Gursikhs and Honey

Vaheguru ji ka khalsa Vaheguru ji ki fatheh!

Is it acceptable for Gursikhs to eat "shahad" or "honey?"

I don't usually have honey but last night I did, and after reading about how it is produced I am considering to stop having it from now on.

Essentially, when bees collect honey, they swallow and regurgitate it many times and the honey is collected in bee farms.

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from Wikipedia.com
In the hive the bees use their "honey stomachs" to ingest and regurgitate the nectar a number of times until it is partially digested.[10] The bees work together as a group with the regurgitation and digestion until the product reaches a desired quality. It is then stored in honeycomb cells. After the final regurgitation, the honeycomb is left unsealed. However, the nectar is still high in both water content and natural yeasts which, unchecked, would cause the sugars in the nectar to ferment.[8] The process continues as bees inside the hive fan their wings, creating a strong draft across the honeycomb which enhances evaporation of much of the water from the nectar.[8] This reduction in water content raises the sugar concentration and prevents fermentation. Ripe honey, as removed from the hive by a beekeeper, has a long shelf life and will not ferment if properly sealed.[8]

Would honey be considered vegetarian, because it contains the saliva and potentially the blood of bees, and would it be considered sucham ?

bhul chuk maaf karnaa ji

Vaheguru ji ka khalsa Vaheguru ji ki fatheh!

Honey along with Dairy products, traditionally is an acceptable food for Gursikhs. Both Honey and Dairy products come from animals but they are acceptable for consumption for Gursikhs. Gursikhs don't subscribe to vegan standards and vice-versa.

Kulbir Singh

Thank you Bhai Sahib. How was the honey produced in puratan times? I am feeling doubtful that the modern method of honey production in Canada would be acceptable according to Gurmat standards.

I think honey is natural so we can eat it.

daas,
khalsaji.

VaahegurooJeeKaaKhaalsaa! VaahegurooJeeKeeFateh!

I have a few questions that have been on my mind for a while. Hopefully some sangat can help me out.

Bhai Kulbir Singh Jee, you mention that "Dairy products" are acceptable for consumption. According to sarbloh bibek, how does that work with heavy cream? Most people don't have access to their own dairy/cows, so getting heavy cream is difficult. Here in the US, you can buy it from the store along with organic whole milk. I know according to bibek, we're supposed to boil the dudh in sarbloh before consumption or use in baking, but I think boiling heavy cream would denature it or change the properties. What would you suggest?

Also, in regards to the honey issue, would it also be acceptable to use other natural items according to sarbloh bibek? Things like agave nectar and pure maple syrup (a syrup made from the sap of sugar maple, red maple or black maple trees)? What about molasses (a by-product of the processing of sugar cane or sugar beets into sugar)?

What is the stance on using vinegar, like apple-cider vinegar and white distilled vinegar?

How does it work it terms of sarbloh bibek if one wants to make juice, like fresh orange or apple juice? If the juice is placed in sarbloh for too long, it obviously starts to rust. If all the juice cannot be consumed immediately, can one squeeze some fresh juice and store it in glass, then consume it from a sarbloh bata or cup later on?

Do sarbloh bibekis ever use non-sarbloh mixers and blenders to mix foods, and then cook them in sarbloh? For example, if one needs to make a lot of bread or cake, can a steel mixer be used to combine ingredients, and then it's actually baked or cooked in a thaal or bata? What about making a fresh juice smoothie? Can a blender be used to combine fresh orange juice, bananas, blueberries, honey, etc., but then it's consumed from a sarbloh bata or cup? Is this allowed?

Sorry for so many questions. It's just that eating pinnee, nuts, fruits, and parshaadaa (and drinking just jal and dudh) can get kind of monotonous. I guess it's best to just be simple!

VaahegurooJeeKaaKhaalsaa! VaahegurooJeeKeeFateh!
Tarnveer Singh

i always figured that part of bibek was to eat simply. taji sad sahaj sukhu hoee

what if we made shakes using the shardai method of ragarh and chhaaning haha

For what I've heard by many, glass dishes are acceptable to mix in or store in after the food is made. To actually make the food (cook, bake, fry), you should use Sarbloh Bhanday, if you keep Sarbloh-Bibek.

Vaaheguru Jee Kaa Khalsaa Vaaheguru Jee Kee Fatehh!

Would appreciate if someone could answer Bhai Tarnveer Singh ji's questions. Those are some same questions I have had before. Thanks.

Good questions by Bhai Tarnveer Singh jee and this Daas will try to answer to be best of his knowledge.

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Bhai Kulbir Singh Jee, you mention that "Dairy products" are acceptable for consumption. According to sarbloh bibek, how does that work with heavy cream? Most people don't have access to their own dairy/cows, so getting heavy cream is difficult. Here in the US, you can buy it from the store along with organic whole milk. I know according to bibek, we're supposed to boil the dudh in sarbloh before consumption or use in baking, but I think boiling heavy cream would denature it or change the properties. What would you suggest?

I am not sure about this.

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Also, in regards to the honey issue, would it also be acceptable to use other natural items according to sarbloh bibek? Things like agave nectar and pure maple syrup (a syrup made from the sap of sugar maple, red maple or black maple trees)? What about molasses (a by-product of the processing of sugar cane or sugar beets into sugar)?

I don't know how maple is derived but if it is taken out from trees, then I don't see anything wrong with using it.

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What is the stance on using vinegar, like apple-cider vinegar and white distilled vinegar?

We have used vinegar in the past as a way to make paneer or other things as an ingredient but recently a Singh has expressed reservations about using it. So I am not sure about it's consumption at this time. In any case, it is not consumed directly but is used as an ingredient in making something bigger. If someone has been using some vinegar as a way to make Paneer, we won't have problem being Abhed with them for this reason alone.

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How does it work it terms of sarbloh bibek if one wants to make juice, like fresh orange or apple juice? If the juice is placed in sarbloh for too long, it obviously starts to rust. If all the juice cannot be consumed immediately, can one squeeze some fresh juice and store it in glass, then consume it from a sarbloh bata or cup later on?

The above arrangement seems reasonable. Things like Achaar, Murabba etc. are stored in Cheeni or glass utensils and at the time of eating are placed in Sarbloh utensils.

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Do sarbloh bibekis ever use non-sarbloh mixers and blenders to mix foods, and then cook them in sarbloh? For example, if one needs to make a lot of bread or cake, can a steel mixer be used to combine ingredients, and then it's actually baked or cooked in a thaal or bata? What about making a fresh juice smoothie? Can a blender be used to combine fresh orange juice, bananas, blueberries, honey, etc., but then it's consumed from a sarbloh bata or cup? Is this allowed?

We personally don't use steel mixer to gunn flour but if someone was to use it at home to mix ingredients and then use Sarbloh tray to actually bake it, it would be fine with us. Same thing is true for other stuff you have mentioned in the paragraph.

Guru Sahib knows the best. The above is based on the meagre understanding of this Daas.

Kulbir Singh