Don't Throw Out Your Used Honey Jars Before Using Every Last Bit Of Sweetness With This Trick

Since the beginning of this decade, grocery store prices have been on the rise, with shrinkflation even further reducing how far our dollars will stretch at checkout. While this can be disheartening, it's also somewhat inspiring, as it has us looking at our pantry odds and ends a little differently. Things we may have simply tossed in years prior suddenly look useful, pushing us to get every last drop of flavor and nutrition from every scrap, whether that means leaning hard into your grandmother's buttermilk biscuits and cream gravy recipe, or seeing the golden residue on the inside of your honey jar in a new light.

It's no secret that the sugary sweet dregs of grape jelly are the perfect base for a childhood-inspired PB&J latte, but did you know that the same hack also works for honey containers? While a honeyed morning espresso is undeniably delicious, an even better way to get the most out of your (mostly) empty honey jar is to fill it with milk and tuck it in the fridge overnight. The milk slowly dissolves the honey, creating a lightly sweetened milk that's just waiting to be splashed into your morning cup of tea, used as the base for a matcha latte, or streamed into pancake batter to add some luscious, earthy sweetness. A touch of honey milk may also be the sweet twist missing from your morning eggs. Sweet scrambled eggs may sound unusual at first, but a slight sugary undertone enhances your favorite savory seasonings with some subtle nuance.

While honey never expires, that characteristic goes out the window once it's introduced to outside ingredients like milk. The milk can and will spoil and ruin the honey as well, so it's crucial to keep the container in the fridge once you fill it with milk. Also, feel free to give the container a good shake or stir the milk right after adding it to help start incorporating the leftover honey. You can even use a milk frother, though the aeration won't last overnight — if you want honey cold foam, use your frother to blitz everything together right before you dollop it into your drink.

If you're dairy-free, or a vegetarian who still enjoys honey, you can also do this with plant-based milks, especially those made from ingredients that pair well with honey's earthy, astringent sweetness. Unsweetened plain or vanilla-flavored almond or oat milk would be delicious, as would rarer pistachio milk, if you can find it. Of course, it's also okay to do this with your favorite brand of soy milk, though the earthiness of the soy and the honey together may be a bit strong if you typically dislike such flavors.

Since you're already infusing milk with flavor, there's nothing wrong with adding some ground cinnamon and a touch of vanilla to the jar as well. This could add beautiful flavor to unsweetened Cheerios and plain oatmeal, or serve as a tasty base to your morning fruit smoothie.