sweetcorn, grated carrot, finely sliced red cabbage, chunks of avocado and chopped chicory (trust us, the slight bitterness it provides works really well).

Protein-wise, add whatever you fancy. Sliced roast chicken, tinned tuna and roasted chickpeas all work well.

Then it’s time for the dressing. Add the following to a glass jar with a lid (a used, clean jam jar is ideal), shake vigorously and drizzle abundantly. It’ll keep for a week or so in the fridge.

Equal parts olive oil and lemon juice (or adjust to taste) to half fill the jar
2-3 heaped teaspoons honey
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper to taste

Summer BBQ Honey Glaze

What’s the best accompaniment to a salad? A BBQ, of course! Whatever you’re grilling, this homemade glaze can be whipped up, kept in the fridge and used as an overnight marinade or brushed on when you’re lighting up the coals.

Get another trusted empty jam jar, add the following and give everything a vigorous shake:

1 cup ketchup (or a very generous glug; the beauty of these recipes is that you don’t have to be exact and you can adjust everything to taste)
2-3 heaped teaspoons honey
1-2 dessert spoons apple cider vinegar
1-2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste
Optional: cayenne pepper to taste

Easy No Bake Summer Fruit Pavlova

Unless you’re Mary Berry, summer is too short to spend it in the kitchen prepping dessert. If you’re entertaining or you’ve been designated Dessert Person at a BBQ, you need something simple that’s still a crowd pleaser. So here you have it (we won’t tell anyone about the shop-bought bit…)

Whisk 3 tablespoons honey and ½ teaspoon vanilla extract into 300g mascarpone cheese in a large bowl
Gently fold in a punnet each of raspberries, blueberries and chopped strawberries
Tip into one large, shop-bought (shhh…) meringue nest
Neaten it up a little bit by gently pushing the mixture into the edges, but keep it semi-rough looking; this isn’t a perfectly neat affair
Push a few more whole strawberries into the top, add some sliced kiwi and drizzle with more honey
Top with a small sifting of icing sugar
Encourage diners to simply dig in!

Honey Prosecco Fizz

And finally, a honey-infused cocktail to finish things off! This is equally as good made with alcohol-free sparkling wine.

Make a batch of honey syrup by combining equal parts honey and water and warm gently in a saucepan, stirring gently
Allow to cool
Fill the bottom of a champagne flute with a splash of honey syrup
Add a squeeze of lime
Top the glass with equal parts prosecco and soda water
Garnish with a raspberry

· Enjoy!

If you’re looking for the best honey to keep in your kitchen cupboards, Necta & Hive active, healing honey is more than just honey. It’s Western Australia’s best-kept secret, and it can be yours every month if you subscribe. Plus, you’ll save yourself up to 20% if you do. Or, treat yourself to a one-off.

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