Honey Tips - Cooking, Storage and Usage
Cooking with Honey
For best results, use recipes developed for using honey. When substituting honey for granulated sugar in recipes, 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.
When baking with honey, remember the following:
- Reduce any liquid called for by 1/4 cup for each cup of honey used.
- Add 1/2 teaspoon baking soda for each cup of honey used.
- Reduce oven temperature by 25°F to prevent over-browning.
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. More details.
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.
A Spoonful of Honey Helps!
When it comes to soothing throats, singers have known for generations
that a spoonful of honey would sweeten their performance. You don’t
have to sing an aria to appreciate the soothing benefits of honey—yelling
at a football game can strain your voice and lead to a sore throat.
According to the American Association of Family Physicians, many things can cause a sore throat. These include infections with viruses, such as colds and flu; sinus drainage; allergies; or cigarette smoking, among others. Sore throats caused by bacteria such as streptococci, are usually treated with antibiotics. Always check with your doctor if you have a fever, or if symptoms continue for more than a few days.
Time is the most important healer of sore throats caused by viruses, but for relief of the irritating symptoms, try a spoonful of honey to soothe and coat your throat. Take a spoonful straight, as often as you need, to relieve the irritation. In between, keep up your liquids with a steaming cup of tea sweetened with honey. For added vitamin C, try mixing in orange, grapefruit or lemon juice. (Try a Honey-Citrus Soother.)
Honey, nature’s soother, is more than just sweet. A recent review of scientific literature revealed that honey contains antioxidants and, although in trace amounts, a wide array of vitamins, minerals and amino acids. Honey contributes to a persons overall intake of recommended nutrients. Sweeteners, such as refined sugar, offer no additional nutrients. Be aware, of course, that honey should not be fed to infants under one year of age. Honey is a safe and wholesome food for older children and adults.
Eating honey regularly, not just when colds and flu strike, makes good nutritional sense. There are approximately 300 varieties of honey in the United States. In general, lighter -colored honeys are milder tasting, while darker-colored honeys are bolder in flavor. Darker honeys also tend to have a higher mineral content and antioxidant potential.