H
Reading edition
HONEY.
Honey consists of pure fruit sugars extracted by bees from flowers. Its colour, taste and odour thus partake in some degree of the flowers from which it has been collected. The virgin honey in the comb is the best to use, although the most expensive. Honey is a useful addition to many beverages as a pure and natural sweetening agent. For this purpose it is preferable to either cane or beet sugar. As a rule, it is better to avoid low priced foreign honey (unless it bears an absolute guarantee of purity) as few articles of food are more widely adulterated.
Mulse.
This was a famous drink in ancient times. It is made by boiling together one part of honey and 8 parts of water.
Mead.
This also was a popular drink with the early Norsemen and our own Anglo-Saxon forebears. It was a mixture of light red wine and honey, with a little fresh herb added sometimes.
HOPS.
Hops possess tonic and sedative properties. They contain an aromatic oil which gives to the plant its medicinal virtues. Practically all fragrant herbs have a tendency to bring on sleep and hops are no exception to this rule. Hops are often given in various ways to induce sleep and to soothe the nervous system. A hop pillow is a device to attain the same end.
Hop Infusion.
½ oz. hops; 1 pint water; infuse in the usual way. Dose is 4 to 8 tablespoonfuls. Malt extract can be added to improve the taste and mitigate the intensely bitter flavour of the hop.
HORSERADISH.
This is an excellent relish to go with salads. It should be scraped into fine shreds using a cobbler’s knife sharpened with sand paper. It makes an excellent addition to vegetable drinks.
