Cooking with Honey

For best results, use recipes developed for using honey. When substituting honey for granulated sugar in recipes (for example, in sauces, marinades and salad dressings), begin by substituting honey for up to half of the sugar called for in the recipe. With a little experimentation, honey can replace all the sugar in some recipes.

Baking with Honey:

• Use pure honey for up to half the granulated sweetener in a recipe.
• Reduce oven temperature by 25°F to prevent over-browning.

For each cup of honey used:

• Reduce any liquid called for by 1/4 cup.
• Add 1/2 teaspoon baking soda.

Because of its high fructose content, honey has a higher sweetening power than sugar. This means you can use less honey than sugar to achieve the desired sweetness.

When measuring honey, coat the measuring cup with non-stick cooking spray or vegetable oil before adding the honey. The honey will slide right out.

A 12-ounce jar of honey equals a standard measuring cup.

Storing Honey

Store honey at room temperature – your kitchen counter or pantry shelf is ideal.

Storing honey in the refrigerator accelerates the honey’s crystallization. Crystallization is the natural process in which liquid in honey becomes solid.

Honey stored in sealed containers can remain stable for decades and even centuries! However, it tends to darken and lose its aroma and flavor over time. This is a temperature-dependent process, making the shelf life of honey difficult to define. For practical purposes, a shelf life of two years is often stated.

If your honey crystallizes, simply place the honey jar in warm water and stir until the crystals dissolve. Or, place the honey in a microwave-safe container with the lid off and microwave it, stirring every 30 seconds, until the crystals dissolve. Be careful not to boil or scorch the honey.

Note: Honey should not be fed to infants under one year of age. Honey is a safe and wholesome food for children and adults.

Color and Flavor

Honeys differ in color and flavor depending on what blossoms the honey bees visit in search of nectar. Honey color ranges from almost colorless to dark amber brown and its flavor varies from delectably mild to richly bold. As a general rule, light-colored honey is milder in taste and dark-colored honey is stronger.