 |
Honey's varying colors and flavors are derived from different
sources of nectar. Manuka, a dark, rich creamed honey from the New
Zealand tea tree ("ti"), is considered ideal for cooking.
|
Honey is a rich, golden syrup naturally produced by bees from
the nectar of flowers. With a high fructose content, it's even sweeter
in taste than granulated
sugar. Honey can be used as a spread,
sweetener and
glaze, as well as an age-old sore throat remedy when
mixed with hot tea and
lemon.
A Little Bite of History
Honey was used to sweeten foods centuries before sugar became widely
available. Prehistoric paintings depict early man gathering wild honey
in much the same way it's done today. An Ancient Egyptian scroll listed
more than 500 recipes with honey as an ingredient, and the Greeks and
Romans used it to flavor almost everything, including wine.
Varieties and Buying Tips
There are hundreds of different honeys around the world, and most
are named for the flower from which they originate. The most common
varieties at the supermarket are
clover and
orange blossom.
Gourmet or natural food stores may also carry more limited varieties
like buckwheat, heather, raspberry and tupelo, all naturally infused with their respective flower's unique flavor and scent.
Honey is also sold in three different styles, or forms. Regular honey
is pure
liquid that has been extracted from the honeycomb. Most liquid
honey is pasteurized to prevent crystallization.
Chunk-style honey has pieces of honeycomb included in the jar, while
comb honey is a single piece of honeycomb with the honey still inside.
Both honey and comb are edible.
Storage Tips
Store tightly sealed liquid honey in a dark, dry place at room
temperature for up to one year; chunk and comb honey for six months.
Refrigerating honey will cause it to crystallize and turn grainy.
Usage Tips
• Keep honey in a plastic squeeze bottle to easily dispense the amount you want.
• Before measuring, lightly coat your cup or spoon with cooking spray or vegetable oil. The syrup will easily slide out.
• Reliquefy crystallized honey by placing the opened jar in the microwave at high power for 15 to 60 seconds.
• After using, rinse honey jar caps with hot water and they'll be easier to open next time.
Substitution Tips
• When cooking, be aware of your honey's source—different varieties
carry very different flavors. The very strong buckwheat honey would not
be suitable in a recipe calling for orange blossom honey, which by
contrast is very light and delicate.
• Swap honey with other liquid sweeteners like
corn syrup, maple syrup or molasses.
Try one of our favorite honey recipes:
Baked Ham with Honey-Apricot Glaze
Berries and Cheese Surprise
Honey Brandy Chicken
Suggested
Pairings
apples, apricots,
bananas, bread, cantaloupe, carrots, chicken, garlic, ham, lemon, lime, mustard, oranges,
nuts, phyllo, pineapple, pork, salmon, sesame, shrimp, soy sauce,
strawberries, teriyaki sauce, yogurt
