Dear TEAM: I would like some information about cooking with honey. Can I substitute one cup of honey for one cup of corn syrup, to make puffed wheat cake, raisin filling for tarts or caramel popcorn? Can you make jam or jelly substituting honey for the sugar? How about freezer jam? I can fruit with honey. Is there a cookbook you can recommend for cooking with honey? I have a few beehives so I have a good source and supply of honey. – R.M., Spalding, Sask.
Dear R.M.: In baked goods, you can substitute one cup (250 mL) of honey for one cup (250 mL) of sugar, but decrease the liquid in the recipe by 1/4 cup (60 mL) for each cup (250 mL) of honey added. This is to allow for the natural moisture in honey. Although honey has greater sweetening power than sugar, it can be substituted for the same amount of sugar.
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In baked goods, add 1/2 teaspoon (two mL) of baking soda for every cup (250 mL) of honey used. This is to neutralize honey’s acidic nature.
Reduce the oven temperature by 25 F (5 C) when baking foods with honey. Honey caramelizes at a lower temperature than sugar, so baked goods made with honey may become overbrowned unless the oven temperature is slightly reduced. Honey scorches easily, so high temperatures should not be used when cooking with it.
Mild flavoured honey is best for most cooking and baking but stronger flavoured honey is good in recipes where dominant honey flavour is desired. Honey in the proper proportion adds a subtle but distinctive taste; it should not be used in amounts that overpower the taste of other foods.
Liquid honey is preferable for baking and cooking because it blends easily, while creamed honey is good for spreading. For better volume and texture, add liquid honey to batters in a fine stream, beating constantly.
Honey will slide out of measuring cups or spoons easily if oil is measured first or if the measures are first rinsed with hot water.
It is generally not recommended that you substitute honey for corn syrup. For best results, use tested recipes that specify honey or corn syrup. The main reason is the sweetness. Honey is almost twice as sweet as corn syrup. Sugar’s sweetness is between the two. However, for recipes like puffed wheat cake, some tarts and caramel popcorn, the difference in sweetness may not matter. You might consider using part honey and part corn syrup.
Preserving with honey
Honey may be used as a substitute for sugar when preserving fruit. Replace one cup (250 mL) sugar with 3/4 cup (175 mL) honey.
The fruit is packed in jars with the prepared honey syrup and processed by the cold pack method in a boiling water bath.
- For a light syrup, stir 11/2 cups (375 mL) honey into four cups (one L) of boiling water.
- For medium syrup, stir two cups (500 mL) honey into four cups (one L) of boiling water.
- Use a mild flavoured honey because stronger flavoured honey will overpower the taste of the fruit.
- Honey will prevent darkening of light coloured fruit so the addition of ascorbic acid to prevent discolouration is not necessary.
Mild flavoured honey may be used as a whole or partial substitute for sugar when preserving fruit.
Freezing fruit
Fruit may be frozen with or without making a syrup. Without a syrup, drizzle one part honey over four to five parts sliced fruit. Seal container; label and freeze at once.
For a light syrup, stir one cup (250 mL) honey into three cups (750 mL) boiling water. For a medium syrup, stir two cups (500 mL) honey into four cups (one L) boiling water. Slice fruit into syrup in the freezer container, using enough syrup to just cover the fruit. Leave head space for expansion. Freeze.
Honey has a low freezing point and may not become solid in the freezer. Use waterproof freezer
containers to prevent leakage.
Jams and jellies
For freezer jams and other jams and jellies, it is best to use a recipe specifically designed for use with honey. Jams and jellies require an exact proportion of fruit, pectin, acid and sugar or honey. Honey may contain up to 18 percent moisture, with the moisture content varying depending upon the type of honey. This additional moisture means that jams and jellies made with honey require longer boiling to thicken than when sugar is the sweetener.
If you want to try honey in jam and jelly recipes, use the substitution rate of 3/4 cup (175 mL) honey for each one cup (250 mL) of sugar.
Use a large canning kettle for jams and jellies because honey foams up when heated and may overflow a small kettle.
The Ontario Beekeepers Association sells the Ontario Honey Recipe Book, which is available for $8 from its business office, e-mail info@ontariobee.com. Alberta Beekeepers produces A Honey of a Cookbook, which is available from its business administrator; e-mail Gertie.Adair@albertabeekeepers.org. Both booklets have popular recipes with tips for baking with honey.
The website www.beemaid.com/BeeMaid/recipes.htm has the same recipes as I have in a booklet from the Canadian Honey Council. Unfortunately it is out of print. From this website are these jam recipes.
Strawberry jam
6 cups strawberries 1.5 L
1 package pectin crystals
2 cups honey 500 mL
1/4 cup lemon juice 60 mL
Wash strawberries; place in a large saucepan; mash. Add pectin; bring to a boil and add honey and lemon juice. Bring back to a boil. Cook at a full rolling boil for five minutes. Pour into hot sterilized jars.
Plum jam
4 cups cup-up plums 1 L
1 3/4 cups honey 425 mL
Wash plums, remove stones and chop into fine pieces. Place in a large saucepan; stir in honey and let sit for an hour. Bring to a boil. Cook at a full rolling boil for 15 minutes. Pour into hot sterilized jars.
Apricot jam
6 cups cut-up, peeled 1.5 L
apricots
1/4 cup lemon juice 60 mL
1 package pectin crystals
21/2 cups honey 625 mL
Wash apricots, remove stones and chop into small pieces. Place in a large saucepan. Boil gently 15 minutes. Stir in lemon juice, then pectin, mixing well. As soon as mixture boils again, add honey. Cook at a full rolling boil for five minutes. Pour into hot sterilized jars.
Alma Copeland is a home economist from Elrose, Sask., and one of four columnists comprising Team Resources. Send correspondence in care of this newspaper, Box 2500, Saskatoon, Sask., S7K 2C4 or contact them at team@producer.com.
