Honey Cooking Tips

Storing Honey

Honey should also be stored out of direct sunlight and close to room temperature. Avoid storing honey in the refrigerator, because honey absorbs and retains moisture. It will also crystallize in the refrigerator.

Liquefying Crystallized Honey

Honey sometimes turns granulated, but it’s not spoiled if it does. You can use it granulated or you can turn it back to liquid. All you need to do is place the honey container in a pan of warm water. When granulated honey turns back into a clear liquid, it’s no longer crystallized.

One word of warning: although some people heat honey in the microwave, the little honey bears can melt. If you plan to heat honey that way, do it in 15 second intervals.

When Replacing Sugar With Honey

As a general guide, when using honey recipes, use less of honey because it is almost twice as sweet as sugar.

• Replace one cup of sugar for half a cup of honey, and because honey is hygroscopic (meaning it attracts water), reduce the amount of liquid in the recipe by 1/4 cup for each cup of honey added.
• Give longer time for beating and more vigorous beating compared to sugar recipes, and when baking with honey.
• Add 1/2 teaspoon baking soda for each cup of honey used. This will neutralize honey’s acidity and help the food rise.
• Reduce the oven temperature by 25 degrees Fahrenheit. Honey batter becomes crisp and browns faster than sugar batter.

To Measure Honey

If you are measuring honey by weight, 1 cup will weigh 12 ounces.

1. Using a measuring cup, smear or brush the inside walls of the cup with cooking/baking oil all around thinly and evenly. (Note: There are also now convenient baking oil spray canisters available in the supermarkets.)
2. Pour the amount of honey required into the measuring cup.
3. The thin layer of oil prevents the honey from sticking onto the cup. You can now easily pour out the honey from the measuring cup without having any stuck to the cup or having the need to scrap out the remaining from the cup so as to accurately obtain the amount of honey as instructed in the recipe.

Using Honey for Thickener or Binder

In salad dressings, honey works like an emulsifier. It provides texture and mouth-feel. It add a thicker viscosity to the dressing, while working as a binder. And because honey is very sweet, due to its high fructose content, you won’t need much honey for sweetening your dips and dressings.

Use Honey to Increase Shelf-Life

Did you know that adding a few tablespoonfuls of honey to a baking mix will result in a moist and flavorful product? Moisture in baked goods help keep them fresh longer. Honey also adds shelf-life to your cooked products. You might want to consider using honey in baked goods that you plan to mail. The person who opens your package will appreciate the freshness of your gift.

[tags]cooking, honey, diet[/tags]