Cooking & Preserving with Honey
Honey is great for sweetening hot or cold beverages, such as tea or iced tea, using as a spread on toast, or a dip for fruit. It can also be used as a healthy alternative for sugar in most recipes. Since honey is a liquid, substituting it for granulated sugar sometimes requires adjustments to the liquid within a recipe.
Substituting Honey for Sugar
Use the same amount of honey as sugar called for by the recipe AND cut the liquid by one quarter, e.g.:
1 cup sugar + 1 cup milk = 1 cup honey + 3/4 cup milk
OR
Replace sugar with three quarters of honey, e.g.:
1 cup sugar = 3/4 cup honey
Baking Adjustments: Using Honey instead of Sugar
Baked goods containing honey brown in the oven more quickly, so it is better to reduced by the oven temperature by 25°F degrees to prevent over-browning and flavour change. Baked goods remain fresh and moist for a longer period of time when honey is used, especially quick breads and loaves.
Using Honey when Canning - Fruit preserves
Use honey as a substitute for sugar. If you wish to can fruit, you can make the appropriate fruit syrup as follows. Fruit juice can be used as as substitute for some or all of the water.:
Light Syrup = 1 cup honey + 3 cups boiling water
Medium Syrup = 1 cup honey + 2 cup boiling water
Using Honey when Freezing - Fruit preserves
It's best to use mild tasting honey when freezing fruit so that that flavour of the fruit can shine through.. Place prepared fruit directly into freezer containers and cover with one of the following well chilled syrups.
.
Light Syrup = 1 cup honey + 3 cups very hot water
Medium Syrup = 2 cups honey + 3 cups very hot water
Leave head space for expansion. Crumple a piece of waxed paper and leave on top to keep the fruit under the syrup. Seal, date and freeze.
Fruit may also be frozen without the use of syrup, by drizzling honey over the prepared fruit which has been placed in freezer containers.
Jams and Jellies with Honey
Ontario honey may be substituted for sugar in most jam and jelly recipes. If a recipe calls for 4 cups sugar, use 2 cups honey. Cook the jam or jelly slightly longer than time stated in recipe using sugar. When substituting honey, use a commercial liquid or powdered pectin. The consistency of the jam or jelly will be somewhat softer.