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.

If your honey crystallizes, simply place the honey jar in water on the stove on low and stir 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

Health Benefits

Research has shown that unlike most other sweeteners, honey contains small amounts of a wide array of vitamins, minerals, amino acids and antioxidants.

Honey, a rich source of carbohydrates, provides a quick source of energy.

Honey’s unique composition makes it an effective antimicrobial agent, useful for treating minor burns and scrapes, and for aiding the treatment of sore throats and other bacterial infections.